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“There has never been a better time to celebrate ordinary people doing extraordinary things,” says Alisha Patel, a Dubai-based poetess of Indian origin who is trying to use her poetry to fill the world with hope and positivity.
Back in 2003, Washington-based poet Maureen Thorson began to share her daily poems in April on her blog. The trend caught on and inspired a project that led to April being christened the ‘National Poetry Writing Month’ in the USA and Canada. It inspired many budding poets around the world and gave them the courage to write their beautiful thoughts down and share them with the world. It also gave the world the chance to appreciate the subtle grandeur of poetry and acknowledge that words truly contain the power to change the world. Increasingly, poets are taking to social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram to express.
One such change-maker from India who is using her ‘Instapoetry’ or poetry on Instagram to add a shot of optimism to the world, one day at a time, is Alisha, a former copywriter, and freelance PR personnel.
In the wake of the unimaginable spread of the Coronavirus-induced pandemic, the world laments the loss of thousands as it sits cowered, praying and wishing every day for some hope. Says Alisha, “this is a time when all of us feel most alone, even though we have never been more united—and I want to remind people of that and hope to make them introspect at the very least.” Upon being asked about the specific motivation behind her pandemic series of Instapoetry, Alisha asseverated, “All I heard from people was how bored they were cooking and caring for kids— and we all feel that way. However, when I thought about it further, I realised that there are so many people without food (or the luxury to bake), without a home, and without good health. I thought, how do I get people to introspect and instill a sense of gratitude and strength in them? I want my words to provide people with calm and remind them of their inner strength.”
Alisha, who is trying to use her poetry to fill the world with hope and positivity by creating a “sense of community”, hopes that her work will help people to feel both loved and heard. She mainly uses Instagram to speak to the world. On being asked how she writes, she said, “I started this account in January 2017 and soon realised that I felt very alive upon writing a poem. I don’t know where it comes from; I get a thought in my head, which is then followed by a feeling—and then I NEED a pen, pronto!” Perhaps Alisha’s poetry speaks to us at such a deep level because it comes out directly from her heart.
About her choice of platform, Instagram, she says, “The thing about poetry is that it’s so poignant and visual, you can convey a lot in just a couple of lines.” She enjoys the fast pace of reception and response and believes that there has never been a better time in history to communicate. “Social media has made us more connected than we’ve ever been before and I want to be in touch with as many people as I can. Instapoetry might not always be perfect in its structure but, if truthful, it always strikes a chord with people. It also allows people to respond in a way that books don’t. For instance, it was amazing for me to hear from the likes of Elizabeth Gilbert and to have reached another bestselling author, Glennon Doyle. How could you ever have heard their feedback even ten years ago? This is the power of social media.” she continues.
As she continues working on her passion, Alisha is also looking at collaborating with brands by using her lyrics to create a unique form of brand-engagement. She believes that lyrical language has tremendous power for recall and can be used by brands both online and offline. Having previously used her language to interpret Peruvian cuisine, she is now also looking to fuse her writing together with art, film, and sculpture.
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