Full Talk: https://youtu.be/Y8-cvG9g5XEThe current path in poetry is linear: publish poems, get an MFA, publish a collection, work in academiaThere are concerns about financial stability, insurance, and adulting in general. However, even this traditional path in art has inherent risks that people often choose to ignore. On closer inspection, the riskier path may not be orders of magnitude riskier, and the upside significantly more attractive.*Welcome to the book launch for Meditations For The Independent Poet: Essays On The Business Of ArtPoems do not just give to the poet, but to others. However, many poets do not fully consider the implications of how poems impact the larger community. In fact, the tasks related to further that impact--the promotion, the consideration of audience, the marketing--are often pushed to the side in favor of more writing. Without focusing on how poems impact larger communities, it becomes more challenging to craft a creatively and financially independent life around poetry.*This year, it has never been easier for poets to live on their art. However, that is not to say there are no obstacles. Meditations For The Independent Poet by Geoff Anderson is a collection of mini-essays on the topic of poetry, art, and business, with riffs on excerpts from Marcus Aurelius's Meditations. It provides examples of strategies used to make poetry into not only a solution for others' problems, but also a way to achieve personal growth. The poetry essays tackle the mindset, realistic optimism, and challenges that come with achieving creative and financial independence.More information about Meditations For The Independent Poet is available at www.diversespoetry.com/meditations