Rediscovering My Creative Spark: Poetry, Performance & Passion

In September, I performed for the first time in a long time. It wasn't just the performance that excited me though. It was being around other artist and with an audience that were all sharing energy for this amazing experience. There is something about good live music that can stroke a flame that has become mere embers.

From there it has been a slow roll back into creating. This season of life has been about prioritizing my wellness so it feels great to be in a space where creating doesn't feel overwhelming but instead like a peaceful outlet. Between my novel, poetry, and other crafts I am finding the joy of exploring my work again.

Returning to the Page: Reconnecting with Art

It's not JUST poetry that I've been reconnecting to but my artistic self. For the past few years, I haven't felt inspired to create in general. Not in any meaningful ways. I could blame the pandemic but let's be honest I was at my wits end before then. That's why I was so excited to write for Sounds of Call My Name. I felt a spark. That little thing ignited a slow burn of creativity. One that feels entirely new to this stage of my life.

In 2020 I embarked on a journey to get my Master's degree in Information Sciences which is so far removed from the artistic world that I knew I was going to be taking a break. I didn't expect it to take me almost five years to get back to it. At some point I began to question if I even wanted to create anymore or had I said all I needed to say? Created all I wanted to create?

Nahhhhh. That isn't it. What I've been learning is that just like artist that take years to put out a new album, we sometimes need to step away to truly craft. This means taking the time to read, workshop, and sometimes just experiment. My artistic aspirations go beyond slam poetry or even spoken word. I want to push myself creatively to explore other avenues of art that also excite me. 

Reading as Fuel for Creativity

Books that have inspired me lately: 
Make Me Rain: poem & prose by Nikki Giovanni
A little devil in America: notes in praise of Black performance by Haif Abdurraqib
Poet warrior: a memoir by Joy Harjo
Woke up to no light by Leila Mottley

However, I won't front and say all that I've been reading has been fueling my creativity directly. I've been enjoying books that I simply enjoy for the worlds or the characters. While others have been for personal development.

Fiction
The Davenports by Krystal Marquis
The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton (Pure giddy giggles reading this)
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (It was goooood)
The Outlander series... after book 5 I tapped out
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge 
Daughter of Smoke and Bone series by Laini Taylor

Non-Fiction
Atomic Habits (Worth the hype, reaffirming if you're already doing the work)
Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey
How We Show Up by Mia Birdsong
Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski

This is not an all encompassing list but it's important to point out that sometimes to re-fuel you find things that bring you joy, work on yourself, and live in the moments you find yourself in.

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*covers from Storygraph 

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What I've always wanted as a writer is to enhance my craft and to improve. Every work should best my last. This is why I appreciated the challenge of slam. How do you translate a work so that it resonates with most people? I don't think I ever figured that piece out enough to win a significant title in the slam world but I did figure out how to make my work more accessible to a general audience in ways that felt authentic to what I wanted to say and how I wanted to say it. Once I found my 30 poems I felt accomplished. I could win over a crowd while also staying true to my poet's voice. Mixing theatre and poetry is what drew me in to slam, the challenge is what kept me. After years of sacrifices for slam I decided enough was enough... Well the pandemic decided really and I took my out. I wanted to severe ties for a couple of years just to take a break from the constant output or feeling like I would be on stage 10 years down the road spitting the same poems. I wanted to best my best works and I couldn't do that in a environment that was demanding me to perform. 

The Shift Away from Performance (For Now)

While I have been inspired as of late to bring my one woman show back to perform and to also create other shows I want to make sure that when I do step back onto the stage full time or even part time that I am doing so as holistically as I can. The transition away from survival artist mode has been really enjoyable. I know that for myself, constantly being on the move with no off season is not sustainable. I also want to be clear with myself about my goals, expectations, and budget. I learned a lot while in practice and I've been digesting those lessons. Taking note of what went well, what didn't, and how I can improve the process.

Most of this means that I've been building out the other aspects of my artistic package like enhancing my teaching skills, working on my grant/fellowship writing, looking at book agencies, and investing in a manager. The best thing my one woman show taught me is that we can't do it alone despite the name. In the beginning I couldn't fathom affording to pay for help and had a steep learning curve of how this effects the outcome. Also if my goal is to relaunch the one person show series, I want to have resources and the funds to assist others.

Creativity As a Lifelong Journey

So, here I am—writing, reading, and dreaming again. Not with urgency, but with intention. I’m not racing back to the stage or rushing to put out a new body of work. I’m honoring the slow burn, the kind that keeps the light steady even when no one’s watching.

​Creativity, like healing, takes time. And just because the output pauses doesn’t mean the art disappears. Sometimes, the work is happening beneath the surface—quietly, powerfully. That’s where I’ve been.

If you’re in your own season of rediscovery, know this: you haven’t lost your spark. It’s still there, waiting for you to make space, take a breath, and begin again.

What are you rediscovering lately? Drop it in the comments or share it with me—I’d love to cheer you on, too.