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I am often asked to provide advice from up and coming poets and writers on how to "do spoken word" properly or ways to better themselves as spoken word (i.e. performance) poets. Below is a short but essential list to get you started.

1. Be True To You!

The best poets speak from an authentic experience or perspective. Don't try to speak on something that you know nothing about or can't really relate to. It will come across as being unauthentic at best and pretentious and self-serving at worst. Poetry is something you feel. It is organic to your soul and before you can have an impact on others it must be true to you first.

2. Have Something To Say

Here's a little secret. Most poetry slams and many open mics I don't particularly care for. Why? Much of the time the poets focus too much on shock or catering to the lowest common denominator. I don't care so much about your supposed illicit exploits or proclivities. The audience is asking the question "How does what you say relate to my life?" How are you empowering me or shining a light on a wrong in society? How are you celebrating beauty or art? How are you reminding me of our humanity or our inhumanity to others? Your poetry should be something of value or benefit or at least not of detriment.

What is Islamic Entertainment? As the popularity of “faith based” Arts and Entertainment grows we are starting to see a discussion take place asking that very question. What is the point of using Islam as an adjective to describe a thing such as Entertainment if there is no discussion as to what would make said expression “Islamic” in the first place? These are not questions that are unique to those growing up in the West. Other cultures and religions have had similar conversations and these questions linger to varying degrees to this day. But ultimately all of these discussions surround one particular thing…an aesthetic. What should Islamic Entertainment look and feel like, and what should it be about? What are the aesthetics of Islamic or Muslim entertainment? What gives this faith based cultural expression that look and feel and sensibility of Islam and even further how do we cultivate this aesthetic in wherea way that remains authentic to both faith and culture and yet still resonates with the adherents?