"Poets sometimes just want to tell their story. What about the story of the platform?" 

The History of the Pen

Sharp Pens was born out of a question every poet knows too well: “Where’s my footage?”

In April 2023, I stepped on stage for the first time at Poetry in the Park. I poured everything into that mic and walked away with love from the crowd—but no camera caught the moment. No tag. No clip. Nothing to look back on. When I finally got tagged in a video a month later, it felt like validation. For the first time, I could see myself as a poet.

That small moment sparked something big. If I felt that way, other poets did too. So I decided to make sure it didn’t happen again—not for me, and not for anybody else.

Where’s My Footage?

Sharp Pens began with a simple commitment: capture the moment and let it live beyond the room.

Poets deserve more than applause — they deserve visibility, documentation, and a way to grow from what they just did.

In August 2023, Sharp Pens started as an Instagram page with a clear mission: record the poets, tag the poets, and give them visibility. No more performances disappearing after the mic cools off. Every time a poet touched the stage, we worked to make sure their voice carried beyond the night.

But the footage was only the beginning.

Request Footage

The Missing Piece

As Sharp Pens kept showing up, something became clear: poets didn’t only want footage—they wanted to talk about it. They wanted feedback. Conversation. A space where the mic stayed warm even after the poem ended.

That’s when Sharpen My Pen was born.

In September 2023, we hosted our first Sharpen My Pen night—a development open mic and feedback experience designed to help poets grow in real time. What began as “just an open mic” became something deeper: a room where artists could reflect, refine, and evolve.

How The Team Was Formed 

Sharp Pens didn’t begin with a staffing plan. It began when a friend simply offered a venue. From there, the team formed the same way the culture did, through people showing up and staying aligned.

After winning one of the first Sharpen My Pen nights, P Tha Poet was invited to host, and has been holding that role ever since. DG, a music artist who came through the space, offered his support as both a host and sound technician. That same spirit carried forward with our current sound tech, Ashanti Norwood, a violinist who attended an event or two and chose to stay, eventually becoming part of the technical backbone of our shows.

One of our earliest Sharpeners, Arrie Lane, returned not only to sharpen poets, but to help refine the structure of the experience itself  offering guidance on how the event could grow.

MiKaya The Messenger first came as a poet, performed consistently, and even won a Sharpen My Pen night. Over time, she stepped into deeper involvement, now serving as one of our event managers, also assisting with events is Eric Thompson Jr. He began as an artist who simply kept showing up. Today, he supports hosting and helps artists step into authorship through his brand.

Triple M Marketing initially assisted with flyer design and has since expanded into helping artists develop their personal profiles, websites, and merchandise. 

None of this was planned. It evolved naturally. People showed up, stayed aligned with the mission, and stepped into roles where they were needed.

And the team continues to grow, with our media, administrative, and vendor networks expanding through the broader ESE ecosystem.

You can explore current contributors and collaborators through the Pencil Case tab of our website.

Collaboration Over Competition

From the beginning, Sharp Pens was never created to replace existing spaces but to strengthen them.

This mindset comes directly from the Everybody Support Everybody philosophy.

Instead of competing, we looked for ways to collaborate.

We partnered with Nettworks Artistry to create Sharp Pens & Libations, bridging audiences and communities through shared programming.

We supported LPU Open Mic, a Detroit platform that accepts canned goods as entry and compensates features without requiring ticket sales in 2024 e began helping sponsori their platform as a way to give back to the community.

Arrie Lane (Detroit Verses) evolved into a Narrative Coach, Helping poets sharpen their work off-stage before major performances.

Mikaya The Messenger went on to launch her own platform, The Abundant Experience, where ESE continues to support through shared vendor presence.

As Sharp Pens traveled and connected with platforms beyond Detroit, we committed to keeping these relationships active, not just as one-time moments, but as ongoing collaborations.

Today, these partnerships live inside our Connected Platforms network, where both local and national creative spaces are highlighted — whether we’ve worked together directly or simply recognize their value in the ecosystem.