R E E N A D O S S
My collaboration journey began in 2018 when I started consciously practicising how to write poetry while listening to instrumental music. This was something I learned how to hone into a technique after listening to Jean @etchmein’s musical prompt challenges that he would conduct on his page. He often read them live @poetrybattles, a community of creatives—that I was first introduced to—who enjoy connecting others while finding new talent. When Shruti Sharma @shrutiscapes and I started writing to his musical prompts, I met and connected with Miriam Otto @miriamo77 who has since become one of my closest friends over the years. Miriam and I have collaborated on many voices of expression through our individual and sometimes shared projects—poetry, prose, art, calligraphy, community building, books, editing and publishing. She is like Peter Pan's Tinkerbell but much better because she knows how to be magical even on the ground yet when she takes to the sky, she becomes like a shiny, bubbly dancing star.
However, when I first joined Instagram, it was Linda Lokhee @lindalokheeauthor, Abbey Forrest @abbeyforrestauthor and Pooja Lahon @parchedllama who took me under their wings and that’s also how I got invited by Abbey to participate in her INVITE ONLY Blind Collaborations which she conducted every month. This took place with a group of exceptionally talented poets, some of who were deeply committed to building the community, who did a lot of curator work and mentorship for new talent joining different fields in this creative zone. Some of them became my friends and others moved on to other projects or passions. These 40 collaborators I enjoyed creating magic are: @abbeyforrestauthor, @myunnoticedmemoir, @lindalokheeauthor, @a.r.reynolds, @parchedllama, @roses.are.rob, @rumillenialpoetry, @knackeredmummy, @forget_it42, @lindalokheeauthor, @myunnoticedmemoir, @sukanya_basu_mallik, @the_wraith_of_rho_mu, @whimsical_waffle_writings, @poetscapes, @tealmoonpoetry, @thehollowgram, @wordsofthronex, @poetess_sampada, @_geothepoet, @sunilsathyendra, @creozoe, @blue_moon_creatives, @jacobmarleypress,@bigsalpoetry, @z3r0_the_survivor, @michaeldeverou, @godzillion100, @iamlocadia, @harvestingmind, @swelledverse, @nobullheart, @tryst_with_fiction, @pennyformythoughts_, @shandrewspoetry, @poetry.rae, @eastwest_nomad, @joesteele401, @bryan.edwards.live, @daniel.moreschi and myself - @poetessisms/@reenadosswriter/@reenadossauthor. A lot of our social media handles have changed over the years so not all of them hold the same ones.
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I was also privileged to be a part of duos, minigroup collabs and even collaborations with photographs, art, prose, images, calligraphy, poetry, creativity. My creative colleagues that were a deeper part of my journey in collaborating with my voices are: Leon Jones @livingcanvaspoetry, Shruti Sharma @shrutiscapes, Linda Lokhee @lindalokheeauthor, Miriam Otto @miriamo77, Suzana Kustura @suzana_k_poetry, Ismet Diab @shespeaksyoursilence, Timi Jolaoso @creozoe, Christopher Owin Lane @christopherowin, Lewis @read.sl_feemster, Alex @mindthrob and Trey @bdp.03. There have also been many who had have supported, encouraged and motivated my journey into mingling with the wide range of the arts' community but to mention them would take a full page and to explain how each of them have helped would definitely make me write another book so please know that I value each of you and I promise to mention you in my books or here whenever I recall something or remember your kindness, light and helping hand.
Also, to the communities that featured, read live or highlighted my submitted posts or entries on their story pages makes me aware of how deep rooted the concept of collaboration is while finding your place within the world of creatives on Instagram. The challenges, competitions and other events that I had participated in have steadfastly supported my exploration journey and been responsible for my growth in so many big and little ways and that is why it is my absolute pleasure to mention them here. Their names are: @poetrybattles, @madproslive, @avoicefromfaraway, @inkinnovators, @packpoetry, @poem_lovers_official, @herheartsreach, @the.struggling.writers, @bleedingsoulbuds, @herheartsnew, @bymepoetryindia, @voices.of.the.world, @yourheartbeatsstrong, @yourheartbeatslive, @write_o_mania, @herheartpoetry, @bipolarhub, @silverleafpoetry, @herheartforms, @poetry_punch, @poetspedia, @wildflower_warriors, @fallspoetry, @poetryolympics, @poeticduets, @doortooursouls, @subtlepoetz, @voicesofpoets, (To be continued)
Later on, as I began building Ink Gladiators Press, I was honored to collaborate on books using a different set of skills—book covers, editing, proofing, formatting, designing, publishing—that I didn’t even know I had until I started to apply myself. I consider every single Ink Gladiator Author, Mental Health Advocate under Translations Of Hope Projects, Our Earthian Community Group anthologies—a collaborator because we used our gifts to add something beautiful into the world.
But the best part of this collaboration journey that I discovered as a Writer, Artist and Creative is that even though I myself am frequently inspired by other talented people especially instrumentalists, artists and photographers, it is a greater source of pleasure to see my words finding inspiration with others. So to those who tag or credit me, thank you for letting me know because it motivates me to keep doing what I do. To those who don't wish to let me know: I want you to know that I already love that it touched, embraced and inspired you because it means my prayers are getting answered. You see, writing is a gift from God to me and when it touches your soul, it becomes a gift to you.​
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Always with love,
Reena Doss
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