When I began writing as a young teen, the artistic process served as a sanctuary. Freedom was experienced via poetic expression in a way that didn't seem possible in "real life." Over the years, this process, in which fundamental traumas and internal conflict could be systematically redeemed as artistic content, also facilitated a broader and more quotidian sense of empowerment. In this way, the pursuit of poetry is a pure experiment and a practice by which psychological integration and flexibility can be achieved. During this program, I'll offer a mix of autobiographic explanations and share relevant poems from my collections.