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A.A.C. proudly presents, The Lab, monthly poetry workshops at Blackbird Coffee in Milledgeville, GA. Our first workshop is Wednesday, September 5 at 8:30pm.  Dust off that old notebook and grab your favorite pen. Conversations about poetry stimulate the best poems. Also, great coffee and great people make poetry even better.

This workshop is for poets of all skill levels and backgrounds. Our focus during the workshops will build compelling poetry and compelling presentations for your poems both written and performed.   Check your fears at the door, bring an open mind, and get ready to write some poetry in The Lab.

Starting your pursuit to change the world  is the hardest part. Finding others with your level of passion is also the hard part. A mission, a vision, and goals are also difficult to choose. If you’ve stopped and thrown away your idea that means it’s not worth it to you.  Building a better world isn’t glamorous, cheap, sexy, easy, or greasy. Plainly stated, it will not give you sex appeal.  It’s hard work, challenge, and triumph. Triumph, that’s the fun part.

-Paul Ayo

The way to connect dreams to action is very simple. The person dreams and simply does. This is easier said than done, but the concept works, and one can’t poke many holes in such a simple plan.

For the artist, the problem can take a much more complex turn. There are bills to pay, children to feed, personal hang-ups to overcome, and a challenge that teems with pessimism. “I can’t do it. I don’t really believe in myself. I can’t find a way to make this widget or convince an audience that my plan is brilliant.” This is what pessimism sounds like. It’s not something we want to hear or embrace. It drives a wedge between us and what we intend to accomplish.

The solution lies in finding a way to establish your art slowly. A quick rise may occur, but more often than not, slow and steady will win the race.

This artist found a way to produce what he loved and pay his bills. Instead of moonlighting with distractions he chose to moonlight with his passion. I’m sure you’re passionate about something, but are you moonlighting enough?

by Paul Ayo