No time to waste

Poet Jen Harris here!

WoW! 6 months into my Charlotte Street poet-in-residence (residency) and here’s what I’ve accomplished thus far, due in large part to the studio space CS provides to give me room to experiment and create at full capacity!

• Written, produced and performed Lust and Disdain for sold out audiences at The Outburst Performance Gallery
• Joined the LikeMe Lighthouse board of directors to further the involvement of KC’s queer artists in brick-and-mortar social justice endeavors.
• An explosion of freelance writing projects, ghost writing, book editing etc.
• Published in 2 anthologies
• In process of completing 2nd book of poetry, prose and essays – due out June 2017
• Started a Vlog
• Traveled to Texas to perform on my dream stage: Write About Now

People often remark on how busy I am, how they are astounded at the amount of events I attend/host, how often I travel and the chaotic schedule of performances and projects I juggle…and I never really know what to say but here’s what I’m always thinking. My parents, Kim & Jim, told me from a very young age that I should cherish every minute I’m breathing. They fought against every possible odd to give me a chance to ask myself what I WANTED out of life, not just what I NEEDED. I see hundreds of people in a week just trying to obtain and maintain their most basic needs. Me too. But my perspective is never really focused on need. I started with nothing and I’ve restarted with nothing many times. I do not need much. I’ve earned what I have in this world and what I value most is freedom. Freedom to chose how I live, what and who I dedicate my time to, freedom to be fulfilled. When I die, I need it to be impossible to catalogue all of my adventures. I need to know that the love I left behind filled a stadium, a country, a globe. While I am alive, I want to write every truth and celebrate every person, every opportunity. I was made by love. I am full of love. I love being alive. I have faith that I am fulfilling my purpose. I believe it’s possible to be recklessly happy. There’s simply no time to waste.

If you see value in art and artists please become my patron: www.patreon.com/poetjenharris 

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