I use poetry to help me work through what I don’t understand, but I show up to each new poem with a backpack full of everywhere else that I’ve been.

Source: "If I Should Have a Daughter ..." TED2011. Mar. 2011. Conference Presentation. Additional Information: In this quote, spoken-word poet Sarah Kay tells us that writing poetry helps her make sense of her life, and that at the same time, her life experiences help her write poetry. The quote is from Kay's 2011 TED Talk about self-expression and her journey as a poet. Kay also performs two of her poems in this Talk. Watch the full TED Talk here: Sarah Kay - If I Should Have a Daughter