There was a time when I would’ve laughed at someone hysterically if they told me that I’d be living the life of an educator, let alone, an artist. Much of the resistance I have towards the label “teacher”, or “educator” stems from my own perception and expectation of the individuals who wear this title and have signed up to nurture and develop the next generation of people who will impact the world with their craft(s). I often say to myself, “what do I know? What do I have to teach anybody?” I don’t have a Master’s degree in English or Creative Writing, I didn’t finish college, but my real pursuit to bliss began when I was 22 years of age and I found myself at Tajze’s Wine and Bar which has become the new home of The Spirit Room. I was invited to an open mic hosted by the former adult slam poetry troupe in Rochester, Roc Bottom Slam Team. After hearing the caliber and quality of their work, I knew I found a home to develop my writing, and to discover who I truly was. I decided to write a poem to perform at their next monthly event and I’ve been hooked ever since!
What I can tell you is this. I spent all my life running away from what I wanted. Now, I know I always running towards it. I write this transparently because that is essence of any great writer and one thing I can say for sure in my experience as a slam poet/spoken word artist, writing is soul-gratifying and it motivates you to be present for what you want and ultimately pushes you to create the world you want to live in. When you create a space where radical honesty and love exist, not only do you thrive, others around you want to as well.
In We Breathe Fire, we’ll dig deep to discover our true selves and write ourselves accountable to manifesting and maximizing our potential.