SISTA CYPHA Presents: Oriana lee: Poetic Evolutions
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Oriana lee |
Oriana lee possess many entities as wife, mother, educator and executive, but being a poet helps to put all things in order. Find your favorite spot and light your favorite fragrance as Oriana lee shares her zest for life and qwest for poetic evolutons.
THE PLAYERS:
Oriana Lee: poet by nature, educator
Tachelle Wilkes: poet, journalist, teacher
Tachelle: How did you become a poet?
Oriana lee: “Lee” means poet. That being my second/middle name, poetry was evidently in the midst from the very beginning. But even though eye do write some poetry, eye consider myself quite plainly a writer. Period. Dating back to my childhood, eye have written everything from raps to essays to articles to poetry & then some. Many writers are diverse in this way; take Kevin Powell for instance. He was introduced on the Real World as a poet, but since then he has become internationally known as an all-around writer. My plight has been very similar. Except eye have yet to star in a reality show, though Trading Spouses contacted my family earlier this year. That was a pretty funny experience.
T: Do you believe that poets are born, made or both?
Ol: Writing is general is a skill that anyone can learn. However, it is my belief that true artists are born as such, whether they immediately recognize their creative ability or not. Knowing that poetry is indeed an art form, it would be my educated guess that poets or any other artists enter the world as artistic individuals.
T: Describe yourself as a poet.
Ol: My writings are a pretty accurate reflection of my personality – serious. Something To Cope is no different. That’s doesn’t mean that eye do not ever use humor or sarcasm to get my point across, but for the most part you can bet that whatever it is that eye am addressing is a fo’real, deal issue. This combination of wit, cynicism & seriousness definitely comes across in “My First Piece” from Dwight Spitz.
T: What themes do you speak about in your poetry?
Ol: My writings reflect the general issues that humans deal with on a daily basis: love, hate, fear, politics, sex, parenting, education, companionship, and death. From antiquated times up to the modern era, people have dealt with the same basic problems & concerns to varying degrees. No matter what our backgrounds, we all range a fairly limited number of emotions. That’s what makes poetry universal regardless of the language in which it is originally scripted. Poetry is quite simply the creative expression of those basic emotions.
T: How do you infuse healing within your artistry?
Ol: Something To Cope has been exactly that – one long healing process. When the idea came to me to begin putting together this book in 2001, my life was on the verge of finality. It was only once eye opted to begin therapy for many of the issues with which eye had struggled for years, that eye came to know that there were fundamental coping skills that lacked in my adult make-up. As a means of recording the emotions & dealings related to learning to comfortably manage my life, this particular work was borne.
T: Where does inspiration for your poetry stem from?
Ol: Just life in general. Everything is inspiration.
T: Are you working on any current projects?
Ol: Something To Cope is a book of prose & poetry that will see the light of day this fall. The book will be accompanied by a cd that Count Bass D is producing. Eye have also started the research for my next project, which will give the ladies of the hip hop era the notoriety & recognition that has been long omitted in the documentation of the history. In recent weeks, eye have recommitted to In The Know, a bi-weekly listings e-publication that eye also edit in association with Writehanded.com.
T: In what ways is the spoken word the building blocks to many genres of music?
Ol: We know from the legacy of both jazz & classical music that quality music does not necessarily NEED words. Even still, the spoken word does help to bridge a certain gap that exists when connecting the genres cross-culturally.
T: What advice can you give to at home mothers who would like to pursue becoming a poet?
Ol: GO FOR IT! One of the biggest lies that we tell ourselves as “superwomen” is that we must devote ALL of ourselves to the family. Given the high-stress level associated with nurturing a family, providing ourselves with a creative outlet for our own ideas is beneficial to all involved. But even in the pursuit of writing, it is necessary to take equivalent time to build your skills. Because eye am also an educator & music business executive, eye tend to spread myself way thin. This type of multitasking is something that eye would not recommend to anyone. It is my long-term goal to eventually write as my sole profession.
T: What advice can you give to young girls who like poetry but think that they can’t write their own?
Ol: My grandmother used to say, “Can’t died when you were a baby.” Like eye tell my own daughter, who happens to be a natural wordsmith, you can do absolutely anything that you want to do. The key is wanting it bad enough to actually bring it into fruition. There is no man or woman on the planet better than anyone else; we are equals. Know that first & move forward in the pursuit of those personal goals. If not poetry, all girls should document their thoughts in some capacity. That may be as simple as keeping a journal or as complex as creating your own publication like Kenya James did with Black Girl magazine. The possibilities are truly endless in this computer age.
T: What is your recipe for a balanced life?
Ol: It would be foolish of me to pretend to live a balanced life. Is that possible with 4 children running around all day? Each day is an incremental step to making that a reality, but it yet remains something for which eye have a recipe. Although, Queen Afua’s Sacred Woman is the best roadmap for balance (Maat) that eye have come across yet.
T: What are some things that you do to alleviate stress?
Ol: Eye am a strong advocate of wholistic living. Eye try to rely on as many natural remedies for stress relief as possible. There are many herbs that help in those instances. Prayer & meditation are also a relatively effective means of calming. Taking a moderate stroll around the ‘hood is an old favorite that eye have recently added. Walking really gives me the space to collect my thoughts & ideas. As a married woman, eye have come to rely on lovemaking as a wonderful method for alleviating the stress associated with daily life. It is also one of the most effective means of exercise & it is quite fun, as well.
T: What is success to you?
Ol: Success is the progressive realization of the creator’s divine will. We all have a destiny to fulfill. Actually tapping in to that greater purpose for our existence is the utmost achievement that we as humans can accomplish.
T: Please add all other thoughts and a website address so we can find out about your performance dates and projects.
Ol: Thank you so much for just letting me live, girlfriend! It is my pleasure to be a part. Please visit www.orianalee.com often to stay up on projects or events. Check for my blog musings, too. Look for Something To Cope in the Fall 2005.
