Nefelibata

By Xayaat Saeed

Xayaat Saeed's second poetry collection Nefelibata, is a head-dive into the art of making art.

 

Along with poems, Saeed also includes anecdotes and thoughts about her experiences as a creative.

 

'The weird thing is, I never find films about films or books about books. Nobody really talks about creativity. Of course there's Elizabeth Gilbert's Big Magic and The War Of Art but other than that, I haven't found much.'

 

 

In the poem 'TROLLS', Saeed speaks on how she feels about dealing with trolls.

 

 

'i can choose my struggles

&for me,

struggle that doesn't lead to my progress is a waste of time

i don't wanna struggle to stop trolls from trolling

bc jealousy doesn't have a cure does it'

 

 

 

She also speaks on the difficulty on starting a new idea.

 

'so get up

&do what it is you do

even if it's completely crap,

continue

 

bc nobody competes in the olympics

w/out training

 

nobody performs

w/out rehearsing'

 

 

The chapters are specifically curated to the life of a creative. Poems on topics like making money out of your craft, making friends who are also creative and losing ideas are also included in the collection.

 

Nefelibata, which originates from Archaic English, means to live in the clouds of your own imagination. Growing up, Saeed felt like as if she was the only one who did.

 

'I wrote this book because there aren't many out there anyway but also because I wanted to have at least one book about creativity. There's too many romance books out here. I wanted there to be something that people get and understand. And for me, it's always amazing to know that there's someone out there who's mind is like mine.'

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xayaat Saeed
• Release date: Feb 6, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393602477

Xayaat Saeed

Xayaat Saeed is a Somali-British-Dutch writer and poet. Born in 1999, she was always a creative soul, forever searching for methods to express herself. She writes on creativity, beauty standards, dream-chasing, feminism, culture, Islam and much more.

Book preview

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

When An Idea Is Given Birth To

I’m a lot of things . I’ve been a lot of things. In fact, I can look back at my past and identify certain parts of it as me being passionate about something creative, whether that creativity rightfully belongs to myself or someone else. I didn’t go to many clubs as a child, but I went to art club. I could’ve chose some other club, like basketball club. But other than P.E, I never felt drawn towards sporty activities. To be honest, other than what’s necessary for my body to be healthy, I would never go out of my way to have my heart feel like it’ll burst out my ribcage. But there are people out there who would. Even if they never got paid. Even if it’s not for exercise. Even if they’re already fit. Why? For the same reason why I choose creativity. Because I enjoy it.

And that enjoyment has led me to many different endeavours. Perhaps it’s not the kind that non-creative people would enjoy hearing. It’s not like I got awards or clout or money out of any of the things I did in my life. But it’s important to me. 

In school, I always enjoyed subjects that somehow fed my creative mind. I liked art, English, music, drama and P.E (off topic especially of my previous statement on sports but if it wasn’t cross country, bleep tests, anything to do with running or being near my friends so I could talk without the teacher noticing, I really wasn’t interested)

But... favourite school subjects weren’t enough. P.E lessons won’t get you a six-pack to be honest.

I grew up in a rather conservative Somali family in the beginning of 21st century Britain. When I look back on my childhood, I think of Tony Blair, Bratz dolls and cockroaches. The parents I was born to weren’t creatives. In fact, no one in