Today we’d like to introduce you to Jezmin Daniels.
Jezmin, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Little Jez wanted to be a writer, sometimes a performer, and eventually I figured out how to be both. My mom wasted no time letting me know I could not sing and rapping was chucked out the window when I couldn’t catch the beat. But my pen never stopped. I wrote short stories and fan-fiction. I chronicled my childhood with deep introspection, questions I had about the world around me, and my conversations with God, which led me to believe I was a poet. I can’t put a date on it, but I stumbled upon Jackie Hill and Def Poetry Jam on YouTube and instantly fell in love. From there I called myself ‘Poet-fo-eva’ and my daddy gave me a pulpit and a mic. I was around 13 when I started spittin’ at my daddy’s church and and even a couple others.
Somewhere in the middle, my pen collected so much dust I didn’t recognize it; Didn’t even acknowledge it. I stopped fanning the flames and I lost the fire inside me.
In 2017, my first daughter was born, and it became painfully clear that I needed to become someone she could look up to. That meant blowing the dust from the pen so I could write myself out of postpartum depression and step into DC’s open mic poetry scene.
The fire was back and it hasn’t left since my family arrived to Coastal GA in 2018. I continued to perform in open mics, churches, galas, craft markets, festivals and anywhere else I could get on a mic. Eventually, I became a known poet in Savannah and was asked by a non-profit to co-lead the youth slam poetry team.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Is any road ever smooth? If so, you ain’t doing something right because every bump I hit has just made me better, gave me something to write about and I’m always thankful when my pen don’t stop moving. All my struggles have been lessons: Motherhood, Marriage, piles of overdraft fees, loss of family & friends. Painful. Yes. Tough to get through. Yes. But, I’m right where I’m supposed to be, when I was supposed to be; That’s always been the case. New levels, New Devils is what my mama would say.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a poet and spoken word artist. Spoken word basically combines poetry and performance. I love to make people laugh and cry because I believe we need to do both to survive. Mostly, I write about motherhood. The ins, outs, the honest to God truth about how this shit sucks sometimes. I write for women, black women especially. Yes, I draw from personal experience but most of the stories I tell are from the mouths of my friends who are also mothers, or wives or just hard-working women who are tired of being that. I strive to humanize & empower people with my poems.
Right now, my favorite piece is ‘The Marriage Poem’. I’ve performed it maybe only 3 times but I enjoy seeing the reactions from the audience with this piece. They laugh in shock, shake their heads, snap and clap like I spoke to their soul directly. I love it! It’s so fun.
I don’t write about hot topics. My writing is spirit-led which means I meet people who inspire me and I write about them or I’m processing through a life lesson; It varies but I don’t create for the purpose of mass consumption. My mission is very clear on how I should show up in this world, and I intend on being a beacon of love and truth.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Can’t lie, I’m not big on taking risks. The unknown is a very scary place. However, I do believe it’s worth it and is the reason I give myself pep talks on the daily. Catch me next time with this same question!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jezmindenise/
