Scrolling through the Instagram of Bridget Ukeni is nothing but powerful, inspiring and uplifting. Her poems and spoken word videos are the kind that gives you chills and a huge sense of empowerment. If you ever have a bad day or have feelings of self doubt, her motivation and strength can lift you up. She encourages others through her own self love and healing journey and we're so excited to have her apart of our community! Here is Bridget's interview.
When did you start writing poetry?
I started writing poems when I was around 11 or 12 years old. That was either my first or second year in secondary school. The words of the first poem I performed were actually inspired by an incident involving me and some other boarding students.
I got my inspiration to start writing poetry from my elder sister, Ijeoma. When we were younger she used to write a lot of stories, songs and poems. There was a particular poem she wrote that I loved. It ends like this: "run I may, travel I may but I will still return back to my origin, just under mother's breast." I figured, since my sister can write poems, perhaps, I too can also write poems.
What made you decide to start sharing your words on Instagram?
Honestly, I think I just felt like sharing my poems with more people. I had been performing my poems in church and in open mics and events. I think it felt like it was time to create some kind of online home for my poems to reach people in different parts of the World. I also wanted to work on writing more consistently. I think I felt having a place online, to share my work would motivate me to keep writing. At first, I started sharing my poems together with my artworks on a different Instagram account. Later, I decided to separate them. Some years ago, I used to wait for "inspiration" to write poems. Now, I write (even if it's a few lines) almost every day.
Your theme is stunning! Do you work with a photographer to create content for your feed?
Thank you! I use photos taken by different people on different occasions and photoshoots. Some of the photos were taken by my friends. Some of the photos were taken by photographers. I also take some of the photos myself. I have a Nikon D3200 camera and a Canon Mark G7x II camera. Sometimes, I do mini photoshoots at home and use some of those pictures on my page. I edit my photos using 'Adobe Lightroom' and 'VSCO'. I plan out the layout of the photos for my Instagram page using the 'Preview' app.
We noticed you’re sharing your journey to self-love and healing. Why did you decide to be open about it?
I think there's something beautiful about relating to others and seeing words that describe your experiences. I decided to open up about my journey of self-love and healing in hopes that those that see part of their story in mine would be encouraged to keep going. I am passionate about pushing forward to women the message of being ENOUGH. I hope to encourage and uplift people (especially women), through my poetry/writing and my journey of self-love, healing and living boldly.
Would you recommend Poet Possibilities? If so, why?
Yes, I would highly recommend 'Poet possibilities'. Poet possibilities is a very resourceful online store/community for helping poets and writers. They have different courses and resources targeted to different issues that poets, writers and authors may face. I recently started using some of the tips/ tricks in one of their courses and I've already started seeing the impact. Also, the founder of 'Poet Possibilities' is a poet and a published author who has used and is using the same proven strategies that she teaches in the courses.
Where can we find you?
Instagram username: @bridgeteukeni
Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/bridgeteukeni/
Website/ Blog: www.bridgeteukeni.com
YouTube name: Bridget E. Ukeni
YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7NRgOE67Ypg0G_PUZ1Zkxw
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