Out of the Midwest is a spoken word artist who is reminding the country why the Windy City is known for its powerful voices and not its blowy weather. Abet Lardizabal, also known as “AbetSpeaks” by her fans and supporters, has been inspiring others with her passionate pieces about any and all things important to her.
Also a soulful singer, her artistic journey began with her song writing. As a journalism major and APA activist at the University of Illinois, her style was shaped and reshaped as she became an artist that did not look at art by genre, but rather as pliable mediums of self-expression.
“It’s the writing. It’s the writing experience and being able to express everything that’s going on in my life and then being able to share that with everyone I know and seeing their reaction,” said Abet. “That’s probably one of the best parts about my work.”
Abet knows that spoken word is a powerful medium and she uses it to bring positive impact to others. While she sees her work as a medium of self-expression, her poetry is by no means about herself. Rather, much of her work is centered around issues she feels passionate about.
“The motive behind your art pretty much defines the art itself,” she said. “Are you doing it to become popular? Are you doing it just to make money? Are you doing it because x-amount of people are digging that sort of thing and you’d feel lame if didn’t jump on the bandwagon?”
Abet describes her work more than a hobby and almost a necessity, a purging for her self-being.
“Just do it for the love of doing it. If you’re going to get into spoken word or any art for that matter, you should always stay true to what you want to do,” she said. “It’s like a catharsis.“
There is something raw and rare about this poet. She does spoken word for her own soul, but shares it in hopes it might inspire.
“If I made a difference in one life, then I did my job. If I made a difference in two or more, then I just got lucky,” said Abet. “Either way, I’m blessed.”
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In collaboration with TurtlistMedia.com. “Encouraging Asian Americans in the Arts through creative collaboration.”