The Beauty Files: Salisa Grant
Welcome to the Beauty Files, a series where we will uncover the behind the scenes stories of our Issue 6 Beauty Contributors and what they believe about beauty as Black women artists and creatives. Next up we have Spoken Black Girl Beauty Contributor, Salisa Grant whose poem “Copper Bells” appears in Spoken Black Girl Issue 6 Beauty.
What inspired your piece featured in Spoken Black Girl: Beauty?
I wrote my poem “Copper Bells” for my bonus daughter London. I have been fortunate enough to watch her grow from a precious toddler to the most radiant nine year old. I wanted to capture all of her magic in a poem.
How does your work explore or redefine beauty in your own words?
I use the metaphor of copper bells to describe the beauty of my beautiful baby. Her laugh, her eyes, her glow. I use the copper bells to describe how compelling her beauty truly is. It can be seen and heard near and far.
Was there a specific moment, person, or experience that sparked your creative process for this piece?
My poem is an ode to my nine year old bonus daughter named London.
What does beauty mean to you today? Has that definition changed over time?
For me beauty has become more about a certain feeling and an appreciation for the love that is shared between loved ones. Beauty is in the feeling of the sun on my back as I push my sons on the swings at the playground. It’s in a shared laugh that cannot be contained with one of my oldest sister-friends. It’s everything.
Can you share a memory or moment when you felt most connected to your inner beauty or power?
Giving birth to my sons gave me a great glimpse into my beauty and my power. Raising and loving them everyday does that as well.
What role has writing, art, or creativity played in your self-expression and healing journey?
I use art to make sense of this wild and captivating world around us. At every turn, every major life moment, I take the time to process via my writing. I’ve done this since I was a small child. I also look for mirrors and windows via the books that I read. For me, being a writer also means being an avid reader.
Which Black woman artist, writer, or thinker has most shaped your understanding of beauty?
Audre Lorde.
What music, books, or visual art inspired you during the creation of your piece?
Jean Toomer’s “Cane” and Lauryn Hill’s “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.”
How do you hope your work contributes to the larger conversation around beauty and Black womanhood?
I hope my poem affirms and inspires Black women and girls like me. I hope it serves as a reminder and a catalyst.
What would you tell a younger Black girl about beauty that you wish you’d known sooner?
Your Blackness is so regal and perfect. There is nothing to fix or adjust. You are perfect when you wake up in the morning.
What are you currently working on or excited about sharing next?
I am hoping to publish another poetry collection soon. My first collection focused on my experiences with loss, Blackness, and motherhood. I am hoping to build on those themes with additional focus on resilience, resistance, and beauty this time. I am always writing and thinking.
More About Salisa:
Salisa L. Grant is a mother, wife, poet, educator, and scholar living in the Washington DC area. She has a BA from Hamline University in St. Paul, MN, and an MA from Howard University in Washington DC. Salisa uses poetry to make sense of and process the world around her. She also uses it to heal, communicate, and educate. Her debut poetry collection In these Black Hands (2019) is currently available on Amazon.
Website:
https://salisalynnegrant.wordpress.com/
Social Media:
Instagram: @brownasiwannabe
