Inspiration at the First Draft

For some time, the Wedge has been home to a true melting pot of self-expression, attracting speakers and listeners from so many walks of life across the Twin Cities to a cozy little venue on Hennepin Avenue. The First Draft is an open mic experience hosted at The Troubadour Wine Bar once a month. Poets and bards are welcome to spend five minutes on stage to read or perform any sort of verbal work of theirs, be it poetry, literature, essays, letters, or even sometimes music. The subject can be anything; variety and vulnerability are most welcome. I’ve heard prose on generational trauma and prejudice, calls to action, stories of better days, breakup poetry, ballads, and even excerpts from unfinished spicy romance novels. Everyone is welcome on stage, but you’d be one out of roughly 200 applicants signing up every month.

Kayla, who started The First Draft last year, continues to be the sole operating force behind every event. You’ll likely find her in the corner arranging the list of artists for the night on the chalkboard wall in between moments of hugs, laughs, and sips of wine. She’ll start the event with a speech giving warm thanks and often an exhilarated reminder of how The First Draft has changed over the months.

“I created this gathering because I needed it. I needed access to mentorship, inspiration, and community– a place where people could bring unfinished work and still be met with generosity.” She found all of that and more right here in the Wedge. Artists and audience members alike quickly made a similar observation since the first night. “I saw hands shaking, holding their papers on the stage before reading. Then once they finish, the shaking stops and the shoulders relax. People in the audience tell me how brave they must be to go up there and how inspired they feel to do it, too!”

As I’ve attended these events, I’ve observed a collection of communities coming together to simply share and listen. From this exchange, inspiration flows freely. “I feel like I can actually talk in an artistic way here,” says Andra Mae, an artist who mainly participates in musical open mics. For this more literary-centered event, she brings a unique combination of music and prose. Others have started to do the same, and they return the inspiration to her. “It’s infectious!” 

“The First Draft has actual poets with real stories,” says local poet and First Draft regular Laurisa. “I come to listen to stories and learn about the person behind them. Here, they care about what you say, not just how you say it. It captures the way I perform my own poetry.” Laurisa’s work speaks on experience as a woman of color on her journey in the Twin Cities, and I see such a diverse room of faces look up and listen with interest and respect every time she’s on stage. “Old, young, black, white. There are more artists being introduced here lately.”

Piper, another local poet, first came to the event with no expectations, and they were blown away by the diversity of backgrounds and artistry. They had no plans to read on stage, but ever since that first night, they’ve been hooked. “Here, there’s an expansive approach to showing up for other communities without being perceived as a threat.” And people show up, indeed, not just to speak but to listen.

When biases and perspectives are challenged by what’s said into the microphone, it’s taken with grace and patience. “I implore people who look like me to listen to outside perspectives,” says Piper, “or else caring for others and ourselves will dwindle.” The feeling goes both ways as inspiration takes hold and invites deeper investigation into ourselves and our connection with others. “It inspired me to reconnect with myself and my own culture, and doing so has inspired others here. It’s mutual.” Piper shares poems of connection with their multiethnic ancestors and Jewish heritage in passionate performances every time I’ve seen them on stage. “I’ve been inspired to know myself more as an artist and a person.”

On the community born from The First Draft, Kayla remarks, “[It’s] a culture that listens before it reacts, makes room for complexity, and understands that your attention is a form of care.” Listeners are considered participants, not just bodies filling a room for a show. Speaker, listener, or both, you too can participate in this compassionate activity in the neighborhood. To learn when the next one will be or to apply to read on stage, visit https://www.thefirstdraftmpls.com/. Bring a story, and don’t worry if it’s finished yet. This could be your First Draft, too.