David Larbi: An Everyday Poet
David Larbi is a published poet and author, but how I (and I would assume most people) know him is from his TikTok (@davidlarbi_) where he makes videos of him reciting small poems he writes about everyday life. Larbi lets the little everyday things inspire him to write, recite, and post a short poem on TikTok almost everyday.
In The Creative Act: A Way of Being, Rick Rubin writes that “living life as an artist is a practice. You are either engaging in the practice or you’re not… We tend to think of the artist’s work as the output. The real work of the artist is a way of being in the world.”
Larbi is a perfect embodiment of this quote. Yes, he does create art in more “official ways” such as having his book Frequently Happy published by Penguin Books, hosting a podcast called Mindful Moments with David Larbi, and even making music, but his TikToks are an everyday way he creates art. Through his TikToks he maintains the practice of being an artist. His “way of being in the world” is completely unique to him, and he creates content to display the way he experiences the world around him.
Even just from the title itself, The Creative Act: A Way of Being, Rubin emphasizes the importance of the creative act itself rather than the result. Although his creative process does result in fun poems on his TikTok account, Larbi's creative act is his way of being, the way he chooses to exist and conduct himself in his world.
Rubin also writes: "The goal of art isn't to attain perfection. The goal is to share who we are. And how we see the world." Again, this is exactly what Larbi does. Larbi lets little, mundane things, that most people tend to overlook, inspire his TikTok poems. These little poems provide insights into the way he sees and receives the world, that is unique to him. Through these poems we learn about him. One of his recent videos contains a poem about trees in the fall and it is as follows:
I don’t know if it’s just me or not
But autumn this year seems to be showing off
Just look at the colours of all these leaves!
Varied and gorgeous almost beyond belief!
From Greens to yellows to oranges to browns
How could I not smile with these scenes around town!
By uploading these Poetry TikToks, he is making poetry accessible to everyone. So, people like me, who wouldn’t necessarily think of themselves as poetry connoisseurs, can consume and enjoy poetry without having to seek it out because they wouldn’t know where to start.
Larbi’s poems are not only easily accessible, but they are so full of contagious joy. He recites his poems in such a cheerful way with a grin upon his face, making it very easy to sit and watch/listen to him.
I write a little bit of poetry here and there, and I find that the more frequently I write, the more frequently lines and rhymes kind of just pop into my head, and oftentimes they are not very profound or deep, they're just fun. This example of Larbi's quick "Tik Tok" poems really reminds me of those moments. It feels like something that just popped into his head: a really light poem that isn't profound but is valued by others nonetheless. And, even though I have very strong beliefs about the harmfulness of social media consumption, I cannot deny that it makes me happy to see someone who is able to share what they love to do with others make a living off of it, especially in an age where the value of art seems to be dying.
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