Anandita Vidyarthi
(she/her)
Anandita Vidyarthi is a multimedia artist and poet who was raised in India, and the Chicagoland area. Anandita's poetry deals with topics like her Indian heritage, mixed caste identity, family, love, and all the little ins and outs of life. Her art also focuses on similar topics while adding modern twists on traditional Indian techniques. She is currently an Undergraduate student at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Previously, Anandita was a mentor at the Spoken Word club at Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School and also founded the South Asian Youth (SAY) group at Oak Park and River Forest High School. She is also the founder and community organizer at Asian Ink, a Chicago based creative collective for AAPI individuals.
The impact of poetry and the spoken word club
OPRFHS Spoken Word Club and my mentor, Peter Kahn, played an integral role in helping me reclaim my voice, metaphorically and physically. Prior to Spoken Word club, I struggled to express myself out of worry of not being understood or appreciated as a Brown woman. That internal struggle of feeling outcasted left me unsure of my identity and rather than exploring it, I lessened myself for the comfort of others. Three rigorous years of poetry later, I had emerged out of my shell, through writing I learned the importance of taking space and being unapologetically myself. Through my newfound confidence I was propelled to start a South Asian Youth club at OPRFHS which is still in existence. In college I set my sights on to a larger audience and went on to create Asian Ink a creative collective for AAPI individuals in Chicago. Mr. Kahn and my fellow poets taught be the importance of solidarity and passing on knowledge, that lesson guides me as I continue to find ways to help other marginalized voices. I am grateful to have been supported by some of the most talented creatives that I met through SpokenWord, some of whom I am lucky to call my dear friends even to this day.
Top favorite poets or lyricists
Fatimah Asghar, Kara Jackson, Patricia Smith. Tracy Chapman, Heems, Ruby Ibarra.
Connect with Anandita UIC
Writing Prompts
Write about one of the “unspeakable” topics in your house growing up
Write about a time you had to keep a secret from someone you love
Write about a time a secret you were keeping got let out