AIR DATE OCTOBER 6, 2022
Title: The Power of Spoken Word
In this episode, Emily chats with local poets that use spoken word as a catalyst for awareness, mentorship, and community.
Guests and Locations
Exodus United Inc, Founder – Shayna “Simba” Castano
Diverse Word & City of Orlando, Founder/Poet Laureate – Shawn Welcome
Words Are Sometimes Worth a 1000 Pictures
We all have emotions. Many of us might feel happy, sad, fearful, frustrated, and angry throughout any day. When these feelings are difficult or unpleasant, we bottle them up inside and don’t let them see the light of day.
Speaking your truth through poetry, written words, or public engagements can help those feelings release while providing a better understanding of their existence.
Simba, aka Shayna Castano, inspires youth by helping them find positive outlets for expressing their life experiences through Exodus United. “I’ve been doing poetry since I was about 16 years old,” she told me. “I was raised by two leaders. Unfortunately, one was shot and killed in north Miami when he raised me, but he trained me to be fierce and to be a leader. My other leader, Ray Dominguez trained me as well to go into schools, to jails, to art institutes and facilitate workshops. So, I had a big desire in my heart as I got older to follow in their footsteps and train young people.”
Shawn Welcome is the founder of Diverse Word, an open mic night program, and he is an ambassador of performance content. He was named poet laureate for Orlando in October 2021. “The human experience is vast and wide, right?” he told me. “And so, people write from that place, or things they see in the world. It’s just an opportunity to creatively express oneself.”
Why Expression Matters More Than People Realize
Simba said she was inspired by poetry because she dealt with many things. “I was grappling with the loss of my father. I was dealing with trying to kind of find myself and find God, and I wanted an outlet,” she said. “I just felt like my voice meant something.”
For Shawn, the mix of perspectives holds importance when people stand before an open microphone. “Some people are more amateur, and some people are more seasoned, so how it comes out will vary. You’ll get a mixed bag of all of that. For me, it’s beautiful to watch, and I love being around it.”
Without expression, a person’s mind can quickly slip into fight-or-flight mode. Speaking our truth gives the emotion less of a grip over our well-being. These words let us see problems differently, make better decisions, and ease depression-like symptoms.
What Is It Like to Paint with Words on a Stage?
When people attend spoken word events or open mic opportunities, they can expect a safe space for them to express themselves. Even if there is disagreement from a listener, the environment is meant as a place where individual truth matters.
Simba says that self-expression is a skill that people can learn when judgment isn’t part of the process. “We’re really trying to focus on youth tapping into their heart and their mind and understanding that they can be confident and have great self-esteem and overcome those issues they battle, that are affecting their mental health.”
Shawn told me that being around other performing artists is helpful when learning self-expression. “You get to see other people overcome their own fears, and you almost get like a prototype of yourself when you look at other people performing their poetry.”
More information about Exodus United is available at their website exodusunited.com. You can follow Diverse Word at diverseword.org or on Instagram at @diverseword.
