Meet Destinee Davis of Poems by Destinee in Downtown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Destinee Davis.

Destinee, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
As a young girl, I was always emotionally guarded. As a result, my mom put me in dance because that was a way for me to express my emotions without having to speak. However, as times got tough dance was a luxury we could no longer afford. At this time, I was had two options to suffer or find a new coping mechanism. That is how I fell in love with poetry. The ability to be brutally honest and show my discontent with my situation on a piece of paper that no one would be able to read. Hence, it took me a while to share my stories with the masses. Afraid of being terrible and talking to fast (which tends to happen when I get nervous) I kept them to myself. My poetry journal was for me, no one else.

That was until I read the poem “Cigarette” to my mother about me coping with my daddy issues. As soon as I finished reading it, she looks into my eyes and says, “Destinee. That was powerful. You need to read that to him.”. The passion in her voice at that moment let me know this was my purpose. To articulate the pain others are dealing with and let them know it is okay to be hurt. However, it is not okay to let that pain control your life. For through pain we learn strength and through pain we learn a lot about the people we attract and how we chose to let them treat us. Now I am a poet that is raw, honest, and unapologetic in all of her work. The best part is I am just getting started.

Has it been a smooth road?
Being an artist is never easy because you will never be able to please everyone and everyone is entitled to their opinion. In the beginning, one of the hardest things for me was trying to find my audience. I wrote what I thought people wanted to hear because then I thought they would become a fan. Yet that was the biggest mistake I could ever make. Now I know that although mainstream media is trendy it is crippling to try and follow. What you need to do is be honest, write about what you experience and how you feel about them. Because art is not just a thing it is the ability to make someone feel something by just telling your story.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
My business is emotion, or maybe it is public speaking. My business is poetry. I am most known for my ability to story tell. Through poems about women empowerment and strength from the perspective of a black woman. Also through poems calling out societal norms and making people question why they are norms in the first place. I use the same system they used to create the norms to pinpoint the reason in which we should demolish them all together and that sets me apart.

Another item that is generating a lot of traffic is my book “Hourglass”. It talks about the three stages of a relationship and causes the woman to remember who she was in the beginning of the relationship. Who she became during the relationship and who she will be after the relationship ends. Not only does it talk about the poison but I made it a point to offer a solution. To help women realize that every relationship is a win because even if you do not last you learn about yourself and that is always a victory.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
The city of Los Angeles is one of the best places to go to chase your dream. Here`s why there are thousands of opportunities and like-minded people to help push you to grow not only as a person but also as an artist. In this city, they do not sugarcoat anything but they make a point to give credit where it`s due if you earn it.

Realize I did not say it will be easy because it literally the place everyone goes to see if they can make their dream a career but it is definitely a place to consider if that is what you wish to do.

Contact Info:

• Email: poemsbydestinee@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poemsbydestinee/

Image Credit:
@blavitynews

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