Poet, filmaker, and artist Matthew Pitts joins diVERSES for an honest, poignant, and humorous set exploring faith, creative liberation, and the tension between gravity and comedy.Reflecting on his upbringing as a Jehovah's Witness—giving talks on stage from the age of four—Matthew juxtaposes two powerful poems. Through candid storytelling, he reflects on breaking free from fear, finding unrestriction in art, and why leaning into laughter can be the most honest way forward.Welcome to Opus: Outside The Lines, a series of talks presented by diVERSES which gives poets and musicians a platform to not only share work, but the insights and lessons that come with the act of composition. Come learn craft and experience art, as well as the deeper emotional experiences that come from creation.Get the first 2 modules of our poetry business workbook, The Semester, for FREE: www.diversespoetry.com/instituteGet a free podcast/mp3/audio version: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vAdMbaunOPziRoovm0K5P?si=pGDmsZ_1T9qjWzTR7KQeYgTimestamps:00:00 - Introduction & Growing Up on Stage As A Former Jehovah's Witness02:45 - Poem: An Explanation of Faith03:45 - The Weight of Dogma & Fear in Art06:05 - Reconciling Comedy and Drama08:45 - Poem: The Origins of Yelling Jesus Christ in Shock12:00 - Finding Unrestriction & Choosing to Laugh#poetry #Opus #diverses diVERSES was founded by poet Geoff Anderson in Columbus, Ohio to help writers achieve creative and financial independence