I have mentioned some poets in the past that inspire me. But I think I forgot one. I only forgot them because they are a little unorthodox. So, without further ado, will the real slim shady please stand up?

When I was in high school I became very angry with the world. Right around that same time Eminem’s album “Not Afraid” was released. As I’m sure most of you know, Eminem’s song “Not Afraid” became a huge hit and was on the radio a lot. That introduced me to his music. You would think his older music would’ve found me first. And it did. But it didn’t resonate with my emotions like this song could. So I started listening to that entire album and found a way to cope with my anger. That album was the soundtrack to my senior year. Now I listen to all of his music. And even now, 12 years later, I still find solace in his music when my anger burns.

When I started writing poetry I noticed the lyrics of his songs more and was in awe of them. Eminem’s ability to manipulate the English language fascinated me. I feel that every time I listen to one of his songs I find another punch line in it or notice a new way that the words fit together. Enter inspiration. This one’s for the Eminem fans.

There’s vomit on her sweater already
Moms spaghetti
She’s nervous
But on the surface she looks calm and ready to drop bombs
But
she keeps on forgetting 
“It would be so empty without me”

Her thoughts are sporadic, she acts like an addict
She won't get another chance, life is no Nintendo game

She fears how she feels inside
It may seem a little crazy pretty baby
But I promise mamas gonna be alright 

In the dark it’s time to exercise these demons. These motherfuckers are doing jumping jacks. Now she’s not afraid. Her pen’ll go off when she half cocks it. Then they’re gonna taste her venom

-anger inspiration and admiration 
-the Eminem show 

The post Let Her Roar first appeared on Gabrielle Stetz.

You never know where a writer will get their inspiration. It comes from the call of a particular bird they heard, the taste of a new dish, a street name, a co-worker’s personality, the list is endless. The smallest details can spark the greatest ideas. We also get inspiration from the words we consume. You have to read to write. You have to study the authors who came before you and learn the craft. I’ve been reading books for so long that I cant pin point one or even five particular influences on my fictional writing. What I can tell you, however, is where I got my poetic influence.

In 2016 “Milk and Honey” by Rupi Kaur hit the New York Times Bestseller List. It took me 4 years to be convinced to jump on the bandwagon and finally get around to reading it. I was blown away by the power of her words and the feelings I had that she put on paper just right. It wasn’t always easy to read. Kaur’s writing includes triggers for sexual abuse, emotional abuse, depression, and anxiety. Just to name a few. She also writes about self-love and women empowerment. Some of her poems rhyme. Some do not. Some are long. Some are not. Some have hidden meanings. Some have meanings that punch you in the face. I thought to myself, “if poetry can be like that, I can do that.” And now, 2.5 years later I have over 40 poems written and Kaur has two more poetry books published. I was so hungry for more poets like Kaur that I went digging. I found Amanda Lovelace and her book, “The Princess Saves Herself In This One.” Lovelace puts a fairytale spin on triggering topics and also freeing topics like women empowerment. I’ve read and re-read all of their books countless times now.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. Kaur came to Cleveland to do a poetry slam. I was a poetry slam virgin but HAD to go see her. I wanted to know what it was about. She read new poems and old ones, introducing each one with some background. Her presence grabbed your attention and held it. When she first came on stage, I couldn’t stop thinking about how much she looked like a celebrity in her emerald green velvet dress with the slit up the side and glittering jewelry. Seriously, I’ve never seen jewelry sparkle like that. But as the show went on, she started shifting her weight back and forth in her heels. The audience convinced her she didn’t need them and she did the rest of the show barefoot. It seems like a small thing but you could tell after that her shiny celebrity feel wore off and she felt like one of us. She even talked about her insecurity that she feels when her work is complimented like it was that night.

Below I’ve included some of my favorite poems by Rupi Kaur.

The post Where Inspiration Begins first appeared on Gabrielle Stetz.