Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light;
by Sarah Williams – The Old Astronomer
I have loved the stars too truly to be fearful of the night.
Growing up as poor and queer in the metro Atlanta area, I have always been immersed in a diverse community of those like me and unlike me, everyone equal in measure but standing as their own individual. Following my graduation from public school in 2015, I took time before pursuing undergraduate study to find myself among other people, learning what made me ‘tick’; what made me want to go the extra mile and apply myself entirely when I have struggled for so long to identify what that desire is. I followed what drew my subconscious: fiction and poetry. The culmination of words that identify what is unspoken, grasping an ideal that can be as fleeting as the muse that possesses us. Originally I thought this unspoken desire was the desire to create films, but it became much more than that: what predates film and inspires it to its creation other than the formation of words and concepts beyond reach?
After finishing my associates degree in film at Georgia State University, I moved from metro Atlanta to Athens to pursue my undergraduate degree in a post-COVID world. Going from an extremely diverse city to one that was unspokenly segregated between rich and poor was incredibly difficult, between the affluent college students and the homeless, separated by the iron Arch that symbolizes wisdom, justice, and moderation for the institution. I found myself to be in the minority for income and affiliation, leading me to work out my own feelings in concepts that have grown to become my portfolio of poetry. What wisdom I had came from the worldly experiences of working in retail and living in a city rich with culture and passions, and I was trying to find myself in a sea of differences.
I carved out my place at the University of Georgia. For what I lacked in experience of what it means to be an undergraduate, I had in spades the expectations of the world outside of academia. I sought collaboration with peers and professors alike, taking advantage of every chance to learn about them and their history all the while offering my own knowledge. I pursued a leadership position in my university’s Sigma Tau Delta chapter, volunteering at every event to encourage reading with the other leaders of the organization. My desire to contribute to the university, specifically the department of English, involved giving advice with a dash of humor, ultimately with the intent to provide the knowledge to encourage others to apply themselves with their entire body and soul into what truly spoke to them, and to take advantage of resources that were there to propel them into the world. In turn, I learned what it meant to ask for assistance, and that the world is kinder than it is frightening.
While I owe my creative development to my experiences at the University of Georgia, I must also thank myself for having the strength to pursue this degree and the instructors of the university that pushed me to the boundaries of creativity. And as such, I present my portfolio.