Salvin Chahal

- lara kaur

probably will delete within the hour

It's really hard for me to take a break away from the work that I do. Every time I do decide to take a break in order to decompress I always have the itch to stay invested in the work I do, it's something I can't escape. With the current climate it really allows me to constantly question how I can hold myself accountable and critically evaluate myself + my peers I was recently reminded by someone who is very dear to me the importance of my voice while remaining consistent with the message I deliver through my art and work . Though the officer who killed Castil who is from the Latinx community, anti-blackness is very prevalent amongst non black communities of color. There are a lot of other things I'll share that are bothering me aside from the fact that an officer in fear of a black man shot him seven times, twice in the heart in front of his lady and his child in the back seat. 1. Social justice is a very "hot topic" at the moment and we have a huge privilege when speaking about these things because a few years ago when you spoke about these issues in the way we currently do, people would view you as a conspiracy theorist, terrorist, etc. 2. Now a lot of folks are claiming the title of an activist, community organizer, healer, etc. without understanding the power that comes with the title. We need all hands on deck now more than ever but you have to understand that this work is not about you, it's about the people you serve. It's a huge responsibility. You can easily put it in your Instagram description and claim the title but what are you actually doing? Are you working consistently to uplift/change your local/global community? Are you investing in discourse so you can dismantle the problematic ways of yourself, your family, your peers, and your community? Are you going to third world countries and completely dismissing the people in your community who are being treated like third world citizens? All im asking is to critically analyze yourself and your peers at a time where we need each other to be effective. 3. I can't speak for everyone, but when some are sayin "fuck the police" they are making a valid point to criticize the system of policing and learn the history behind it. We ask you to think of things like why do officers patrol low socioeconomic communities of color more often than upper middle class communities when both communities are doing the same thing in a different form..Now, i personally know a handful of officers who do their job the best way they can without being biased. They are trying to go home just like you and me and even they see how fucked up the system of policing can be. When shit goes bad, and an officer comes to the scene without being too hostile, i can respect that. I aint down with crooked cops, and i aint down with cops getting away with murder. If you disagree with me, that's fine. I try to be as unbiased and all i ask is to check where you're coming from before you get at me. It aint easy where my peers and I grew up. We dont got a book of lawyers we can call if shit goes bad, so all i ask is to check yourself before you get at me. 4. I tried to go about this with love, but if it came out the exact opposite, that's on me.

For all of you who love/allow folks to say chandelier hair clips, turmeric lattes, etc. Please say your name boldly with pride. Please don’t learn a new language at the expense of losing your own. You have hair, food, skin color, language, and everything else that has been passed down to you! Please dont throw away everything your ancestors fought hard to keep just because Becky or Peter said it’s ugly. I guarantee you they will try to claim all of it as their own when you don’t.

Bringing back my pops style

Working with @kennetrey to recreate some of the photos of our family members when they first came to America to continue the immigration conversation. We had a lot of fun on our first shoot sharing stories of our parents and the type of photos they'd take back in the day(mostly the typical tourist type). Here's one of the sun kissing my face. Head over to salvinchahal.com/immigration for info on how to submit your own art/story for the initiative I started to document immigrant narratives! #whoseworldisthis

Over 10 minutes of poetree ✨✨

First person to find all 11 words related to air travel in this piece will receive a holiday gift package which includes the above piece as a print! Much love to my brother @jessiesohpaul who i worked with on this one! He's a talented designer who you'll see more of soon enough. This is Just a little preview of the immigration experience i'll be documenting through various forms of art in 2017 which i will be needing your help from :) Also, I havent been posting much these last few weeks due to a couple exciting projects i've been trying to finalize! Let me know how you feel about this one.

Tendencies - Salvin Chahal | Sol Life Poetry I remember writing this piece this piece years ago and thinking to myself that this will be the last poem i ever write. I even went up on stage at one point in my career and told myself as well as the audience that this would be my last time performing. Ironically, i have been recently feeling like escaping from the world, deleting all my social media platforms and burying everything ive built during these last 3 years. Depression/darkness is something i wear on my sleeves regarding my work. I think we can all relate to thoughts of leaving and never coming back. This is what this piece is about. To all those who might be feeling down for whatever reason, please understand that there is a community of people around you who love you and will always be there in the time of need. There are also folks in this world who will bring darkness to your world and your loved ones. All you can do is keep moving forward. From my book, Verses From Above You can get your copy here --> www.sal-c.tumblr.com/book

Next month will be two years since the publication of #VersesFromAbove which is a collection of intense poetry and workshops that i havent focused on expanding this year as i hoped to. But, next monday i'll be releasing the official video for "Tendencies" which is a piece many have resonated with as it discusses depression + thoughts of suicide. I plan to release a video series for all of 2017 centered around the book!!What are some of the pieces from Verses From Above that you want to hear/see through a video series? Also, many of you that have read/been reading the pieces have left beautiful reviews and contacted me recently talking about how helpful the book has been for healing/realizing inner light and i thank you for sharing your words! I can only share mine die to your support 👊🏾 #PoetsOfColor (at Sol Collective)

Also a young brown brother by the name of Gurnoor Nahal was followed after work and was shot to death in Sacramento. Love and light to his family + friends.

Nothing else compares

Small excerpt from a longer piece i wrote when i started slamming in 2012. It was around march of that year where i started learning more about Sikhi after years of resenting my culture. The #sikhgenocide that took place is something the indian government has yet to recognize, but the efforts on our end is still strong! There is still work to be done #neverforget84 This piece is in my book #VersesFromAbove

People invested in me and in my art which changed my life in ways I would’ve never imagined. Curating this show was just another way to showcase the most powerful young poets of color in the city, as well as an opportunity for me to invest in people the people i believe in just like the way my mentors have invested in me. The guidance of @solcollective And @says4life was evident with every word that spilled out of the mouths of every poet who left their heart under that spotlight. This night alone strengthened the bond between many of us. A random friday night in the middle of October brought out almost every emotion one can feel, and i am blessed to be surrounded by so many powerful people. The world needs more of what we brought to the mic last night. Photos from the show --> https://www.facebook.com/pg/SolCollective/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10154163890294069 #poetsofcolor #solcollective (at Sol Collective)