I recently had the incredible opportunity to attend my second TEDx Marion Correctional event (that’s right a TEDx event in a prison!). The talks were just as powerful as the first time I went, but this time felt different. And, I learned a new way to overcome writer’s block — not exactly a lesson I anticipated learning in a prison.
Chatting with an inmate at Marion Correctional.
Some background: I’d been to Marion Correctional just a couple months earlier for my first TEDx-in-prison experience. (Apparently, spending time in prison is becoming a regular thing. My first visit is detailed here.) At first, I was super nervous and didn’t really talk to any of the inmates. But, as the day went on, I pushed myself to break out of my comfort zone and participate in meaningful conversations with a number of the men who call Marion Correctional home — some of whom are in for decades after committing incredibly violent, scary crimes. I never thought I’d have a peaceful conversation with someone convicted of arson, rape or armed robbery. But, that’s exactly what happened.
So, back to my latest trip. When I walked into the multi-purpose room, I was greeted by a number of the same inmates. To my utter surprise, they remembered me and welcomed me with a warm smile. This time, I wasn’t as nervous to initiate conversation. (Score one for personal growth!) I found myself chatting with a man named Jason. Jason is a member of Marion Correctional’s poetry club. (I know, I, too, was shocked to find a thriving poetry club in a prison.) At the last TEDx, Jason performed one of his poems. Titled Melissa, the poem was an apology to his victim. As he performed it, you could hear the pain in his voice and see the pain in his writhing body movements. Intense doesn’t even begin to describe it. When Jason and I began chatting this time, our conversation gravitated toward writing. When he asked me if I did much writing, I shared a bit about PR and how I do a fair amount of writing for my job. Plus, I have a love-hate relationship with a personal journal. Somehow the conversation ended up on writer’s block.
How do you overcome writer’s block? Power through? Check Twitter? Go for a run? Hit the yoga mat? Grab a snack? Writer’s block hits us all (hence, this confession!), but how we tackle it varies from person to person. And, when you’re in prison, there are obvious limitations to the activities that can lift you out of the slump. Jason told me he turns to Kate Tempest. Kate is an English poet, spoken word artist and playwright, critically acclaimed and commonly referred to as one of Britain’s great young talents. Jason shared how reading or listening to her work can help him refocus and get back into the writing groove.
I promised that I’d check her out. Thinking that was the end of the conversation, I went on with the rest of my experience at Marion, enjoying the talks and joining additional conversations. After the event, as we were saying our good-byes, Jason went out of his way to find me. He handed me a piece of paper with Kate’s name and a few of his favorite poems written down.
At first, I had such a hard time juxtaposing the person who committed the horrendous crime shared in his poem, Melissa, with this thoughtful person who went out of his way to share something with me simply because he thought I would enjoy it. He went out of his way to create joy and be helpful. And, then I realized that that’s proof that people are constantly learning and growing — even in prison. Jason is part of an incredible rehabilitation program at Marion Correctional, called the RARE Institute. Through this, he’s transformed himself. He’s a new person. Now, he’s the person who proactively helps someone else.
So, the next time I have writer’s block, I’ll be pulling up Kate Tempest, thanks to Jason. And, when I do, it’ll be a stark reminder that we all have the capacity to change, grow and evolve.
Listen to Kate on Spotify and YouTube.
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Why TEDx in prison? Because events and interactions like this can play a critical role in the redemption and rehabilitation process. As a former TEDxMarionCorrectional organizer put it:
“TEDxMarionCorrectional [was] an opportunity to give a voice to a section of our society who is rarely heard from and often times overlooked and cast aside,” she said. “Although I was confident that our team had put together a thought-provoking event, I don’t think I was fully prepared for the amount of people — both inside and outside guests —to respond with such emotion. At least seven incarcerated men came up to myself and the fellow organizers to look us in the eyes and thank us. Since the event, they have repeated time and time again how TEDxMarionCorrectional created an environment where they ‘felt human again.’”