YEABSERA.
Who is Yeabsera?
My name is Yeabsera Semere Mengistu. I'm 20 years old and originally from Washington, D.C but I was raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and now reside in between Cambridge, MA, and Washington, DC.
I like to use photography and writing to create. I bounce between the two because photography gives me the ability to create visually, and writing gives me the ability to develop vocally. |
How do you define a creative?
I define a creative as a creator that uses their visualization of the world as a motivation for
their craft. Whether it be using their words, their voice, their drawings, and their many skills of
interpretation of art to be able to create a piece and or series of pieces that speaks to them. A
creative follow the bounds of their understanding of life to be able to manifest and create a
dialogue with themselves and their work to be able to express their interpretation of the world.
their craft. Whether it be using their words, their voice, their drawings, and their many skills of
interpretation of art to be able to create a piece and or series of pieces that speaks to them. A
creative follow the bounds of their understanding of life to be able to manifest and create a
dialogue with themselves and their work to be able to express their interpretation of the world.
Why do you create?

I create because, for a large part of my life, I have found myself to feel lost in translation whenever I try to express myself. Some of my biggest challenges socially have been trying to show people who I am and how I see the world and myself. I always find myself having to explain over and or under explain myself when I am speaking to people because they aren't able to truly understand the meaning behind my purpose and my position in life.
I use my creative process to speak for myself and connect the dots to create the image that at times seems to get lost in translation when I am trying to explain my definition of the "bigger picture" in my eyes.
I use my creative process to speak for myself and connect the dots to create the image that at times seems to get lost in translation when I am trying to explain my definition of the "bigger picture" in my eyes.
Why is it important as a Black woman to create?
I believe it is not only necessary but essential to a black woman's well-being to create. In a world, that silences and objectifies our bodies and identities, it is a dire means of survival for black women to develop. It gives them the ability not only to be able to cast light on the issues that have been instilled and unshining generations after generations of black women, but it also promotes the need for advocacy for the vast diaspora of women throughout the world that may need it.
Creating does the task of not only promoting awareness but inspiring support as it is a viable resource for women to turn, to heal and grow from the triumphs and tribulations that the world sets up against black women. It is up to us as black women to take back that content and to create a new generation of work that heals us and grows us, instead of the history that has demolished and traumatized us.
Creating does the task of not only promoting awareness but inspiring support as it is a viable resource for women to turn, to heal and grow from the triumphs and tribulations that the world sets up against black women. It is up to us as black women to take back that content and to create a new generation of work that heals us and grows us, instead of the history that has demolished and traumatized us.
To see more of Yeabsera's healing work, click here for her instagram and photography instagram