I wrapped September up with poetry on my mind. This month, I created four new poems, shared them with an audience at a wine-and-poetry event, and attended a poetry performance bootcamp over the weekend. Each experience taught me more about my craft.
One of the most valuable parts of this journey has been meeting other poets who also struggle with performance anxiety. For me, I often get stuck in my head—wondering if anyone will understand my poem—instead of focusing on how I deliver it.
The three-hour workshop was all about getting comfortable with your work and tuning in to the audience you’ll be performing in front of. One piece of advice that stuck with me: know the intention behind your poem before you read it. I realized I have poems with different intentions, and it’s time I start grouping them so I know which ones best fit open mics.
My goal was to memorize one poem, but by the time I got to the workshop, I had only about a third of it memorized. And when nerves kick in, memorization can fly straight out the window—I’m sometimes lucky if I even remember to breathe.
Still, I walked away with valuable feedback and advice that I’ll carry into my future open mics. I even have a video from my rehearsals that shows my progress. Each practice is a step toward greatness, and I’m committed to getting there.
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