Westside High School has no shortage of students with a plethora of talents and hobbies, and Isabelle Ohlson is no exception. This sophomore is deeply involved in a multitude of extracurricular activities in and outside of school; one of her biggest passions is the undervalued art of poetry.
Isabelle said that after reading a poetry book called The Princess Saves Herself, gifted to her by a family member, it became apparent that poetry was something she wanted to pursue. After reading it she started to experiment with her writing.
“It kind of just put words to the thoughts in my head that I didn’t even understand I had yet.” Ohlson said.
Afterwards, a different family friend brought her to a poetry event at the Culture House here in Omaha, where Jewel Rodgers was the main event. Isabelle said Rodgers did amazing, and they began to talk afterwards.
“We talked, and I decided that I wanted to do her little poetry get together on Monday nights,” Ohlson said. “And it ended up being really fun, and I really enjoyed it. It’s been a pretty big staple in my life.”
In the following months, Jewel became Isabelle’s mentor and one of the biggest figures in her life.
“We talk about life once a week and write about our feelings, and it’s really cool, because I didn’t really know what poetry was about… when they’re about feelings, emotions, and female empowerment, I think they be really impactful and really help straighten out people’s thoughts… it’s very inspiring.” Ohlson said. “She, this year, is nominated to be the Nebraska State poet laureate, which is a huge accomplishment in the poetry community. And she’s really awesome. She has lots of very great community involvement. She’s such a fun person to talk to and she doesn’t just kind of sit and listen to me talk and teach me.”
Isabelle said that she finds comfort in her sessions with her mentor. They spend lots of time together talking about life and experiences. They receive feedback from one another, have a back and forth conversation, or just start out by writing a regular paragraph and seeing where that takes them. She says that through poetry, she has worked through a lot of challenges. She has written about lots of issues in her personal life, including anxiety and relevant topics of political justice.
“Last year, my poem really centered around feeling very anxious about time,” Ohlson said. “And it’s kind of a reoccurring theme, because I have all these things that I want to do, and this is really what the poem is about. But there’s all these things that I want to do, and all these places I want to see, and there’s just not a lot of time to be able to do that. I can’t live a million lifetimes in one and then there’s also that kind of underlying theme of decision making and the fear of making the wrong one.”
Ohlson has done special performances around Omaha, including the MAHA festival (Music and Arts Festival). MAHA allows bands, creators, artists, small business and poets from all over come together for a 2 day event filled with activities and creative individuals, including Isabelle herself.
“I got to perform in a writer’s tent, and it was so much fun… that’s when I showcased my talents, and a lot of people had very positive things to say about it, and that kind of reinforced my interest in poetry too,” Ohlson said. “It was quite fun… I had lots of performances.”
Isabelle is thriving in her poetry and has received high praise for her emotional and well-thought out work. When asked about what advice she would give to anyone wanting to start poetry, her answer was thoughtful.
“Honestly, just do it,” Ohlson said. “Don’t follow rules. Write what sounds like you… For me, poetry isn’t sonnets or epics—it’s artistic expression, like painting or dancing. I use it to work through emotions and events in my life… Poetry has always been a fun, secure outlet for me.”
Ohlson goes on to suggest studying modern day poetry: watching their performances, reading their books, and so on. She said that poetry is so amazing because people can interpret it in so many different ways. With her deep love for poetry and dedication to artistic expression, Isabelle Ohlson continues to inspire others and proves that creativity knows no bounds.
