So every first Friday of the month, Lancaster opens its streets to artists of all sorts. The galleries stay open late and all kinds of people come out to check out downtown life. It's great! This first Friday, (which just so happens to be April Fools' Day--cringe) Millersville University is having a poetry reading in its downtown location, right in the midst of most of the galleries. I've decided to participate. I'm pretty stoked.
I'm also really kind of nervous. I don't think I've ever participated in a poetry reading in front of this kind of crowd. Sure, I read my free-writes aloud in class sometimes and we had a fake coffee house in 8th grade, but this is different. I feel like I'm part of something bigger that I am contributing my poetry to, and somehow I don't feel adequate.
Someday I dream of having something published. Whether that be fiction, poetry, articles, I'm not quite sure, but still, it's a "someday" dream. This is a step in that direction. Verbally sharing my poetry with the literary world is kind of a daunting leap. There is something about reading your works aloud. If someone reads it to himself/herself and if they don't like it then they just put it down and go on to the next one. That won't be the case tomorrow. I will be literally standing up facing an audience who is judging me based on my work (they might say they're not, but really, they are). I'm just freaking out a bit. I'm not saying my work is fantastic or putting myself above anyone, but really, sharing anything with other people who do the same things you do, is kind of scary!
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm going to go through with it. I'm really excited for it overall, but I am nervous. I put on a face that says I'm not and that I love sharing my work (which I do) but it doesn't take away from the fact that this is a new step for me...
... one that I am sure I will be very glad to have taken -- when it's over. =]
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