Get Up and Get: A Poetic Push

Written by: JOEY BARTLETT

With his late mother’s constant refrain, "get up and get”, as both title and driving force, Kevon Gareth Foderingham has transformed a simple phrase into a powerful call to action in his latest book.

Now captured in Get Up and Get, the saying reflects a lifelong lesson in self-motivation and resilience, one that continues to shape his work more than a decade after her death in 2014.

“You are the only catalyst for being the change you want to see or for getting what you want out of life: get up and get,” he said.

That message anchors the collection of poems aimed at creatives, entrepreneurs and changemakers navigating the realities of building something meaningful in the Caribbean.

Surrounded by a studio washed in hues of yellow, a colour he associates with hope and energy, Foderingham said the book is intentionally positioned as a source of encouragement in difficult times.

“If we’re no longer hopeful, you can’t ask us to get up,” he said.

Unlike his 2022 debut, Things I Learned in My Thirties, which blended memoir, reflection and practical exercises, Foderingham said this new work strips things back to something more expressive and intuitive.

“It’s not a guide. This is simply poetry talking about the Caribbean experience of entrepreneurship.” Further describing the collection as a motivational tool, grounded in storytelling rather than instruction.

“Yes, I’m telling my story, but also other Caribbean stories through poetry, how to get up and get it, and get your creative projects off the ground.”

The book represents both a continuation and a shift in his creative journey. While his earlier work focused on structured reflection, Get Up and Get leans into emotion and lived experience, capturing the rhythms, frustrations and small victories of creative life in the region.

A copy of Foderingham’s book Get Up and Get, set to drop on June 27, 2026.

Foderingham, who was born and raised in Arima, has spent years working at the intersection of creativity and social impact. As founder and cultural director of East Yard Enterprises, he has built platforms, programmes and collaborations aimed at supporting other creatives and fostering community development through the arts.

That focus, he said, is deliberate.

"Everything I do has to have that element of how it’s going to benefit somebody, not just creative work for creative work’s sake. Nothing is wrong with that, but for me it must have some sort of social impact.”

That philosophy has shaped his career, opening doors across visual art, publishing, cultural programming and entrepreneurship. But it has also come with trade-offs.

Balancing the demands of building opportunities for others while sustaining his own creative practice has been a constant challenge.

“To be honest, this book was supposed to come out last year. Last year was probably my best year professionally in terms of the social impact work I do, but my own creative work suffered badly.”

He described a demanding period filled with fellowships, summits and collaborative initiatives.

“That’s what pays the bills, building platforms and providing opportunities for other creators. I love it, but it stopped me from being able to do what I consider my own creative work.”

The result was a creative block that delayed the book’s release and forced him to confront that imbalance.

“At one point I wondered if I would even be able to put out this book,” he admitted.

Determined not to let the project slip away, Foderingham made a conscious decision this year to prioritise his own creative output. Part of breaking through that block meant returning to his creative process, one that blends spontaneity with discipline.

“I have my notes on my phone, so when something comes to me, I capture it there,” he said. “But I still write on paper. Physically writing helps me get into a certain flow.”

Reconnecting with his visual art practice also proved critical.

“Last year was the first time I didn’t do any visual art, and that affected me. When I started painting again, it unlocked everything.”

A single piece he created, unrelated to the book, became a turning point and the book's cover.

“I realised this is the cover. And it helped me visualise how to finish the collection.”

Foderingham at East Yard, painting a mural that would ultimately be used as the cover for his book Get Up and Get, set to be released on June 27, 2026.

The book itself developed organically. The first poem was carried over from his previous work, sparking the idea to build an entire collection around similar themes.

“When I looked back and saw I still had a poem or two, that became the jump-off point,” he said. Knowing when to stop was equally instinctive.

“There came a point where I just couldn’t write anymore. I had nothing else to add. That’s when I knew it was finished.”

Beyond the creative process, Get Up and Get engages with deeper questions about sustainability and survival in the Caribbean creative sector. Foderingham acknowledges while opportunities for training exist, the transition to viable careers remains difficult.

“A lot of people want to get up and get, but they don’t know how, or they face so many challenges it stops them. The enabling environment locally for creativity is not as robust as it is elsewhere.”

He pointed to a disconnect between education and employment.

“We have art degrees, music programmes, and fashion schools, but how many people are coming out of these programmes and getting viable employment? That’s the reality.”

Rather than offering step-by-step solutions, the book leans into inspiration.

“I stopped using the word 'motivation'," he said. “Motivation is external. Inspiration is internal. If you have something that inspires you, that’s what will sustain you.”

He hopes readers will find that internal drive through the stories embedded in the poems. He stresses inspiration is about looking at what others are doing, not to copy."

"Inspiration fuels the drive over the long term.”

Foderingham also emphasises the importance of recognising and supporting local talent, arguing Caribbean creatives often operate at a high level but lack the same visibility as their international counterparts.

“We need to be more open-minded and celebrate people who are achieving,” he said. “We have people on an international level here, but do we support them? Do we buy their work? Do we lift them up?”

He describes the book's aura as covered in iridescent yellows; however, making it clear, yellow to him "is a colour of hopefulness, energy. Everything is more beautiful when there’s a bright outlook.”

That perspective, he added, is critical in uncertain times.

“If we’re no longer hopeful, you can’t ask us to get up. Hope is necessary.”

Ultimately, Get Up and Get is both a personal milestone and a public offering, a reflection of Foderingham’s journey and a call to action for others.

“This is the first time I’m putting out a full collection of poetry, so it is exposing me in a certain light. But I’m excited by it. Hopefully it sparks something in those who really need it.”

Get Up and Get  will be released on June 27, adding its own distinct Caribbean voice to conversations around creativity, purpose and perseverance.