We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Larry Love. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Larry below.

Hi Larry, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Won an international anti-tobacco poetry competition. Resulted in video/PSA being made. Meaningful because I had recently lost my mother to a lung disease.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a spoken word poet, activist and youth mentor who is passionate about pushing for positive social change. I am a playwright, producer and director of original spoken word musical stage plays that center on the dynamics of love and relationships.

As founder and CEO of the entertainment and outreach company, Creative Love Network, I am a part of a team that believes poetry and the arts can entertain and change lives at the same time. In addition to producing ongoing live events, such as “Searching for Love” and “Kings and Queens of Poetry”, our organization also offers creative workshops in the areas of Emotional Intelligence, Parenting, and Writing to heal.

Despite my busy schedule, I make time to help mentor students and facilitate life mastery classes several times a week in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

In many ways, being a creative is the equivalence of having a license to touch people’s emotions. While performing my poetic pieces, I am granted access to the feelings of people I may have never met. A true artist understands that with such access comes a great responsibility. So, while entertaining and evoking a range of emotions, I also aim to enlighten. And when those aspects all come together, it creates magic. It is those magical moments created for the audience that I find most rewarding in what I do as a poet.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I am passionate about elevating the culture of poetry. One of the goals of Creative Love Network is to help instill a greater sense of self-worth in poets, and to help them realize their value. For many, just being able to perform at the local open mic is enough. However, I am interested in helping to cultivate more professional poets who are paid well for their talents. I see no reason why polished poets should not be seen in the same light as comedians, singers, musicians, and other performers who are well compensated and recognized for their abilities. Poets and spoken word artists have a special ability to reach people and tap into their various emotions in incredibly creative ways. Their voices should be amplified. So, to further this cause, we will continue to provide platforms for the voices in poetry to be heard.

Contact Info:

• Website: creativelovenetwork.com
• Instagram: @poetlarrylove @creativelovenetwork @kingsandqueensofpoetryandmusic
• Youtube: poetlarrylove