Inside The Poetry Lab Podcast: How Writers Turn Inspiration Into Action
Practical Tools for Poets and Writers
When we first launched The Poetry Lab Podcast, our mission was to create a listening space that felt as intentional as the creative spaces we build in our workshops: somewhere honest, inclusive, and full of possibility. In order to become that, it couldn’t be just one voice at the center — it needed to be a chorus. So we did what we do best at The Poetry Lab: we made it a collaboration.
Lori Walker and I served as producers and hosts, along with MFA candidate Marilyn Ramirez and a few astrology episodes that added their own magic. From the start, we were finding our voices and learning how to speak boldly into the mic. But more than anything, we wanted this podcast to be useful. We set out to give writers something tangible: prompts, frameworks, craft lessons, and personal anecdotes that could deepen our shared sense of belonging. Each episode is meant to be a resource, not just a conversation.
With more than 115,000 downloads and counting, I hope we’re creating a gathering place for poets and writers navigating art, practice, and resistance in real time. At The Poetry Lab, we strive to offer an alternative to the academic-elite version of the writer’s lifestyle. We believe in spaces that fit who we actually are, not who we’ve been told to be.
So let’s take a trip inside the podcast and meet the four incredible hosts who carry that mission forward: Ravina Wadhwani, bridgette bianca, Lori Walker, and Leonora Simonovis. Each one brings their own creative lens to the mic, making the podcast a living, evolving conversation.
And the best part? Every episode leaves something behind for writers to use: a prompt, a checklist, a reflection, or a collaborative exercise. At the end of this piece, you’ll find a little care package of creative tools from our hosts to bring into your own practice.
Ravina Wadhwani: Speaking Bravely
Ravina is one of those people who makes you feel human in the best way possible. She’s local to my own Long Beach writing community, and when I stepped back from hosting, she was one of the first people who came to mind to carry the podcast forward. I’ve watched her carve out braver spaces for writers with clarity, grace, and a quiet strength that feels deeply grounding.
Ravina’s voice has that rare quality: soft but powerful, relaxing yet stirring. Listening to her feels like being reminded of your own humanity. In her episode “Building Brave Spaces in Community,” she explores how writers can create spaces rooted in honesty rather than perfection. She talks about showing up authentically, facing imposter syndrome, and refusing to let fear claim a seat at the table. It’s thoughtful work, layered with care.
In “The First Time I Forgot My Poem on Stage,” she opens up about vulnerability in performance and how imperfection is part of our creative lineage. What I love most is that she doesn’t romanticize the struggle. She gives it shape, language, and a way through.
Ravina represents the heart of what The Poetry Lab stands for: brave spaces, collective growth, and the belief that every writer’s voice is worth hearing. She’s bound for big, bold stages, and I’m proud this podcast is one of them.
Bridgette bianca: Leading with Joy
I’ve been collaborating with bridgette bianca for years. She’s been a teacher, a mentor, and a friend to The Poetry Lab. One of my favorite memories is nearly missing a flight to AWP because I was too engrossed in a conversation with her at LAX. That’s the effect she has—when she speaks, you want to lean in and listen.
Bridgette is a force. She has a rare ability to talk about craft, community, and organizing with both deep wisdom and a light, joyful presence. In “5 Lessons Learned from How We Do It: Black Writers on Craft,” she pulls from the anthology with clarity and precision, giving listeners five tangible takeaways about what it means to live and write as Black artists in community.
In “Things to Remember When Planning a Literary Event,” she distills a decade of experience in the LA poetry scene into something practical and inspiring. Event planning can feel daunting, but bridgette makes it feel exciting. She’s part architect, part hype woman, part sage.
What I love about bridgette is her presence. She doesn’t just hold space—she expands it. She teaches, mentors, and creates a kind of gravitational pull around poetry and community. She’s the person who reminds us that joy belongs at the center of literary spaces.
Lori Walker: Making Space
Lori has one of my favorite voices to listen to—not just metaphorically, but literally. She has this cool, subtle Oklahoma drawl that makes every sentence sound like a truth worth sitting with. She’s also a master at marketing and book promotion, but where Lori really shines is in her ability to make the mundane feel powerful.
In an increasingly complicated world, Lori reminds us that creativity is doable. In her episode “Yoga for Creative Writers,” she blends movement, mindfulness, and creativity in a way that feels accessible rather than idealistic. She talks about showing up for your writing practice without making it precious or impossible.
Then in “Creative Burnout vs. Life Burnout” (coming soon!), she breaks down the difference between creative fatigue and the larger weight of living in hard times. It’s the kind of clarity that can shift a writer’s entire approach to their work.
Listening to Lori is like being given permission to breathe. She doesn’t demand brilliance from her listeners. She shows them how to build it slowly, intentionally, and with compassion.
Leonora Simonovis: Building the Craft
I first met Leonora (Leo) Simonovis as a student at The Poetry Lab. Even then, she was already an accomplished poet—someone who carried language with a kind of precision that made you want to listen closer. Later, she became a fellow, joining our team to write and edit some of the most thoughtful craft essays we’ve ever published.
It took a little convincing to get Leo behind the podcast mic, but I’m so glad she said yes. Her voice is essential. She has a way of explaining craft that’s both clear and deeply generous.
In her episode “How to Write Collaborative Poems,” Leo walks listeners through the practice of writing together, showing how shared authorship can be a powerful creative tool rather than a threat to individuality. It’s part craft lesson, part invitation.
In “How Do We Cope in These Times? The Practice of Resistance,” she reflects on the intersections of poetry, politics, and personal survival. She reminds us that our everyday creative acts are resistance, that showing up to write is itself an act of power.
Leo brings the scholar’s mind and the poet’s heart. She makes listeners want to study their own craft more deeply, not out of obligation but out of love.
Why These Voices Matter
What ties these four hosts together isn’t sameness. It’s their differences. Ravina brings brave spaces and deep care. bridgette brings joy and vision. Lori brings everyday magic and clarity. Leo brings language, intellect, and quiet power.
Together, they reflect the core values of The Poetry Lab:
Community as the heartbeat of creative practice
Creativity as both personal and collective work
Practice as something we meet ourselves in, not perfect
Safety as an intentional space of belonging
These voices matter because they reflect a broad spectrum of lived experience. They are women from different regions, cultural backgrounds, education levels, and artistic lineages. Their perspectives are as varied as their poetic styles. Each of them shows us a different way of being an artist, building a creative life, and sustaining it over time.
Like the feminist frameworks I studied in college, their work points toward something bigger: a roadmap for forging new ground as artists in a world where the old maps don’t serve us. These hosts are proof that there isn’t just one way to write, teach, or belong in poetry. There are many.
The Future of the Pod
As we move forward, these hosts will continue shaping the direction of the show. They’re not just facilitators; they’re thought-leaders in our literary community. They’re the voices I trust to speak honestly, teach wisely, and remind us why poetry matters.
Every episode they create is its own kind of workshop, a small and powerful act of building literary community in real time. Whether it’s bridgette laughing through a story, Ravina peeking at our childhood ghosts, Lori showing us how to bootstrap, or Leo pulling us deeper into the craft, each host offers a different way to keep writing.
And that’s what I love most about this podcast. It isn’t a static archive. It’s a living, breathing gathering place for poets whenever and wherever they are.
Hey poet, we want to support as you move from inspiration to action, so check out The Care Package.
We created this interactive Google Doc from four of our favorite episodes exclusively for our podcast listeners. Inside there are simple prompts, checklists, and creative experiments you can use right away. Think of it as a jumpstart when you are tired of waiting to “feel inspired.”
From Leo’s Collaborative Writing Exercise to bb’s Literary Event Planning Checklist, we really believe this will help you keep going, poet. Best part? It’s free. Use the form above to get instant access👆.
The Poetry Lab Podcast is available on all major streaming platforms. Listen, follow, and join us in this growing conversation about poetry, craft, and community.
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This article was published on November 11, 2025. Written by:
