S. 2 Episode 7: Honoring Process and Intention

Mar 1

A Conversation with Rich Ferguson, Poet and Spoken Word Performer

Description:

In this episode Brenna Fitzgerald, creativity coach, invites poet and spoken word performer, Rich Ferguson, to discuss his creative process, including writing his new poetry collection titled Everything is Radiant Between the Hates in such a challenging time as the pandemic. In this conversation, Rich explores how to have patience with creative process while also responding to the urgency of the now. We touch on creating during turbulent times, finding inspiration in the everyday, honoring intention, creative collaborations in a virtual world, and the importance of balancing creative output with periods of receptive pause.

Pushcart Prize-nominated poet Rich Ferguson has shared the stage with Patti Smith, Wanda Coleman, Moby, and other esteemed poets and musicians. Ferguson has been selected by the National Beat Poetry Foundation, Inc. (NBPF), to serve as the State of California Beat Poet Laureate (Sept. 2020 to Sept. 2022). He is a featured performer in the film, What About Me? featuring Michael Stipe, Michael Franti, k.d. lang, and others.

His poetry and award-winning spoken-word music videos have been widely anthologized, and he was a winner in Opium Magazine’s Literary Death Match, L.A. He is the author of the poetry collection, 8th& Agony (Punk Hostage Press), and the novel, New Jersey Me (Rare Bird Books). Ferguson’s newest poetry collection, Everything Is Radiant Between the Hates, has recently been released by Moon Tide Press.

Topics.

.Inspired by the everyday

.Representing life through language with complexity and nuance

.The process of putting together a poetry collection during the pandemic

.Speaking to turbulent times

.Pandemic challenges and the urgency of the now

.Creating with intention

.When to create and when to let life marinate

.Balancing creativity and receptivity

.Creative collaborations in a virtual world

Episode 7 Notes and Resources:

rich-ferguson.com