Meet Fedana Toussaint | Poet & Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Fedana Toussaint and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Fedana, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
My favourite quote is

“ This is not a craft of perfection, just progress. The perfect poem can’t be written, just lived.”

To me it is a reminder to be easy on yourself and your talent. It is a reminder to not over criticize your art to the point where you begin to perverse it by trying to write based on the expectations of the audience as opposed to writing for the feeling and the truth of the poetry.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a poet, a storyteller, an author. I bend words and they don’t always make sense but the over lying message never gets lost. My favourite thing about my writing is that It is effortless. It takes me about 5-10 minutes to write a great first draft. I recently began editing just to polish and refine my craft but it’s my little corner of the world and it makes perfect sense to me. I got here by faking it as much as humanly possible. I just wasn’t confident, I have stage fright, I am anxious and very introverted, so sharing my art has been a challenge of getting out of my shell and realizing that I deserve to be recognized for what I would call great work.

I learned to be learned to be present and not overthink the process. The art comes when it comes and if it isn’t currently coming, practice what you have in the moment.

I’m still overcoming imposter syndrome, I’m still overcoming anxiety and the overarching fear of being seen.

I want the sun to shine on the wounds that we don’t talk about. I want the world to heal and for people to feel their feelings without shame or fear attached. I want people to find familiarity in my work because we are simultaneously experiencing this life together and we have a lot more in common than not.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m in Toronto, so I would definitely give them the royal tour of downtown. Church street is a great place to find amazing people, amazing little bars and great food. Kensington market hosts your Afro-Caribbean needs, we have such a diverse culture in the city, there is something for everyone. It’s beautiful, it’s rich, the people are great, the summers are warm and the winters are cold. Fall is usually perfect. I highly recommend the CN Tower and the Toronto Sign for aesthetic photos, I highly recommend taking a train to Niagara for the weekend and enjoying the festivities there. Taking a boat to Toronto island.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost shouts out to creator / God.

Second, shouts out to my poetry family for keeping me grounded, keeping my pen sharp, and keeping my self deprecation and imposter syndrome at bay. Shout out to Queen Keiani, Lady Syren, Jamie Dawson, NRGY, Darryl Foto, Nick “Bars” Austin and all of our other friends who make it so much easier to be a poet and an empath.

Instagram: Fefewrites