What inspired you to put together Let Me Be Honest: 28 Young Artists on Surviving an
Uncertain World?
Michaela: My inspiration was my 20+ years of experience in youth work. The time was now to
be able to bring light and attention to those who have been silenced and who have not had
access to traditional pathways of expression such as a published book. Let Me Be Honest
captures the essence of youth. Oftentimes, young people may not have the space to share their
experiences free of judgement. This was an opportunity for young people to explore their own
individuality through a creative lens. Anneka and I were the perfect duo to curate a safe space
for young folks to share such vulnerable stories due to our experience working with various
communities, and also our lived experiences that mirrored some of the youth part of this project.
Anneka: I was inspired by my consistent interaction with youth at the time in my role as a peer
worker. I was working on a project called “Higher State of Mind” between 2017 until 2020.
During my time in this role, I connected with a lot of youth who came from various pathways in
life; some were expressive while others didn’t share their stories verbally but rather through the
arts. Higher State of Mind focused on substance use/misuse, mental health, and harm reduction
for youth across the city of Toronto and provided workshops in various communities regarding
these topics. These workshops held space for intentional and supportive conversations that
were youth focused and kept young people at the forefront of all the work being done. Let Me
Be Honest is the cumulative work of these youth, their experiences, their stories, and their
voices. The youth that I work with every day inspire me to create something that can not only
impact them today, but also for generations to come.
What messages or themes do you hope readers take away from your book?
Anneka: I hope readers take away from the book the importance of individuality and mental
health support. It is very important to use this book as a learning tool and a vehicle for empathy.
Every artist and writer in this book shares a unique insight into their lives—whether it is prose,
poetry, photography, spoken word, or other forms of art; each piece provides raw honesty lined
with glimmers of hope and strength. Each young artist in this book has shared emotions, vulnerabilities, and strengths. Overall themes that readers should look to take away are strengths being exemplified through means that are uncommon and resiliency holding no boundaries. I’m very proud of every author, artist, and editor who took part in bringing this book to life. Finally, I think readers should come in with an open mind and allow the book to take them through their own process of learning, comprehension, and compassion.
Michaela: Some of the most important messages I hope readers take from Let Me Be Honest is
that every young person is unique. Far too often, media and societal norms portray a particular
idea of what youth are like without understanding that every young person carries individuality,
uniqueness, and comes with their own experiences. I request readers to challenge norms of mental health and what youth are like when reading this book. I hope they can approach with empathy and compassion, and are willing to remove, even if temporarily, what society places on young people and how they perceive young people. A theme that really stands out to me that I hope readers take away from the book is the fact that we all have an inner child that we silence. When we think of young people growing up, and children growing up, everyone plays together and at some point, there’s some disconnect due to societal influence and then struggling to connect back to that. I’m hoping that this book can pave the way for other artists, authors, readers, and anyone who comes into contact with this book, the chance to reflect on that inner child.
Can you tell us about the process for putting together this anthology? Was there
anything that surprised or challenged you?
Michaela: The process of putting the book together was extremely enlightening. It was my first
book to work on while Anneka has worked on books in the past. I really took joy in the creative
process with collecting the material and positioning what pieces would work well for this book. It
was a reflective process, considering who it is we wanted to connect with, why we wanted to connect with them, and the message we wanted to convey. It was a learning opportunity for me, the young artists and authors who took part in the creation of this book, in addition to our overall youth team. The challenging piece was wanting all the stories to be included. It was difficult being able to only select 28 artists and authors when we had a large pool of young folks who contributed and shaped this process. However, in hindsight, it was an amazing piece with the 28 creatives who can now share the fact they are published authors. It was fulfilling, providing the opportunity for youth to have a traditional platform like a published book to share these stories, and us as a team to create the space for such vulnerability to be expressed. It was meaningful to create this employment opportunity for youth during a time where the job market is especially difficult for them to navigate. Putting together this anthology carved a new pathway for young folks to see that they aren’t limited to the 9-to-5 lifestyle and can thrive in the arts, provide for themselves, be able to create entrepreneurial ventures, and hone in on their creative spirits.
Anneka: When putting together this anthology, I had to unlearn modern conceptions of
perfection. I think that every artist and author had their own flare and style that they brought to
their piece and we loved it. It was eye-opening to see how every unique individual came together as a community to share for the next generation of youth. This anthology truly became a community of voices. The real challenge was picking the stories that would remain in the anthology because there were so many great pieces across all forms of media. We really tried to include stories that would connect with diverse young people and capture audiences of all walks of life. Working with all of the artists and authors on this anthology truly challenged me to become a better writer and artist.
In your opinion, what makes a great story?
Anneka: A great story starts when someone is willing to be vulnerable. I think that a lot of really
great story tellers wouldn’t consider themselves authors or even artists, not because they haven’t earned that title, but because they feel that they might not fit within the limitations of that role. Personally, the best stories come from community. The best stories happen when people are vulnerable and feel comfortable sharing the parts of themselves that they normally reserve. Stories come from daily events, from our truth, and from the cultures that are woven into our lived experiences. With all due respect, great stories come from oral historians, spoken word artists, rappers, writers, griots, our elders, and our children. Great stories hold the essence of community.
Michaela: What makes a great story is being authentically you. We don’t have to add fluff or
sugarcoat—we can just be us. I think the world today doesn’t give room for people to be themselves, so having something like this anthology challenges that notion by platforming authenticity. Social media and certain societal norms have created barriers for people to truly be themselves. Oftentimes, people may need to mask themselves for fear of judgement, assumptions, or even lack of acceptance. Culturally, storytelling has been important for experiences to be passed down as a way of living and being able to thrive. I think that sometimes gets lost when being in the concrete jungle of inner cities, or even generally the Global North. I think this is the opportunity to get back to storytelling and what story telling can look like. It doesn’t have to be limited to something written in the 1700s—you can have pieces and narratives from folks that look like you, or you can share in the experiences of people that may not look like you or share the same experiences as you.
What advice do you have for kids who are interested in writing or creating art?
Michaela: I think young people should just follow that inner voice that says, “hey, I want to
create something.” When we look at mediums of art, the options are endless with digital art,
wearable art, traditional art, musical art, and more. I encourage young folks to follow that voice
and express themselves in a way that’s comfortable and meaningful to them. It doesn’t have to be a complex message, I think young people should just tap into that creative spirit—however that may look like. There shouldn’t be a limit or a particular guide on that expression, and instead you should do whatever feels innate. Connect with that inner child, be who you are; you’re beautiful in your unique way.
Anneka: My advice for children and youth who are interested in writing or creating art is “go for
it.” All it takes is an attempt and practice. There are stories that we hold as individuals that cannot come from anyone but ourselves. If you have a story to share—say it—whether that is through art, storytelling, performance or writing, there is no one who can tell your story like you can. Art acts as a window into our life experiences, so there is a level of vulnerability that comes with sharing your art. It is important to find a community of people who can support you through your passions. Often creative people are misunderstood and having a community of support really helps you to foster your unique artistic expression. If you can think it, you can try it. If you can try it, you can do it.