Skip to main content

Self-Love 101


The power of social media to connect people together never ceases to amaze!

Through Colors of Influence's Instagram (@colorsinfluence), I encountered the beauty and eloquence of the verses written by Empriś Durden (@empris.durden), a post-post modern + #afrofuturist + #selflove poet living in Los Angeles, California.

I highly recommend her latest book “self-love 101: art is healing” on Amazon and at EmprisDurden.com. This hilarious + beautifully written poetry collection encourages healing from heartbreak. At times, the book reads like a carefully curated Twitter timeline. At other times, the book unravels like a sacred, but modern, prayer for the strength to be gentle with oneself, to “skip over negativity like video ads, sis," to eat “pastoral interludes for breakfast,” and to practice the daily art of self-love 101.

Empriś Durden is the author of three books has performed at Da Poetry Lounge, World Stage Performance Gallery, Beyond Baroque, Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural, Neutra Institute Museum and Gallery, private events, and Washington University in St. Louis. Her work has been featured on @TheFreeBlackWomensLibrary_LA and @GoodBlackReads.

Empriś wants to help other women realize that “a lot of people look for love in others when we should really look inward and upward.” Empriś ultimate goal is to secure a three book deal with @andrewsmcmeel publishing.

In this Q&A, the poet responds with verses that inspire and lift up the spirit.

What was your primary inspiration for writing a poetry volume on self-care?

i gave myself permission

you don’t need their approval

relationship status:
married to my art

clean up on aisle my life is in shambles

rebuilding myself
sketchbook by sketchbook
poem by poem

i’m writing for my life

best believe,
i’m writing for my life

you speak to me of writing
as if i had a choice

poems from “self-love 101: art is healing” written by empriś durden

In your creative process, who are your greatest influences?

dedication of “self-love 101: art is healing” written by empriś durden

dedicated to my mother and father.

to those who came before me: nayyirah waheed. warsan shire. alex elle. rupi kaur. yrsa daley-ward. upile chisala. sonia sanchez. julia cameron.

thank you for making me believe.

dear reader,
i wrote this for you.

Why is it important for women of color to realize true self-love?

but if you’re happy they can’t sell you things

do not accept scraps of affection;
we are not in slavery times any more

don’t mind me,
just tapping into the power of my ancestors

just a young black woman out here surviving somehow

skip over negativity like video ads, sis

Here we are, existing, in a world that wants us dead.

“how are you?
they want me in a jail cell or a coffin.”

Here we are, creating and healing.

poems from “self-love 101: art is healing” written by empriś durden 

Popular posts from this blog

Lucky Tomorrow: Stories

Deborah Jiang-Stein's debut collection of short stories explores the lives of people who are often overlooked. From flower street vendors to families torn apart by ambition, to a woman on death row awaiting redemption amidst a tumult of memories, Jiang-Stein vividly depicts their struggles. Each story is set in various cities where she has lived: Seattle, Minneapolis, and Tokyo. While these settings differ, they share a common indifference toward human suffering. In "Lucky Tomorrow, " each vignette offers a glimpse into harsh realities that are often difficult to confront, yet are grounded in the lived experiences of those frequently unseen and cast aside. The stories convey powerful themes of longing and fleeting hopes for fresh starts that may never arrive. Although the themes are specific to the characters, they resonate with the universal human experience. As an activist and advocate, Jiang-Stein has made a significant impact through her extensive work with women...

Memento - Embracing the Darkness

Dennis "Dizzy" Doan Stories about overcoming and persevering through family dysfunction, poverty, and mental health challenges offer hope and the promise of better days. Dennis “Dizzy” Doan’s memoir Memento: Embracing the Darkness is one such story, with the added complexity of being raised in an immigrant Vietnamese family. Doan’s parents dealt with the mental and emotional aftermath of war, which forcibly uprooted them from their homeland. In the United States, they struggled to create a safe and stable life for their two sons. Doan shares his journey of finding himself, his craft, and eventually a successful tattoo business in Southern California despite personal strife and run-ins with the law. Doan is best known for developing the aesthetic language to combat anti-Asian hate that erupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. His art series titled “Model Minority” went viral, sparking conversation about Asian American identities and harmful stereotypes. In Memento, Doan showcase...

Medicine Wheel for the Planet

Jennifer Grenz, PhD       Working toward ecological healing requires awareness of how Indigenous ancestral knowledge and living ways can complement Western scientific approaches to environmental restoration and protection practices. Dr. Jennifer Grenz (Nlaxa’pamux mixed ancestry) worked for more than two decades as a field researcher and practitioner for environmental nonprofit organizations, where she worked with different levels of government, including First Nations in Canada. "Medicine Wheel for the Planet" compiles Grenz’s most potent realizations about the lack of forward movement in addressing an impending ecological catastrophe.  A warming climate impacts not only human lives but also the natural balance that relies on reciprocal relationships rooted in deep connections to the land. She uses the metaphor of the four directions of the Indigenous “medicine wheel” to invite openness to Indigenous teachings, letting go of colonial narratives, merging lessons f...