Hello Soul on the Rise family!
It’s Thursday and as you’re inching towards the weekend I wanted to give you a little jolt of creativity to remind you how moving life can be when we slow down and pay attention to the details. Poetry is that in so many ways - focusing on a strand of light, the depth of a feeling, the essence of life. It’s deeply personal and yet widely relatable due our shared human experience.
So, today you get to hear an Artist Interlude with Austin-based poet, Ayjshané Winslett who is also the co-creator of Poetry on Tea Leaves, a monthly open mic and healing space for black, brown, and queer poets.
Inside Episode 18
Ayjshané and I dig into how poetry has helped her connect with her full self and why she felt called to launch a new literary community. We also discuss how writing poetry from a tender place and performing it with strength can offer a full-circle healing experience.
“Even if I write in a fragile or vulnerable space when I perform it I feel powerful. The weight of it isn’t overcoming me. I’m overcoming it. So, it does feel like a different process of healing - the last stage of it.”
She then shares three beautiful poems from her collection, Oceans Inside of Us, that will surely move you.
You can learn more about Ayjshané at @ayshane on Instagram and if you're in Austin, join her monthly Poetry on Tea Leaves gathering every first Sunday. More information @poetryontealeaves
Want More?
If you heard Ayjshané’s poetry and want to keep the inspiration flowing:
Here’s the first poem I fell in love with: “The Gift” by Mayda Del Valle
and another from TedX, “If I should have a daughter” by Sarah Kaye.
Ayjshané also recommended slam poet, Ebony Stuart and the renowned, Nikki Giovanni, so listen in.
Enjoy your dose of poetry!
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Ep. 18: Create the Community You Want to See