-Quanisha Patterson dishes on her journey to the stage

“Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion; it is not the expression of personality, but an escape from personality. But, of course, only those who have personality and emotions know what it means to want to escape from these things.” This may be the wise words of renowned poet T. S Eliot, but it is also the reality of 19-year-old, Quanisha Patterson, who recently thrilled local audiences by her participation in the recently concluded Guyana Talent Search Competition.
During a recent interview with the Buzz, Patterson, a charming young woman, became candid and opened up about her struggles with self-confidence, and how writing became the therapy she needed to calm her sometimes overwhelming emotions. “I actually started writing poetry even before [I realised] it was poetry,” Patterson said.
She noted that initially, her writings could have been interpreted as song lyrics. “I realised that I was writing poetry because I didn’t have any sort of rhythm [in terms] of music…so [I realised that] it couldn’t [have been] a song,” the poet shared.
Soon enough, Patterson would begin her research in relation to the art of poetry and the work of poets all across the world. Eventually, she fell in love with poetry, and wanted to add her contributions to the art.

“[It was] then [that] I seriously started writing. I want to say in fourth form because at that time, I was doing theatre arts as well,” the young woman said. In the months that followed, Patterson would capitalise on the opportunity to perform her first spoken word piece, and from all indications, it was a crowd-stunner that spring-boarded her into the deep world of poetry.
Patterson noted during her interview that most of her pieces were inspired by her struggles, particularly as it related to her self-esteem. She noted that although her self-image has improved exponentially, she still uses poetry as an effective method of catharsis.
She is hoping that her work as a poet would provide words of comfort for other young people who may also be struggling with their emotions and the way they see themselves.
Acknowledging that a career in the creative industry could be difficult, Patterson is advising her peers to take a leap of faith, and believe in themselves, their talents, and what their creative input could mean for the world. “Just do it as the Nike commercial says” is Patterson’s genuine advice.

She also cautioned prospective poets and writers against seeing their talents as a means of just competition. “We are not competing with anyone but ourselves. As a result, we should never focus on what others are doing, as we elevate ourselves. You can get caught up in it, and it feel as though it is a competition,” Patterson admitted.
In an effort to embrace other creatives and tame her own competitive mind, Patterson will soon be collaborating with some of her fellow contestants in the Guyana Talent Search Competition.
“I actually plan on collaborating with some of the contestants, for sure Cassie Adams [and I are] working on a few pieces to produce [together],” Patterson divulged.
She added, “We all have our own path in life; hence, you need to focus on what you are doing and the only person that you should be competing with is yourself,” Patterson told the Buzz.
She also shared with us, her plans to write and publish her own book of poetry “…as well as hosting workshops for not only poets, but fellow youths in general about the importance of creativity and [how] they can use [it] to impact their lives in a positive way.”
We at the Buzz wish the young woman well, and we look forwarded to seeing her new releases.