Meet Mikhayla Robinson of Life in Words in Athens

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mikhayla Robinson.

Mikhayla, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I am a writer and a spoken word artist. I started writing when I was in the fifth grade, and it just stuck with me ever since. Poetry is my safe haven, an avenue in which I can pour all of my secrets, pains, joys, and tears. I started doing spoken word about four years ago, but I stopped for a while. I needed to take time for myself to heal and just figure out who I was. I have recently started performing again, and it has been one of my greatest joys, I have been submitting to publishers, so hopefully, a book will be in the works pretty soon! I also am working on a poetry album. I love the idea of putting music and poetry together and I hope to work with various artists in doing so.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has not been the smoothest road. My sister passed away when I was five, and it is a difficult subject to touch on in my poetry. During my eleventh-grade year of high school, I was diagnosed with severe depression, which, at the time, immobilized me. I didn’t want to do anything, not even writing poetry or performing. During my freshman year of college, my Uncle, Great Grandmother, and family friend passed away around the same time. Situations such as these are just examples of how life has happened to me, just as they have to other people. I have learned, however, how to cope and how to truly heal. After I learned how to do this, I was able to reconnect with my poetic endeavors.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
As a poet, I perform in various Atlanta, Athens, Augusta areas. The world is so chaotic, so I like to bring the relaxing, healing vibes. I feel like poetry is therapeutic; if it helped me it can help someone else. I am hoping to expand the avenues in which I do poetry. In addition to this, I also write for a company called Ace Ambition, LLC. I also write for Visionary Artistry Magazine. In my spare time, I like to do freelance work and I paint. My chapbook, “Dichotomy” will be available in March 2020 at select bookstores!

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to start over, I would have taken better care of myself and surrounded myself with better individuals. I honestly let people walk over me, and in turn, my mental health was greatly affected. There were people who I thought were there for my success, but they really wanted me to fail. I shut down on the people who actually loved me and wanted to see me win. I isolated myself out of fear of being hurt, and my depression just got worse. After I learned to put my needs first and I wrote for myself, I felt so much better. That’s when I really learned what success was.

Contact Info:

• Email: lifeinwordsmjr@gmail.com
• Instagram: @life_in_words18

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