Today we’d like to introduce you to Giovanna White.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Giovanna. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Hi, my name is Giovanna White, some people know me as Gia. On Instagram my name is gia_soulspeaksinpoetry. My poetic name is poetry goddess. I am 26 years old and from Lithonia, GA. I currently live in Loganville, GA. For as long as I can remember, I found solace and purpose in writing. I recently found an old notebook from First grade, where I wrote a very simple poem called Lookup can you see the stars. I was so amazed to see that I’ve been creating poetry since childhood. English and social studies were some of my favorite classes in school. Those classes were the bases for writing, articulation, expression, creativity, and cultural skills. I started writing poetry in the sixth grade more consistently.
Writing poetry allowed me to express my feelings. I’ve always been very shy and was able to find a voice through poetry. A voice that is strong, clear, joyful, and true to me. I participated in a talent show in my senior year at South Gwinnett high school and performed a poem. After graduating high school, I went to the University of West Georgia majoring in Psychology. Getting a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology allowed me to learn more about myself and get in touch with my mind, heart, body, and soul. A year ago in 2019, I took poetry seriously. I challenged myself to a year of poetry. Where I uploaded a new poem every Sunday for what I called soulful Sundays poetry on Instagram. I also performed my poem called ” A handwritten letter from my younger self to the woman I am today” at Georgia State University at Nspire’s open mic night on November 12, 2019.
This poem is a retrospect reflection intended to inspire. I also did a recent poem during this pandemic called A penned letter to you. I wrote it to elevate people’s spirits during this tough time. My poems are meant to inspire, encourage and uplift people. It has been a journey for me to get to a place where I feel confident and comfortable opening up and expressing myself orally and written. I use my gift of poetry as a tool to motivate people. I’m so proud of myself for facing my fears and overcoming all my challenges in my life. Poetry is a gift to the world. I hope more people will read and write poetry. It’s a healthy and creative outlet. As far as my future goals and endeavors, I plan on moving forward with my podcast that I have in the works and writing poetry books and novels.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has truly been a journey for me. I was a premature baby weighing one pound and 12 oz at birth. I was a miracle baby because the doctors didn’t think I was going to make it but I did. I spent two months in an infant incubator at the hospital to have more intense nursery care. I did have some developmental delays like: fine motor skills, speech and it took me a bit longer to walk and talk. As I got older, it was challenging to make friends because of my shyness. I was bullied for my small stature because I was the smallest in my class. I have overcome some challenges of speaking in public due to my shyness. When I performed a poem in the high school talent show, I was able to overcome my fears and become confident.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I am a poet. I specialize in spoken word poetry and in writing poetry. I am known for Soulful Sundays Poetry on Instagram. I am known for performing at “Nspire the night open mic”. I am most proud of my performances and written poems. What sets me apart from others is my knack for poetry, wordplay, passion, vulnerability, creativity, my way with words, eloquent, and elegant nature.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I can envision for poets and the poetry community over the next 5-10 years to be paperless. There will be limited or no hard copy books. All written works will be online and read or watched on social media and on technology devices. There will be a renaissance of the arts intellectually, socially, and artistic explosion or exploration. The arts such as reading, writing, painting, etc will become trendy. We will revert back to seeing artistic people such as poets, painters, sculptors, and writers as important and valued professionals.
Contact Info:
- Email: whitegiovanna1@gmail.com
- Instagram: gia_soulspeaksinpoetry
- Twitter: _MiniGia
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