the calm before the storm

The Necessary Project was less than a month away. Tension was high, not just among our team, but also among all our relationships, families, friends, and significant others. We were still spitting at youth groups and churches, though we hardly had the time to write and memorize new pieces while also preparing a 25 piece set for the Project.

One of the traditions we set in place for our team in the beginning was to have--what we call, “team date nights.” They are nights where we cook together, eat at out together, go to the movies together, go on a roadtrip together, whatever. They are designated times for us to unwind and be a community together, not just a performance team. No rehearsing is aloud, and business talk is ideally minimal. We’d lose our minds if we didn’t take the time to sit back and enjoy one another. After all, though we had dealt with craziness in preparation for the Project, we all knew the true craziness was yet to come.

In the pictures are Kasey (our coordinator we hired on for The Necessary Project who quickly began to feel like a member of the SITM family) helping me make the boys dinner, then Nathan, Danny, and Steven Pate, after spitting at a youth group in Downey a week or two after, and the team, along with our friend (and Danny’s girlfriend) Nicole, grabbing some sushi as our long night was coming to and end. We love spider rolls.

the poets come out at night

The weeks following SPIT are almost a blur. Francois asked David Romero, Matt Sedillo, KasiTeYana and I to spit at his fundraiser for Our Baby’s Gone Missing at Cypress College, and it was definitely a different vibe than any of us were used to. Still, not only was it for a good cause, but we had loads of fun. Spitting amongst these poetry geniuses again was an honor. Afterwards Matt and David and I headed down to Orange to spit at The Ugly Mug Cafe, which was yet another completely different vibe, but really an incredible experience. The poets there were very different and diverse in their delivery and content, which was eye opening for me personally. Honestly, the most fun part might have been talking poetry with Matt between each performance, but performing there was great too.

The next weeks we found ourselves at LionLike Mindstate and A Mic and Dim Lights in Pomona, among not only nationally renown slam poets, but also incredibly brilliant youth emerging into the poetry scene. Those poems were probably the most enjoyable; no lie. I'm a big believer in that our generation's youth have the most important things to say.



David made it his lot in life to secretly sign me up on performance lists even when I was going just to sit back and listen. Yes, it was quite embarrassing being called up without informed that I’d be spitting. But although we gave each other a hard time about it, I was glad to have the chance to perform so many times in just a few short months, especially with Matt and David. Whether it was between shows in Orange County, or at Denny’s at 1 in the morning, talking poetry, politics, and life with these poets was definitely worth every off-guard performance.




My best friend Kasey and I were discussing where it was along this journey that I got the nickname the Girl with the Boots. My best guess is that it happened somewhere around here. There was an emcee in Beverly Hills who called me it, right after a performance of Vintage Boots, but it wasn’t until after SPIT in Long Beach that people began to recognize me by that name, particularly people I didn’t know. In fact, I think it was in Pomona that an emcee introduced me as the Girl with the Boots, even though I was doing a different piece that night. So, we’re not 100% sure who started it. But I figured, there are a lot worse nicknames you could get.

Photos by Trish Goodman & Tyree Vance

da boyz.

As far as the Summer/Fall schedule went for Spit in the Mud, we were pretty busy. Not only were we spitting at main services on Sundays, and youth group services during the week, we were also in the middle of planning our own showcase to occur in November, The Necessary Project. We were writing and memorizing hours upon hours a week, new pieces, old pieces, and each other's pieces. However, in the midst of the chaos, Nathan & Danny stayed their crazy, weird selves and made the whole process fun and easy. Well, almost easy :) Working alongside these guys this year was a ton of fun. Here in the pictures are them dancing, entranced in each other's beauty no doubt, and then caught texting right before sound check. I think we were in Orange, California, at Main Place Christian. They make what we do a blast. So thanks boys. You're strangeness intrigues me.

[spit]acular.

Smells of cappuccinos and grilled paninis & sounds of revolution fill the air. What a privilege it is to be in the company of extraordinary, visionary artist. SPIT, a poetry showcase headed up by the amazing Amery Ken Thao, was not only the best way, but perhaps the only way to come back to the poetry scene after arriving back into America. After a friend (whom i am very fond of) said he had heard of this show but didn't think I would pass the audition, I got in my car and drove down to Long Beach to try out. This ended up being one of the best decisions of my life. A couple weeks later, the callbacks had rehearsal, and two weeks later, it was showtime. I shared the stage with the most incredible artist on the west coast...some, in the nation. Many of us performed a variety of different pieces throughout the night, mine being "Just to Breathe," "Honestly, With Love," and "Vintage Boots." It was the sweetest thing, being surrounded by great poetic minds, and listening to some of the most ingenious metaphors, world-changing ideas, and interesting rhythms I've ever heard. I was captivated by fellow minds desiring to reach the youth of our generation, to expose the injustices of our world, and to promote expression and vulnerability through the arts. We all shared a purpose; it was like meeting family. SPIT II is coming up in the next few months, and I could not be more thrilled. I have stayed in touch and hung out with a majority of these poets and have even shared the stage with a handful of them since. There at the Cafe Mirage in Long Beach, California, we were all a part of something truly spectacular. It's great being a part of something greater than ourselves.

imagine a world of poets

Poetry is my heart. When my class finished their curriculum two days ahead of schedule, I was ecstatic at the opportunity to teach them poetry. I taught them simple verse, free verse, haikus, and even played them videos of spoken word artist in America. All of my students said they had never seen anything like it before. What an opportunity! My heart almost couldn't take it. We talked about poetry, public speaking, and about other medias to communicate our -what they called, "heart feelings." They ended up coming up with some of the most magnificent ideas, and were very vulnerable and creative with the assignment. We created a poetry collage of everyone's favorite poems, and they cut out pictures from magazines to go with each of their poems. It was incredible to watch.


I was able to talk on the phone with two of my students earlier this week, both teachers in their provinces, and both of them said they shared my poetry curriculum with their schools in their hometowns, and heard my other students did too. Lawrence Ferlinghetti once said that "Poetry in handcuffs handcuffs the human race." Thanks to a willing, ambitious class of 54 chinese teachers, there are hopes of the students of China being a little more free.

China changed me.

In July, I went to China to teach English. I was told over and over again that learning English would change these students' lives, but in retrospect, my students changed me. I could never sum up my experience in a paragraph; in fact, not even a hundred novels. But I will say this. At the beginning of the year I was searching for a new beginning, a new outlook on life, and a new adventure. Not only did teaching in China provide all of these things, but it also changed the way I thought of about love. It changed the way I thought about the world. It changed the way I thought about myself. I fell in love in China. I fell in love with people, with life, and with God, all over again. It opened my eyes to other worldviews, poverty, and the struggles of cross-culture ministry. It opened my eyes to true uncertainty, adventure, and happiness. It was the thrill of my life. Some of the must stretching, heart-aching, awful, and wonderful times happened in Beijing, China this past summer, and I will never forget it. The influence of my students, and the other wonderful teachers I worked alongside will stay with me forever. Thanks China, I'll be back soon.

Listen; there's a hell of a good universe
next door: let's go.
e. e. cummings

spit in the mud... oh, my heart.

March 2010, a grand idea was born. After asking poetic maestros Nathan McWherter & Danny Sugimoto to lend their skills to perform a three-in-one spit skit for a class of mine, J.J. Peterson asked us to perform the piece at an event at our college, Hope International University. Practicing and performing alongside two visionary artists was such a rush, and I pursued them to join me in being a part of a spoken word team. Though common in the secular arena, spoken word teams have been unheard of in the Christian circuit. That is, until now.

After our first performance of "We Will Be Different" in April 2010, Spit in the Mud was officially found. Since then we have gone on to perform at youth groups, churches, and events throughout Orange County. Coming up these next couple of months we have a handful of other church events, schools, as well as camps lined up, some outside of California. We are thrilled to partner together in spoken word ministry, and are excited for all the next few months have in store for us. What began as merely three friends seeking to combine artistic and evangelistic ambitions together has quickly become the experience of a lifetime.

It is my heart's desire to bridge the gap between culture and church, to expose artistic outlets to teens and young adults, and to inspire, motivate, and encourage the broken, the dormant, and the searching. Through Spit in the Mud, Nathan, Danny, and I, are able to expand each of our individual ministries, as well as create an entirely new one together.

Check us out at SpitInTheMud.com. We have a lot of fun.

these boots have taken me places.

i sometimes laugh at how caught up i get in things. it's been a year since i last visited this blog, but after a persistent woman at the Ugly Mug Cafe in Orange, California convinced me of it's importance, i've decided to start blogging all things pertaining to my poetry... or at least try. those who know me well know i like to keep personal things, personal, but as a slam poet i certainly walk a fine line. this blog will be a nice space for me to log my adventures with my poetry, as this journey has proven to be wonderful & unpredictable, & many times seems to have a mind of its own. certainly, this year has swept me off my feet, and taken me places i'd never dreamed. it will take me time to update on the important adventures of this year, but i hope to highlight some of the most memorable times and memorable people. perhaps, this year would not have been the same had it not been for my vintage boots.

i wrote a piece in november 09 called Vintage Boots. what started as a freestyle that i shared with two friends quickly became the one piece i'd perform more times than i can currently count. i performed it at one venue in anaheim, then got invited to perform it in beverly hills, then pomona, and then, well... the rest is history. this piece brought me back into the poetry world i had once loved so deeply, with a passion only known by fellow artistic souls. it has helped me meet & spit alongside some of the most amazing spoken word artist of our time, and has brought me back home to my passions for performing slam poetry. it's not my best piece, by far, but i owe it's themes of hope, commitment, and love the success of my 2010. not just my success in my pursuit of poetry, but also my success in believing in myself, and surrounding myself with other fellow visionaries.

what began as a message to my daughter has a become a message about myself, one i am proud to pass down to her, and generations to come.

so, thanks, boots. let's keep going.

beauty

"now is the moment
where time is not allowed
this life may change tomorrow
so i want to hold on to the beauty of now."
-ben glover


all axieties abandoned
fear, a childhood memory
the future i'm certain will be splendid...
when i get there.

i'm captivated by the beauty of now
swept off my feet by this moment alone
life is limitless
and love is endless

i'm glad to be alive right now.

good luck.

went to chinese with a friend, & got this fortune in a cookie.

i'll take it, thank you.

have a nice day.

Limitless

I feel limitless..

when i returned from Chicago my mom told me this story. she said that although i didn't know, when i walked into the airport and went through customs, she waited outside the sliding glass doors and watched. she said she was starting to realize, this was how life would soon be... her supporting me, but having to let go of me, and me traveling all over the country, all over the world. she said it made her cry. as she told me this, i couldn't help but shed a few tears myself. she was right.

chicago was the time of my life, but more than that, it was yet another step in an inevitable direction for me. i've always looked forward to the day where i'd travel by myself, explore, learn, and experience. and with everything thats held me back out of my way, the world is mine for the taking.

I've waited my whole life to feel this alive..

this newfound happiness is overwhelming, but this joyous suffication is what's finally allowing me breath. all i see ahead of me is miles and miles of possibilites, and what i feel inside of me is the stillness of peace yet the movement of my feet... i'm going places. places i've never thought possible. & i'm feeling things. emotions i never thought were in my reach.

Oh to be alive!

I'm no longer afriad to feel this way..