Meet Younes Aomari | Spokenword Poet ,Public speaker &Mechanical design student

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

Hi Younes, how do you think about risk?
Risk-taking has always been a part of my life. I have been trying to push myself to escape the comfort zone through all its phases. I do think that risks must be calculated, but not all the time. Many of my most interesting, fun, and learning experiences have been the result of impulsive jumps into the unknown. To give you an example, I would mention the first time I talked to a stranger on the internet to practice my English, and it’s been a friendship for over 7 years now. Making the decision to go study abroad was also part of my attempt to leave my comfort zone and learn more about our world, and that experience was fruitful for many reasons, such as meeting people from all around the world, having to rely on myself for all the decisions and all the tasks, etc. I believe that these experiences allowed me to have a different perspective and vision of the world and my experience of it. Taking risks also manifested when I decided to share my poetry at live or online open mics and on my social media. This eventually allowed me to connect to more people sharing my passion, to have the inspiration to start the collective “Moroccan Poets”, which creates a space for poets to meet, share their art and inspire each other, and to also showcase that Morocco has a fresh poetry scene other than the famous poets that the world knows. If it wasn’t for risk-taking, I would not have found myself performing in front of different people from all over the world, giving workshops online to poets all over the globe, or taking part in organizing “D’KLAM”, Morocco’s poetry slam in 2022. Taking risks, for me, has also been related to saying yes to new adventures and saying no to putting people before myself. It’s so hard to know when one is ready to take the risks, so most of the time it’s a leap of faith.

Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I believe spoken word poetry is the original form of poetry, as human beings were able to make poetry before they started writing. As a spoken word poet, I don’t find myself creating something new or following a new trend, but more like practicing the oldest and most spontaneous form of poetry. I tend to use simple language since my audience is everyone. My spoken word poems aren’t special; they only add my own perspective according to my experiences and the way I feel about them; my values and how I stand by them; and the causes I believe in . I write to take deep breaths, to hold on or let go, to raise awareness or describe my reality. What I’m most proud of is organizing “D’KLAM Morocco’s Poetry Slam” and having two of my favorite poems published in the “Space City Underground” Magazine, the first of which is about tea, my favorite drink, and the second, which is about Palestinian freedom, one of the closest fights to my heart.

Reaching this point in my artistic career as a (page) poet and spoken word poet took around 11 years of writing,learning , practicing, and learning again. The main things I learned are that to write and perform better:

I had to start writing as a habit and not just write when inspired. I never pass up an opportunity to attend a poetry workshop. I also had to add reading poems and listening to spoken word pieces to my routine(social media helps with that a lot; by simply following poets and poetry organizations, I’m always in touch with the art).

Writers’ block is still a challenge for me, but if I remind myself that the paper is the safest place for my words and that I’m allowed to write even if it’s not poetry, I end up breaking that thin wall of perfectionism.

I don’t think that it’s important for the world to know about me and my story personally. What I find important is for the world to feel the impact of my work and my story. I want my words to spark a domino effect towards a better world. That could be by raising awareness around mental health, defending a cause or bringing attention to an issue, etc.

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.
My city, Casablanca, is the economic capital of Morocco, which makes it the biggest city in Morocco and the busiest. So my favorite spots here are usually the quietest. I cite the Hassan II mosque (the largest mosque in Africa); it’s also close to the corniche. In the same area, I love going near the lighthouse, having a cup of coffee from the street sellers, and reading my books while listening to the waves crashing on the cliff. For shopping for traditional clothes, souvenirs, and sightseeing, there’s no better place than the Hubous market. And of course, if someone is visiting Casablanca, they shouldn’t miss the museums(Abderahman Slaoui foundation museums, Moroccan Judaism museum, etc.) also check the exposition at the American art center, Les Etoiles Cultural Center and L’uzine Foundation while also following their events’ program. When hungry, I would recommend going for the traditional food in the little street food corners. I’ve rarely been disappointed after leaving them.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
After God, I’m very grateful to my parents’ support, they helped me through all my crazy adventures. There are many people that helped shape the person I am today, with the ability to achieve artistically and academically. So to not miss anyone I’d rather mention the organizations that helped me the most in building my confidence and creativity. Starting by the Great Debaters of Morocco, the I-Talk29 collective, Truartspeaks, Coogslam, Project Destiny of I Am, Sidewalk Beirut and last but not least the amazing community of Moroccan Poets.

Instagram: @otakuflow / @moroccanpoets /@dklam.mps

Twitter: @otakuflow1

Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySlsvUMuJkE https://www.spacecityunderground.com/volume-1

Image Credits
the images with the D’KLAM logo are by @zouhairlalam