claiming my place
By Kilhah St Fort
This project is a reflection on the internal journey I’ve been going through for the past few years. It deals with me breaking out of the shell I hid in all throughout middle school and half of high school. This is my best work because it’s the only piece where I am honest about myself and my struggles.
Process
Originally, I planned to make a video but after attending the Girls Write Now podcast workshop, I knew that I wanted to do an audio clip. I decided to use the app Anchor to record and edit my piece. I spent weeks trying to come up with a concept and out of nowhere, I knew I wanted to make a reflective piece about my personal journey. The skills I learned were audio editing, which is harder than I thought. A challenge for me was making the cover art for my piece because I had never painted a face before. In the end, I felt really accomplished after finishing my project.
Meet the Pair
MENTEE KILHAH ST FORT & MENTOR AMBER LOVELESS
Kilhah’s Anecdote: The moment I knew Amber and I were a perfect mentee-mentor pair was at the Friday Night Salon. The one we attended focused on slam poetry, one of my favorite forms of writing. Yet, during the salon, I found myself self-conscious about my writing and questioning whether I even deserve to be in the same room as all these other writers. Amber, without having to say a single word, saw all my insecurities and worries. She listed reasons why I should share my work and be proud of it. I’ve never had someone blatantly tell me my writing was valid. It’s been a great year of overcoming my demons with Amber’s help, and I can’t wait to continue.
Amber’s Anecdote: I knew Kilhah and I were perfectly matched when she dropped a musical theater reference into conversation at our first meeting. She has graciously, imperturbably, worked her schedule around mine to meet at the library. Our meetings aren’t always peaceful, but that doesn’t stop her from being productive. Kilhah has an intense understanding of herself and the human condition, which she is able to portray in ways that instantly connect to the reader. It has been a privilege helping her hone her words into a captivating message this year.
Kilhah St Fort
Kilhah St Fort is an outspoken girl, who can often be found listening to either Broadway musicals or lo-fi beats. One of her favorite pastimes is binge-watching cartoons. Kilhah documents her world and the world around her through poetry while creating new ones through prose. She's passionate about a bunch of things but most importantly, advocating for the representation of underrepresented communities in spaces they are historically forgotten about.
