Rising Stars: Meet Poetree

Today we’d like to introduce you to Poetree.

Hi Poetree, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
This is always a question I sometimes have difficulty answering. It’s hard to summarize my life and even harder to explain the complexities of my multidisciplinary being.

When I was born, my mother said I barely gave her any pain, my eyes were wide open, and I wiggled like I finally had the freedom to dance. Art has always been a motif in my life and as I grew up it became a requirement of my life.

My journey started when I took my first dance class around eight years old. By nine years old, I was enrolled in daily classes and by 16/17, I was performing on stages I never imagined, including The Apollo’s stage. As time passed I went on to dance for amazingly talented artists, choreograph and creative direct, and was featured on BET. The details in between is reserved gratefully for my memoir, lol.

Emerging into my young adulthood, around 18 years old, with the exposure into the arts and performing in my childhood, I began to share my personal writings and poetry around my own and neighboring cities. My love for written word grew exponentially as my work was published in literary magazines and more. My first book was published by the summer of 2022.

While in college, around 20 years old I started to model and broke into the beauty industry. The force of exhibiting my take on beauty expression, culture, naturalism, activism, feminism, and the power of art, i.e. “being unapologetically me” through social media led to features in Essence, Elle, Refinery29, Byrdie, BET, Revolt TV, aligned campaigns with Shea Moisture, L’ORéal, Ulta Beauty, speaking engagements with New York University and Bard Collage and so much more.

These were my stepping stones. I have so much more to do and be, and along the way, I maintain my cord back home to my community.

Today, I live in Los Angeles as I continue my pursuits. My second book is in the works as well as my first poetry album which will be accompanied by a dance film.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The journey wouldn’t be what it is without some cracks in the road right? Mine, like anyone else’s, comes with peaks AND valleys.

I’m a first-generation grad. Let’s start there. A lot of my youth was me escaping to art and it just so happened to be my saving grace. In a lot of other instances, I did the necessary self-improvement—going to therapy, working three jobs to get through college and pursue my dreams.

Along the way, I lost relationships (of course gained new ones too) and strengthened the remaining ones.

I’ve grieved the many versions of myself as time went on, and I’ve experienced imposter syndrome and depression like I get paid for it okay!

Recentering, grounding myself in gratitude, and leaning on who love me help me get through every time though.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m proud to always have a colorful answer to questions like these. As T.T said in her song ‘Rose in Harlem’:

“What do she do?’ I do everything. I move everything.”

I’m a multidisciplinary, multidimensional, artist, poet, designer, and author.

I thank my experience in the beauty and dance industry for having its part in building my confidence, experience, and resume. And I hold every person who sees themselves in my art or poetry near my heart because that’s why I create.

I belong to no category and all categories. I have no one answer for who I am or what I do. There will always be more, a continuation and an afterward. That’s the core to the beauty of art itself.

I can proudly say that I faithfully stay true to who I am even in the most unwavering circumstances, even as I change because “the most radical thing I can do is be myself”.

What does success mean to you?
I believe success is alignment with happiness. If what you do or who you are makes you happy, then success is in your grasp.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.poetreethefeminist.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/poeism
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/poeizm
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/PoetreetheFeminist
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@poeizm

Image Credits
Hassan Mahmood