Spoken word. A night well spent.

Last night I didn’t let my anxiety get the best of me.

After being introduced to a creative youth group, in Birmingham, that go by the name of BeatFreaks, I decided to check out their Poetry Jam event which took place at the wonderfully groovy Java Lounge coffee bar, on Colmore Row. This intimately small space was packed to the brim with exuberant performers and a very excited and lively audience; people found a place to sit or stand wherever they could find space. This in itself would have been enough to induce moderate levels of panic and stress, it was a classic example of a chaotic somewhat overwhelming environment, but strangely enough my nerves remained at a minimum throughout the course of the evening. I think bringing my mom along for support definitely helped me to relax, as well as meeting up with my support worker.

So I spent the best part of 2 hrs sat on the floor of a packed coffee bar sipping on a large mug of galaxy caramel milkshake – very yummy indeed -soaking up the many wondrous works performed by various spoken word and rap artists. Younger and older, budding artists to award winning lauded professionals, everybody was welcomed and respected for the work they shared. Eyes were wide open, ears were finely tuned in and a chorus of finger snaps, claps and cheers surged through the lounge to congratulate each performer. It was such a fun, uplifting and inspiring event to attend and I will certainly be returning again.

A night well spent.