Artist Spotlight: Briana Leung

“Poetry is whatever you want it to be, it’s a reflection of you.”

In one of Bay Area Creative’s many poetry programs, Briana Leung’s affinity for poetry was discovered and cultivated, leading them to later teach the same programs years later. Briana's poetry influences their students, inspirits their audiences, and inspires poets everywhere.

In fifth grade, 10 year-old Briana joined the afterschool poetry club that was led by Bay Area Creative. They spent the rest of middle school in the club, writing and performing poetry for the club while also becoming an acclaimed poet in the process. At just 14 years-old, their most memorable moment in their career was at the Brave New Voices’ National Youth Poetry Slam representing the entire Bay Area. Very swiftly after graduating high school and entering college at University of San Francisco, Briana was offered a teaching artist position at Bay Area Creative. They accepted the position, stating: "I’ve always wanted to be an educator in some shape, way or form– I didn't know it was going to be poetry”. Briana’s transition into teaching was smooth, using what they remembered from their own workshops to better understand how to teach each student. The more they taught poetry, the more they saw the power in teaching this subject that is often undervalued. Briana’s relationship with poetry became more complex, understanding the ways in which poetry dissects one’s identity and its relation to the rest of the world. 

“Writing as a vehicle for healing and self-expression– it’s always there for you even if no one sees it.”

Briana’s workshops on poetry include teaching students this same understanding of poetry as a way for the medium to become a healthy coping mechanism. Of the lessons they teach, they want to help their students understand and answer one important question: "how is art used to generate social change?”. Briana sees it as a lesson that can only be taught through example, being their own poetry and the subjects they write about. As they wrote more poetry with Bay Area Creative, Briana began to see how poetry could be used to write about more serious, socially critical topics leading them to pursuing poetry more intensely. Briana’s own identity is what they often write about, being ethnically mixed as a Chinese, Black, and Mexican individual who is also queer. In their own words, they are “someone who occupies different social locations”. Through writing and performing poetry, Briana feels as though they can explore not just their identity but their ancestry and heritage. 

“You can move in a really fluid way in between places, timelines, perspectives.”

Briana’s career in poetry has been consistent in its connection to Bay Area Creative, from fifth grade into young adulthood. Now having graduated from university and developed their experience as a teacher, Briana wants to continue to grow Bay Area Creative and reach more schools across California. They continue to develop as a poet and teaching artist, performing at slam open mics just as well as working in classes and clubs. 

“[Poetry] is always there for you, you don't have to be in a poetry class, you don't have to be in a club. If you're just feeling like you have something to say and crumple it up and throw it away, that’s okay.”