How to Use Vulnerability to Claim Your Voice As a Writer
Written by Kate Gough
As you release a poem into the fruitful world of poetry, you never know who might read it, how it might resonate with others, and what critiques might be made. It is an incredibly vulnerable position to be in as a poet. But there is a secret to using this vulnerability to claim your voice, which will lead to deeper fulfilment from writing and from life itself.
To release a poem is to take up space, in the minds of others, on the shelves of homes, and in the world itself. This space can be terrifying to claim, as the world is often unkind to those who are unapologetically themselves. To the shy writer, to claim one’s own voice can be even more daunting when what one is writing is incredibly personal. Even the closest of people in one’s life might make assumptions about what one has written, assuming it is about them, about past traumas, or other private matters. Furthermore, how could the poet know what will resonate with others, what if no one relates to the themes captured? What if no one cares about the piece of art one poured one’s soul into?
This vulnerability, it is the risk taken in releasing art. It is a weight that weighs on many a poet.
However, I offer an antidote to this risk, or more so, a secret ingredient that works in more ways than one. The intimate nature of sharing your art is a means to true connection.
If you are elusive or stoic about the pain you have experienced, you might not experience what it is to be seen, heard, and listened to. People might not resonate with the art, or they might not feel as comfortable being vulnerable to you about how much they liked your work, because you were not vulnerable to begin with.
Some people might read into your work, and make personal assumptions. This shouldn’t deter you from writing authentically. Their assumptions are a reflection on them, not you. Poetry can mean anything, and once a poem is released, it’s no longer only yours. It is the up to each’s own interpretation. This means that yes, you might get some strange inquisitions into your personal life. But an author doesn’t need to reveal anything. It is a poem. It is allowed to be ambiguous. It is allowed to be boldly yours, without any restraint. It can be anything you can imagine. Finding your voice is key to honing in on what you do and don’t want to share.
To be seen and heard is empowering. To have a voice is a privilege that many don’t have. Use this privilege to describe the intimacy of warm hands, or the despair that comes from them never being held. Use your words to tell your story, a story that no one else can tell. A childhood home, a favourite flower, a repetition used to comfort yourself on your worst days, these are all shades added to the palette that is your poem. Claiming your voice is the most fulfilling part of not only writing, but of the life you live. When you claim your voice, you claim yourself as worthy of being listened to.
Vulnerability can be a daunting feat, as a writer and as a person. But it is a skill, and when used correctly, it can lead to the most tender and ardent catharsis. In poetry and in life, the soft and open-hearted are the ones who capture life’s dearest and darkest moments. It is necessary to take up space to make your beautiful voice heard. So go forth, be bold and unabashedly vulnerable.
KATE GOUGH is a Canadian based poet and a member of the online poetry community. Her work modernizes romantic literary sensibilities and explores recovery from chronic illness and trauma. Her philosophy is one close to the Danish “Hygge” which is, the celebration of cosiness. Warm socks, hot tea, and candlelight are her favourite writing tools. We were fortunate enough to get to publish Kate’s poetry collection ‘Cottage in a Mirror’ with her.