On January 14th, 2021, I presented my writing for the first time at an open mic. I was nervous about what other people would think. I mean, yeah, I have some supportive friends and a lovely supportive boyfriend, but these were strangers. They had no obligation to me or my writing and were free to hate it all they wanted.
Because of the pandemic, open mics are mostly virtual now. That took a little bit of the edge off me. Knowing that I didn’t have to get on a stage with a spotlight in my eye curbed my anxiety.
I was the first to present out of the two performers of the night, so I took a deep breath, opened up my first poem, and poured my heart out to these strangers. I felt liberated and electrified. The more I shared, the more I let go out of the suppressed emotions I was feeling. It was a release to finally share about the previous relationships and trauma in my life. It was amazing to be a true storyteller.
I thought to myself, “Why the hell were you so nervous? Sharing was awesome!”
My writing tends to tell stories about the darker side of life. Mostly because things that I experienced in my *albeit short* life felt that way. Sometimes the light I reached for, the light that I desperately craved to shine its warmth on my face, never came. I stayed in the dark for a long time.
When I shared my writing and told my stories to the audience, it gave me the closure that I needed to shut those chapters from life. I could finally begin anew.
Because life is always greener on the other side.
How do you feel when you share your work? Feel free to let me know in the comments below! 🙂
Featured Image Source: Photo by Santtu Perkiö on Unsplash
UnaPOETgetically Me 