The Poetry Lab
HEY POET! WELCOME TOWhere Workshops Work Differently.
THE POETRY LAB PRESENTSRECENT RESOURCES
HELPFUL HINTS The Poetry of a Busy Life: Cultivating Daily Habits for Your Writing Practice
ANGELA YEH
I do it to myself. I chose to adopt a cat, then a dog, then a guinea pig. I decided to work full-time and have two beautiful children. I chose a husband who moved us to a different country and who works a lot. I chose to love all of that and still yearn for more. More words. More books. More poems. More life. More messy. More wild. What I really need isn’t less. I don’t want less of the job I am passionate about, nor do I want less of my kids, kids I would step in front of a bus for. It isn’t fewer opportunities or less fun. What I need is MORE. More moments of noticing. More practicing ‘poet’s mind.’ More quiet times where I am aware that I am a teensy, tiny speck of nothingness, yet also a part of this mysterious, awe-inspiring community of humans who choose to work together and love one another. I want more of how I feel when I am in ‘poet’s mind’…
INSPIRATION 101 Six Journaling Prompts to Turn Daily Practice into Poems
KELSEY BRYAN-ZWICK
I am a sincere believer that practice makes poems. I consider myself a poet not because I have written poems, but rather because I continue to engage in the process of writing poems. It is the process that I love, that keeps my wheels turning, my gears grinding, my lights flickering on and off. As much as I am pleased with any ‘finished poem,’ it is the poems I have yet to write, the ones I am currently writing, that drive me as a poet.
Over the years a big part of that process continues to be journaling. And I don’t mean documenting what I had for breakfast, and not because I didn’t eat breakfast, I mean journaling as a creative practice.
I have been a journaling girly who junk-journaled since I was a pre-teen, before I even knew what junk journaling was. Journaling was how I learned that I loved to write poems for myself…
WHAT WE DOOur poetry classes fill in the gap between the MFA and the real-world writer. Our community is about connection, accountability, and joy. We know that writing is often a solitary art form, but we work to build a path towards a consistent writing practice, deepening craft skills, and ending isolation. You no longer have to write, edit, and read alone!
Write
We love to read poetry books! We love to talk about the books we’re reading—these discussions take place in our Resource Center, newsletter, live classes, and on the podcast. As a community of self-guided learners, we believe that reading is the best way to improve our writing independently.
Read
Collaborate
After we’ve taken classes and done the reading we try to expand upon the ideas we’ve learned. This expansion can be found in our Resource Center and weekly newsletter where we share insights on poetic forms, structures, elements of craft, and tips from our writing lives.
Lab Partners is The Poetry Lab’s membership program for writers who want to stay connected to a consistent creative practice throughout the year. More than a discount program, Lab Partners is designed to support the long arc of a writing life through accessible workshops, deeper educational opportunities, and an ongoing sense of community.
As a Lab Partner, you’ll receive:
Free enrollment in our monthly BrainTrust generative workshops
Reduced enrollment rates across many of our courses and programs (Enroll as a Member!)
Significant savings on premium offerings like the Feedback Circle
Access to exclusive member communications, opportunities, and announcements
A direct way to stay engaged with The Poetry Lab’s evolving educational ecosystem year-round
Lab Partners is ideal for writers who know they want to keep showing up to the page, whether through monthly workshops, multi-week courses, critique spaces, or independent creative practice.
Membership also directly supports our mission to keep poetry education accessible through sliding-scale programming, financial aid opportunities, and sustainable compensation for teaching artists. There’s no minimum committment. You can cancel anytime.
This is not just a membership. A writing life. 🌿
Lab Partners is The Poetry Lab’s membership program for writers who want to stay connected to a meaningful creative practice throughout the year. Designed for curious creatives, the membership offers ongoing access to workshops, reduced enrollment rates across our educational programming, and a deeper connection to a thriving international writing community.
More than a discount program, Lab Partners is a way of building consistency into your writing life. Whether you’re returning to the page after time away, looking for accountability, or ready to take your work more seriously, the membership is designed to help you keep going.
As a Lab Partner, you’ll receive:
Free, automatic enrollment in our monthly BrainTrust Workshops
Member enrollment rates on many of our courses (currently $50 off!)
Significant savings on 6-week offerings like the Feedback Circle (currently $70 off!)
Access to exclusive announcements, opportunities, and member communications
A direct way to support accessible poetry education and sustainable compensation for teaching artists
Lab Partners is ideal for writers who know they don’t just want to take one class. They want a place to return to. A rhythm. A creative ecosystem. A writing life.
Plus! It helps sustain The Poetry Lab and our mission to level the playing field for working writers like you.
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