What if yoga could boost your writing practice? In this episode, Lori explores how movement and mindfulness can support your creativity. She shares the unique benefits of yoga for writers and walks you through a simple, seated sequence you can do right at your desk—no mat required.

Visit thepoetrylab.com to find the Show Notes for this episode. The Poetry Lab Podcast is produced by Lori Walker and Danielle Mitchell. Hosted by Danielle Mitchell and Lori Walker, with special guest hosts bridgette bianca, Leonora Simonovis and Ravina Wadhwani.

EPISODE GUIDE

Your writing practice asks a lot of your mind, but what about your body?

06:15 — Making Yoga More Accessible An introduction to chair yoga and how poses can be modified for different bodies, abilities, and environments.

08:05 — Guided Practice: Breathe, Center, and Warm Up Begin seated or in Mountain Pose, then settle into the breath before moving through gentle neck, shoulder, wrist, and upper-body stretches.

12:40 — Guided Practice: Fold, Stretch, and Strengthen Move into forward folds and Warrior I, with Lori cueing both standing and chair-supported variations throughout the sequence.

16:00 — Guided Practice: Warrior II, Twists, and Deeper Movement Continue through Warrior II, Reverse Warrior, wide-legged forward folds, and twists, adapting the practice to what feels available in your body.

19:50 — Guided Practice: Seated Cat-Cow and Floor Work Choose to continue on the ground or in your chair with Cat-Cow and seated twists as the practice begins to slow down.

23:30 — Guided Practice: Rest and Reset Settle into Shavasana or a seated variation for a full minute of quiet breathing and intentional rest before closing the practice.

26:35 — Bring Yoga Into Your Writing Routine Practical ways to keep going, from setting stretch timers to pairing movement with writing breaks or using yoga as a ritual to open and close your writing sessions.

If this episode sparked something, get our free Creative Care Package with tools, prompts, and checklists to help you keep writing.

In this episode, we meet new host Leonora Simonovis (Leo), who brings us into her world as a writer living in exile. Drawing from her experience growing up in Latin America under an authoritarian regime, Leo offers ways to stay grounded without disengaging from the world around us. She reflects on how creative practice becomes a form of resistance and invites you to explore your own. Leo models everyday acts of resilience and reminds us that showing up with intention is its own kind of power.

Visit thepoetrylab.com to find the Show Notes for this episode. The Poetry Lab Podcast is produced by Lori Walker and Danielle Mitchell. Hosted by Danielle Mitchell and Lori Walker, with special guest hosts bridgette bianca, Leonora Simonovis and Ravina Wadwhani.

EPISODE GUIDE

What does resistance look like when the crises keep coming?

03:50 — What Does It Mean to Resist? Leo expands the definition of resistance beyond activism and large-scale action, drawing on her experiences living through political and economic instability.

05:00 — Finding Community in Times of Crisis Stories of unexpected conversations, shared meals, celebration, and solidarity reveal how ordinary moments of connection can help us build resilience.

09:20 — Practice #1: Cultivate Joy A simple exercise for intentionally recalling moments of joy, plus a journaling practice for noticing and recording the small things that bring joy into everyday life.

10:40 — Practice #2: Listen Turn your attention toward the sounds around you and practice listening beneath the noise, noticing texture, color, rhythm, and other details that can reconnect you with your surroundings.

11:17 — Practice #3: Try Something New and Be Willing to Fail Paint, bake bread, play an instrument, dance, or try something you aren't good at. Creativity doesn't always need to produce something impressive or shareable.

11:55 — Practice #4: Rest Leo reflects on learning to make rest a genuine daily practice and creating periods of silence without responsibilities or expectations.

12:50 — Practice #5: Spend Time With Your People Community care matters, especially during difficult times. Leo reflects on the everyday ways neighbors, friends, and family can sustain one another.

13:27 — Practice #6: Connect With the Earth Walk through a park, care for a plant, get your hands in the dirt, or simply notice the more-than-human world around you.

13:50 — Practice #7: Gratitude Build a small gratitude ritual into your day and create a record of the people, experiences, and ordinary moments worth noticing.

14:10 — Resistance as a Way of Living Leo closes with a reminder that resistance doesn't have to be enormous. Grounding ourselves, caring for others, creating, resting, and recognizing our interconnectedness can all help us remain present and engaged during difficult times.

If this episode sparked something, get our free Creative Care Package with tools, prompts, and checklists to help you keep writing.

Feeling overwhelmed? In this episode, Lori shares quick, effective self-care tools to help writers stay grounded and creative, even in chaotic times. Learn how to check in with yourself, calm your mind, and build a self-care routine that actually works.

Visit thepoetrylab.com to find the Show Notes for this episode. The Poetry Lab Podcast is produced by Lori Walker and Danielle Mitchell. Hosted by Danielle Mitchell and Lori Walker, with special guest hosts bridgette bianca, Leonora Simonovis and Ravina Wadhwani.

EPISODE GUIDE

When everything feels like too much, pushing harder is rarely the answer.

03:30 — Self-Care as First Aid for the Mind Why creative work can leave us especially vulnerable to stress, and how self-care can help restore the mental and emotional space writing requires.

06:05 — Know When It's Time to Step Back Difficulty focusing, physical tension, frustration, negative self-talk, and other signs that your reserves are running low.

08:15 — Build a Self-Care Check-In Three questions to ask yourself when you feel overwhelmed: How am I feeling? What's weighing on me? What do I need right now?

09:30 — Listen to What Your Body Is Telling You A simple full-body scan for noticing where you're holding tension and identifying what your body may need.

13:40 — Get Grounded, Literally Reconnect with your body and surroundings through intentional contact with the ground, then use a forward fold to release tension and settle your nervous system.

16:05 — Grounding Through the Senses and Breath Try the 5-4-3-2-1 method, box breathing, or 4-7-8 breathing to bring your attention back to the present moment.

18:25 — Release the Tension You're Carrying Use comfort objects and progressive muscle relaxation to create a physical anchor and intentionally release tension throughout the body.

If this episode sparked something, get our free Creative Care Package with tools, prompts, and checklists to help you keep writing.

Looking to fill your library's poetry section with more diverse, exciting reads? In this episode, learn the step-by-step process for suggesting poetry books to your local library. Your recommendations can bring indie authors and fresh voices into the spotlight and make poetry more accessible to your community.

Visit thepoetrylab.com to find the Show Notes for this episode. The Poetry Lab Podcast is produced by Lori Walker and Danielle Mitchell. Hosted by Danielle Mitchell, Lori Walker, and bridgette bianca.

EPISODE GUIDE

Your library's poetry section isn't set in stone.

03:00 — Why Your Book Requests Matter How requesting poetry, especially books from indie authors and diverse voices, can help build a richer collection and introduce more readers to the work.

03:50 — Step 1: Check the Catalog and Gather Your Info Before making a request, confirm the book isn't already available and come prepared with the title, author, publication date, ISBN, publisher, and a few words about why it belongs on the shelves.

05:00 — Step 2: Submit the Request Where to look for your library's purchase request form, what information you'll need, and why getting a few friends involved can demonstrate community interest.

05:50 — Step 3: Make the Case for the Book Be ready to explain why the collection is a good fit, whether it brings a diverse voice, has local relevance, or deserves to reach more readers in your community.

06:15 — Other Ways to Get Books on the Shelves Explore programs like Zip Books, contact your librarian directly, and find out what options exist when your library doesn't have a simple request portal.

08:30 — Think Beyond the Bookshelves Libraries can also become partners for poetry readings, open mics, workshops, and other literary programming that brings writers and readers together.

09:00 — Can You Donate Poetry Books? What to know before donating books to a library, including the possibility of donating copies of your own work.

09:35 — Find Poetry Worth Recommending Not sure what to request? Use reading lists, articles, and other poetry resources to discover poets and collections missing from your local shelves.

11:50 — Help Build the Poetry Section You Want to See Library collections reflect community participation. Recommending books supports poets while making more poetry accessible to the readers around you.

If this episode sparked something, get our free Creative Care Package with tools, prompts, and checklists to help you keep writing.

Many authors are surprised to learn they have to market their books. While a book launch can be uncomfortable, it's necessary to sell books. In this episode, Lori walks you through how to bootstrap your book launch. She tells you what you need to set up ASAP and how to create a timeline so that your launch runs smoothly. But because book launching is such a big topic, she's also shared some of her favorite resources to help you learn more.

Visit thepoetrylab.com to find the Show Notes for this episode. The Poetry Lab Podcast is produced by Lori Walker and Danielle Mitchell. Hosted by Danielle Mitchell, Lori Walker, and bridgette bianca.

EPISODE GUIDE

A book launch starts long before publication day and it doesn't end there.

03:00 — Build Your Author Platform Early Start with the essentials: an author website, an email list, and an intentional social media presence that gives you somewhere to reach readers when the book arrives.

05:00 — Practice Literary Citizenship Before You Need It Support other writers, build genuine relationships, and participate in the literary community without treating connection as a transaction.

08:10 — Make Your Book Launch Plan Define what success actually means for your book, then create a timeline and budget that account for promotion, preorders, launch activities, and the resources you realistically have.

11:25 — Start Building Buzz Pitch podcasts, interviews, guest posts, readings, and other opportunities early, while remembering that promotion shouldn't turn every post and email into "buy my book."

13:15 — Get Your Book in Front of Other Readers Use advance copies, reviewers, bloggers, interviews, and other promotional opportunities to build visibility, and give people plenty of lead time.

15:00 — Choose What's Actually Sustainable You don't have to do every promotional idea. Pick strategies that fit your skills, interests, budget, and bandwidth so you don't burn yourself out before the book even arrives.

16:35 — What to Do During Launch Week Send the newsletter, update your website, post on social media, thank the people supporting the book, and make room to actually celebrate what you've accomplished.

20:00 — Keep the Momentum Going Your launch isn't over after publication day. Decide what comes next, reflect on what worked, look at the data if it's useful to you, and give yourself space before deciding where your creative energy goes next.

If this episode sparked something, get our free Creative Care Package with tools, prompts, and checklists to help you keep writing.

What is the role of the writer when the world feels like it's on fire? In this episode, poet and professor bridgette bianca shares how she rediscovered her creative spark during challenging times. Drawing on wisdom from Baldwin, Giovanni, and Sanchez, she offers insights on how writers can turn hardship into inspiration and keep creating, even when it's tough.

Visit thepoetrylab.com to find the Show Notes for this episode. The Poetry Lab Podcast is produced by Lori Walker and Danielle Mitchell. Hosted by Danielle Mitchell, Lori Walker, and bridgette bianca.

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When the world is on fire, what can a writer possibly do?

02:30 — When the Poems Won't Come bridgette reflects on the early pandemic, the pressure to create through crisis, and the question she kept hearing: What is the role of the writer in times such as these?

04:00 — Illuminate the Darkness (James Baldwin) Turning to Baldwin and the Black Arts Movement for a reminder that writers can help us navigate difficult times, connect with one another, and make the world more human.

05:10 — Are These Poetic Times? (Nikki Giovanni) Nikki Giovanni's work offers another answer: even when the moment feels hostile to poetry, the act of writing itself can become part of our response.

06:15 — Find the Fire (Sonia Sanchez) A scene from Lovecraft Country and Sonia Sanchez's "Catch the Fire" lead bridgette toward a new understanding of what writers can carry forward through their work.

07:30 — The Role of the Writer The answer comes into focus: our work is not simply to survive difficult times, but to capture something of them in words and keep living.

08:15 — Five Things to Do When Writing Feels Impossible Give yourself grace, turn to community, create soft places to land, revisit your literary heroes, and remember that not producing new work does not make you any less of a writer.

09:35 — Living Is Part of the Writing Writing is more than putting words on a page. Reflection, rest, observation, laughter, wandering, and simply living are all part of the creative process.

If this episode sparked something, get our free Creative Care Package with tools, prompts, and checklists to help you keep writing.

Breaking free from genre constraints can expand your creative possibilities. In this episode, we explore how writers working in multiple forms can transition between genres successfully, inspired by Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter. With mini case studies and practical insights, we offer valuable lessons for poets, novelists, and non-fiction writers looking to embrace new creative paths.

Visit thepoetrylab.com to find the Show Notes for this episode. The Poetry Lab Podcast is produced by Lori Walker and Danielle Mitchell. Hosted by Danielle Mitchell, Lori Walker, and bridgette bianca.

Theme song: "Simply Upbeat" by Christian Telford, Kenneth Edward Belcher, and Saki Furuya.

Many writers wonder, "Do I really need to be on social media?" The short answer is yes! But how do you stand out? In this episode, Lori shares how writers can optimize their social media presence, particularly on Instagram and TikTok. She covers the importance of choosing the right profile picture and crafting a strong bio. She dives into how to develop a content strategy. Finally, she emphasizes the importance of engagement and consistency as you grow your social media following.

Visit thepoetrylab.com to find the Show Notes for this episode. The Poetry Lab Podcast is produced by Lori Walker and Danielle Mitchell. Hosted by Danielle Mitchell, Lori Walker, and bridgette bianca.

Theme song: "Simply Upbeat" by Christian Telford, Kenneth Edward Belcher, and Saki Furuya.

In this episode Lori shares some of her favorite activities for engaging with autumn. These ideas highlight some of the best of what autumn has to offer. Plus! visit the show notes page for Lori's delicious chili recipe. Whether you partake in these ideas or they spark new ideas, the goal is to fill your cup so you can create some new art.

Visit thepoetrylab.com to find the Show Notes for this episode. The Poetry Lab Podcast is produced by Lori Walker and Danielle Mitchell. Hosted by Danielle Mitchell, Lori Walker, and bridgette bianca.

Theme song: "Simply Upbeat" by Christian Telford, Kenneth Edward Belcher, and Saki Furuya.

Explore five key strategies for creating attention-grabbing, meaningful poem titles. Whether your titles come easily or feel like the final battle in your revision process, we'll find you some practical tactics to use the next time you need the perfect title. Stay tuned to the end where Danielle shares a special bonus prompt to guide you when you're stuck, inspired by the mentoring of poet Shira Erlichman.

Visit thepoetrylab.com to find the Show Notes for this episode. The Poetry Lab Podcast is produced by Lori Walker and Danielle Mitchell. Hosted by Danielle Mitchell, Lori Walker, and bridgette bianca.

Theme song: "Simply Upbeat" by Christian Telford, Kenneth Edward Belcher, and Saki Furuya.