The Artist in Me is Finally Being Fed… Kayla Dudley’s Life@GWN

Kayla Dudley lives on art; it is her energy, what she constantly consumes. Admittedly, she couldn’t go a day without it. Her life at Girls Write now has nurtured and continues to grow her relationship with the craft—whether that be through her original poetry or her own poetry organization. She calls her experience with this community, “amazing karma.”

At heart, Kayla’s essence is earth green with deep layers of gratitude and connectivity to herself, the world, and the people around her. She finds herself calm, even in this challenging and precarious world, citing the amazing support system she has built. Kayla’s ability to be creative and create poetry is healing for her, a well from which she draws a magnitude of hope for herself. She hopes to leave behind a strong and powerful legacy for the world and her family. Kayla knows she has a good and loving heart—and hopes that the power that it has creates lasting effects.

Looking back on her time at Girls Write Now and the organization she founded as part of , Kayla wishes she could relive the experience of the community studio, Writing to Heal: With a Poetry Therapist, where she was introduced her to the notion of using poetry to promote well-being. She then went on to found her poetry organization, Healotry, as a part of the Lead 360 journey. She reminisces about how calm and at peace she felt during the session. It’s beautiful, she believes, how creativity and healing can interact to make healthier and more aware people. Her life goal is to pursue creativity to reach higher and higher milestones and to feed the artist inside.

Tell us about your Life@GWN.
Life @GWN is amazing! I have learned so much about myself while being with GWN. I was yearning for connections in creativity, preferably poetry, and all the signs pointed to GWN. I’ve made some really cool connections, experienced amazing events, and gained a multitude of opportunities. I used to be very closed off, and because I gave myself the push to be in community, I’ve gotten nothing but amazing karma. The artist in me is finally being fed.

What’s your mood right now—but describe it using only a color?
I think my mood is earth green! Very grounded and gracious, I feel a lot of support in different avenues of my life. Earth green is the only color that comes into mind, it’s calm, collective, and gracious; that’s truly how I feel.

Let’s say time travel existed, but you could only go back for an hour to see one specific event. What would it be and what motivated your choice?
I would go back to Girls Write Now’s Community Studio Writing to Heal: With a Poetry Therapist. I felt at peace in that event; it was so cool to be connected with a poetry therapist. I didn’t even know that was a profession and she truly inspired me to look into it. My love for poetry runs deep, and knowing that I can truly help people through creative writing and make it a career is something beautiful.

The 2025 Anthology is entitled “Hope Lives in Our Words.” The world feels precarious right now. When you feel overwhelmed by everything, what makes you feel hopeful?
The one thing that makes me feel hopeful in times that are so overwhelming is writing poetry and music. Being creative and sharing my work gives me hope in these times. Even though I may feel overwhelmed, I still find joy in creativity, and believe that art saves, as it will in these times.

Philosophers describe soul hunger as a deep, spiritual longing/craving for something meaningful. Can you describe how your soul is feeling?
My soul is yearning for connections and community. My soul is hungry for creativity and for me to create, and I think that’s why I pour so much into every poem I create and every event I produce. I pride myself on making things that are meaningful and reflect the times.

Describe a time you felt most proud of yourself.
I was asked to perform a poem to bring back the Women’s Center on my campus at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. I performed and cried after, but I was really proud of myself for using my poem to advocate. Thankfully they got the center, and I’m thankful my poem aided in that.

What is the biggest/craziest dream you’ve achieved or are currently pursuing?
Making a poetry album. I hope one day to win a Grammy. The universe has no limits, so why not go for it?

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned from a difficult experience?
I learned that if you can’t find a space for yourself, then create, and your community will come to you. For a long time I wanted to be liked and wanted by everyone, but that’s not realistic. Ever since I started gaining more confidence the universe has been limitless.

Is there one thing that instantly makes your day better?
It’s hard to pick, but going to a record store and looking at vinyls brings me so much joy. I love having the physical copy of music and how it sounds on vinyl—it just brings me joy.

Who inspires you?
It’s definitely my family and friends.Whether it’s their writing, painting, drawing,or design, my creative family inspires me to push my own creativity. In the poetry world, two poets inspire me, Audre Lorde and Jasmine Mans. They push boundaries in poetry as Black queer women and they give me hope.

What legacy do you hope to leave behind?
I hope my poetry speaks volumes and inspires the next and future generations. Through Girls Write Now’s Lead 360 Journey, I started my own poetry organization, Healotry, dedicated to using art and poetry to promote healing. I hope it leaves a legacy for my family and breaks generational curses. I just hope my good heart is acknowledged and that it leaves a legacy within itself.

What’s your biggest fear?
I have a really bad fear of not being successful and not being able to help people through art. I’m learning that in order to be successful you must fail, but as of right now, that is my true fear.

Aside from necessities, what one thing could you not go a day without?
I can’t go a day without music. Music brings me joy and regulates my body, maybe because I’m a creative person, I need something of that sort.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?
I am definitely a night owl. I write in the middle of the night all the time, and I tend to binge watch shows all night!

What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?
How my poetry helped someone understand me, and how they see the world differently because of it.