Today we’d like to introduce you to Cintel Glow.
Hi Cintel, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I picked up a journal at eight years old, and that became my first safe place.
My voice was stripped from me before I ever had the chance to use it in its fullest form. There were things I felt, things I experienced, things I desperately needed to say but I didn’t have the words, the language, or the freedom to articulate them out loud.
So I wrote. Writing became my way of escaping when I couldn’t physically do so. It became the place where I could finally tell the truth about what I was experiencing, feeling, even when I couldn’t say it to another person. The pages held the anger, the confusion, the grief, the fear, and the questions I didn’t know how to ask. It was my life in poetic form. At eight years old, I didn’t know I was finding my voice. I only knew that when I put a pen to paper, there was finally somewhere for all that pain to go. I didn’t share much of it with anyone as it was for ME. In 2013-2014 that’s when I took to the stage to share my poetry, and offered a glimpse into my world for the first time and that’s where it started for me.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Was it easy? Not at all, there was so many bricks to chisel through, like my Identity, rejection, and fear. It hasn’t been a smooth journey by any means. I’ve carried a lot of trauma from my childhood, and much of what happened to me followed me into adulthood. For a long time, I didn’t understand how deeply those experiences had shaped the woman I was becoming. The woman I am today didn’t happen over night it has been a long road, one I’m currently walking.
I recently lost my father, so I am experiencing grief in a way I’ve never experienced before and that’s been tough, but each day I get up again and face the day with a brave heart. I’m truly learning to navigate and function in this new normal and it’s been a journey for sure. The road hasn’t been linear or easy, but I’ve learned that resilience has always existed on the inside, and that God is GOOD all the time.
I’m still trekking through the places within me that I haven’t fully explored. There is still more to uncover and discover, more to learn and unlearn, more parts of myself to understand and embrace. I’m learning that healing is having the courage to continue on despite the resistance, resilience is on the other side of it. Now, I’m learning to use my voice to speak up for myself and others, to tell my story, understand my journey, and become the woman I was always meant to be.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a writer, singer, and storyteller. I’m
Known for giving off “Jill Acott Vibes”. I incorporate singing, rapping, and spoken word/ poetry when I perform. I believe my work is shaped by my journey through this beautifully complicated life; one filled with grief, motherhood, relationships, sunny days and gray matter, introspection, heartache, loss, and grace.
Through my music and writing, I explore the complexity of being human, the things we carry, the things we release, and the ways we continue to move on despite the callings from the deep that tells us to give up, shrink down, or not to do “too much”. I’m planted in the soil, I’m choosing to stay here another day, each time I open my eyes. Life is such a gift, I’m so very grateful. I’m learning to find my place in the world while becoming more comfortable in my own skin, and embracing every version of myself along the way.
Today, I specialize in being real, raw and honest. I am finding comfort in my vulnerability. My poetry explores awareness, identity, resilience, healing, self-discovery, and the complexity of becoming when we finally stop running from our own past.
I’m most proud of the fact that I’m still here, growing, glowing and blossoming. Every season has required me to uncover something new, learn something different, and unlearn things I once believed about myself.
What sets me apart is that I speak from a place of lived experience. I’m not interested in pretending because life is real and it’s happening to everyone. I just want to be a light, love genuinely, be watered and continue to grow and help others to do the same.
Ultimately, I want others to feel seen through my work. I want them to be reminded that two things can exist simultaneously. There can be beauty and chaos. You can be healing and thriving. You can carry grief and still experience joy. You can be becoming while still learning to love who you are right now. At the heart of everything I have one strong belief: Our voices matter. Sometimes finding your voice takes years. Sometimes it begins with a pen, a blank page, and an eight-year-old girl who simply needs somewhere safe to place her heart. I hope I can offer someone else the same space of safety because their story deserves to be heard.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I’m first drawn to the Word, the Bible it encourages me to slow down, look inward, and to remain close to and lean on God understanding and guidance.
I value resources that help me to stay connected. Anything that invites introspection, challenges me, or gives me tools to navigate. I also find a lot of inspiration in books, podcasts, music, and conversations that weigh heavy in healing, creativity, relationships, motherhood, and the overall human experience. I lean heavy towards the voices of my sister and brother-friends they keep me accountable and tie my loose ends. And, of course, I return to the blank pages. Writing remains one of my greatest resources not just for my poetry, but for my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/cintel-glow/1838054166
- Instagram: @Cintelglow
