Question and Answer with Spoken Word Artist Ashlee Haze

Question: What inspired you to start writing and performing poetry?

Answer: I’ve been performing since I was 10 years old. I wrote my first poem with my mom for a church event and I have been writing ever since.

Q: How do you feel you’ve grown as an artist through the years?

A: I think my work has grown as I have grown. I think I’m a better communicator through my work and I believe my work is more mature in that I’m more vulnerable in it. I’m more transparent and my integrity is a higher priority for me than audience response. I think my audience has grown, too, in that they respond well to my integrity.

Q: What is your favorite part about performing your pieces in front of an audience?

A: The energy! I love hearing people respond to my work. I love knowing moment to moment whether people are connecting with me.

Q: What is the main message you want your audience to take away from your poetry?

A: I hope my audience leaves feeling like they are enough exactly as they are.

Q: Has being a poet changed the way you view certain things in the world? If so, what?

A: As a poet, I view the world as a storyteller. I have the privilege of describing my experiences through words so I think I’m always thinking of how I can tell a story.