Today we’d like to introduce you to Chief Peterson.

Hi Chief, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

It all started with a broken heart. lol I can laugh at it now but was absolutely devastated in the moment. Long story short, I was going through the bitter-break-up-blues and started journaling. I stumbled across an Open-mic on campus and fell in love with it. I had a few “poems” I wrote in my journal, so I decided to go back to the Open-Mic the following week and read one. It was a sad poem about my feelings within the break-up. At the end of the evening, a gentleman walked up to me, gave me one of the firmest handshakes, looked me straight in the eyes and said “I’m 55 years old and you said something I’ve been trying to say my whole life.” I remember thinking to myself, “if my sorrow and sadness can empower someone then I must be doing something right.” For the next three weeks I attended the open mics and read sad ass poems. After about the 4th week, the same gentleman approached me and said “dude, I love your writing but don’t you have something positive going on in your life?” That’s when my writing shifted and I began to start reading at different events and spaces.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

There have been tons of ups and downs. I have been blessed enough to perform in other countries and have had the misfortune of having to read at funerals. Poetry has been savior in my world. Is there anyone to have achieved success and not gone through hardship? The only difference is, with my art in particular, poets tend to disclose some of those adversities in the work we put out. Many other realms you just see the glory of it all. I’ve grown comfortable sharing the story of it all.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?

I specialize in being a great human. lol My goal is to just grow every day and be better than I was yesterday. In the middle of all that, I hit stages across the world hoping to inspire people with Spoken Word Poetry. I have a ton I’m proud of. One thing I think I should mention is the fact that I’ve taken poetry and made it a career. I was one of the biggest guys in my school, captain of the football, basketball and track teams. When people learned I loved poetry, many jokes would get thrown my way. I mean, not very often do you see a 6’2″ 250lbs black man on stage reciting poetry. I found something I was passionate about, stuck with it despite all the jokes, teasing and minimal support and made something special out of it. Those same people who called me soft or made jokes about it now bring their families to watch me perform. I didn’t let the societal pressure stray me from my passion and now I’m applauded for it.

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?

I’m creating a new lane for myself and I’m absolutely loving it. I now officiate weddings. I incorporate my poetry into the wedding script and have used the power of poetry to unite couple and invite all guests to feel like a part of the ceremony rather than just guests at the event.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.chiefthepoet.com
• Instagram: @chiefthepoet
• Facebook: @chiefthepoet
• LinkedIn: @chiefthepoet
• Twitter: @chiefthepoet
• Youtube: @chiefthepoet