Nica Jubi is the living, breathing essence of a true artist. Multi-talented she expresses her deep wisdom through a variety of vessels. Find her on Instagram @__nicasdream (poetry account) or @nicajubi (personal account).
On Deep Sensitivity & Creativity
I have a free-spirited nature and happen to have been an introverted only-child, so connecting to my creativity absolutely came naturally! Looking back, I also attribute it to the solitude I had, coupled with being born highly sensitive and empathic.
I was raised by two young, single, full-time working parents who appreciated the arts. My father has a lifelong passion for music and played in several semi-professional bands at the time; growing up, music was literally always playing—whether at home or in the car driving to some place in the early morning before the sun had fully risen. I grew up listening to many a homemade mixtape, being taught to listen closely for the bass line or the harmonies.
I remember often tagging along to his friends' houses on weekends for parties, rehearsals, or just a hang. I wrote my first story when I was six or seven years old, when we were visiting a friend of his one day. There were no other kids around and I had nothing to do, so a lady handed me a few sheets of paper, and out poured the words, sitting at her kitchen table.
For whatever reason, I wrote about death and felt proud after witnessing my imagination move people. I remember feeling seen, encouraged and appreciated by my elementary English teachers, which in turn fueled my love for reading. Libraries and bookstores became like second homes for me. My deep sensitivity has always made me pick up emotions and reflect deeply on the human experience. For as long as I can remember, I've needed an outlet for it.
On Self-Expression, Love, Beauty and Freedom As Guiding Values
Writing, storytelling and journaling showed up early on in my creative process, but so did a ton of other creative endeavours! I hand-sewed a ton and re-designed thrifted clothes. I sang and improvised melodies. I danced. Painted. Played guitar. Learned to bake and practiced photography.
I'm crafty and eclectic, so I've always been content in my own world—for me creating is meditative. I eventually got a diploma in jewelry making and started a business at 24. From my current vantage point, I see that love, beauty, freedom and self-expression have been my guiding values for as long as I can remember.
On Labels And Writing As Therapy
I do identify as a writer—though I take that identity lightly. Labels can help us to own and communicate our truth, they can give us a mental focus, but they can also bring baggage and stress into our minds if we're not careful.
The first time I really identified as a writer was when my first book of poetry appeared and started flowing out of me, over a period of about 9 months. I had been writing consistently and sharing my voice on Instagram to a growing audience ever since becoming a mother in 2014. The experience of giving birth, breastfeeding and parenting was so transformative for me, I needed to release my emotions and tell my story; it was therapeutic.
Writing in a poetic form showed up in a totally unexpected way however. I was a newly single mom, recovering from a traumatic postpartum experience. I had very little support at that time of my life; it was just my son and me.
Fully formed poems came out from nowhere and literally lifted me out of a very difficult place; I had never experienced anything like it. I was channelling deep healing, loving guidance for myself, when I wasn't even aware I had that ability. People responded to my words more than ever before, and my poetry gave me the courage to radically transform my life from within.
I manifested my soulmate. I moved to Toronto on a heart-led whim. My poetry was acknowledged and reposted by many people as well as by prominent leaders I admired in the online writing and wellness space. I don't remember a specific moment, but I realized my words held power.
For the first time in my life, through this stream-of-consciousness writing process that seemed to have found me, I felt free to just be me.
On the other hand, being on a self-awareness, self-realization, spiritual journey, I've also felt the value in having no identity at all. To be free to change. To not take myself too seriously, or be attached to any purpose or outcome.
Ultimately, I just want to be a channel, an instrument of Divine love, whether I'm writing or doing something completely different. While I've given myself long breaks from writing in the past, it does seem to always come back for me.
On Poetry As Saviour And Connecting To Your Heart
Poetry to me, is in essence all about emotional validation, or self-intimacy, as well as energetic release. It's about acknowledging my feelings and allowing them to exist, as well as honoring them as teachers. It's a process that's enabled me to truly hear and connect to my truth, my heart, and my feminine energy, when I felt like that connection had been completely disowned and drowned out.
Writing and poetry appeared when my self-esteem and sense of self was in a very precarious place. Through the power of words, I was able to define and recreate my reality the way I truly desired it to be, rather than stay stagnant and disempowered.
I truly believe poetry saved me, my words carrying me like little vibrational lifeboats to gentler seas. To a secure sense of self and spiritual alignment. To harmonious, genuine and uplifting relationships. To new horizons, literally.
Using my voice and being unafraid to express myself in a vulnerable and open-hearted way has been deeply healing for me on so many levels—physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I've gotten to know myself, which has led to nurturing more connection and compassion for me and thus the world around me.
So, poetry? I highly recommend it.
But really, any practice that connects you to your heart. Because that's the point.
On Honesty's Relation To Art And Healing
Everyone has an inner artist, because everyone has a unique voice. To me, poetry has nothing to do with rules. It's an art form of freedom and liberation—all art is. It's reception will always be subjective, so never let outside opinion or even the harshest critic (the one inside you) stop you from letting your truth come to light.
To me, poetry is simply the art of how present you can be. It doesn't always require words. It doesn't need to be pretty, relatable, or even clever. But it does need to be honest—and to be honest, you have to dig deep. Deep within yourself. That's my perspective on it. The only way I can engage with it. The energy of honesty, whether conveyed through words, or any other medium, is what dilineates art from trend. It's what makes it valuable. And so necessary. And what I know about honesty, is that nothing heals quite like it.
