EP 44. Build the Space You Need: Rayni Wekluk and Rosine Selemani on Poetry, Voice & Community

What does a writer do when the opportunities they need do not yet exist?

In this episode of The Creative Life Podcast, Dr. Jessica Olsen and Dr. Jaclyn Gibbons speak with poets, writers, performers, and community builders Rayni Wekluk and Rosine Selemani. Together, they help organize the Family Dinner reading series, a welcoming literary space that brings emerging and established writers into conversation.

Rayni shares how a multicultural literature class helped her fall in love with language before she saw herself as a poet. She also discusses beginning an MFA, leaving Omaha with intention, and growing beyond rigid ideas about what a serious writer should be.

Rosine reflects on education, her Congolese identity, and the way English and Swahili allow her to bring more of herself to the page. She also explains why young writers need visible pathways into public readings, publishing, professional development, and community.

Together, they discuss what it means to create an opportunity before feeling fully ready, make literary participation more accessible, and prepare a creative community to continue beyond its founders.

In this episode, you will learn:

1. How a writer can discover a creative calling later in life

2. Why diverse literary voices expand what writers believe is possible

3. Why public readings matter to a writer's development

4. How to create opportunities when traditional pathways feel limited

5. How language can preserve identity and deepen creative work

6. Why accessible participation matters for community growth

7. What founders should consider when planning for creative succession

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Follow Rayni: https://www.instagram.com/rayniwekluk/

Follow Rosine: https://www.instagram.com/thekidfromafrika/

Watch the full episode on YouTube: @TheCreativeLifePodcast

Continue the conversation with Creative Life Notes on Creative Life Co. on Substack, where every episode becomes a deeper discussion through reflections, creative practices, and community conversations: https://creativelifeco.substack.com/

New episodes of The Creative Life Podcast are released every Friday.