Navigating the Poetry Highway: Pointers from Christopher “Cocktails” Cornell
Christopher “Cocktails” Cornell has been in the business for a couple decades now, and he has had quite the ride. We’re grateful he hopped on the Poet Life Podcast to share his expertise and tips for other poets building their careers.
Never be the smartest in the room
Christopher never feels like he’s the smartest in the room. And he doesn’t think anyone ever should. There’s always something to learn from someone else who has a different skill set and perspective than you.
He says, “You are the sum total of the five people around you. Look at the four people around you, and you’re the fifth. If you’re the smartest one, that’s not a good thing. You’re not doing as well as you think you are.”
However, that’s not to say you shouldn’t do the work still. Christopher tells his students to “put in the work now. Because hard work beats talent with time.”
Be in a growth mindset
Maybe you’ve heard of a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset. Well, Christopher is an advocate for a growth mindset. He won’t argue with a fixed mindset, because there’s no changing that person’s mind. But there are people who are willing to adapt, and those are the people who will grow in their career.
When Christopher started out, no one told him he couldn’t do it. He didn’t know. He says, “Whatever you did at the time, as long as it was halfway cool, people were going to show up. So why don’t I put a lot of dope artists on? … I’m going to use my marketing power. I’m going to use my relationships, and I’m going to put together something creative and fun. And I’m going to put myself on stage … I created my own audience.”
Use your skill sets, like marketing or event planning, to create a stage for artists around you. That helps build community and a platform for the community. However, it also gives you a way to make things happen for yourself as an artist. Use that stage for your career too.
Christopher says, “Let me try to communicate, advocate for myself so I can have some type of agency and be able to control my narrative.”
Study up on poetry and business
Why do we go to trade school or college? To study our chosen fields and set ourselves up for success and growth, right? It’s the same concept for your poetry career.
Christopher recommends three books to get started:
You may wonder, why these books? These have nothing to do with poetry. Think again, friend.
Christopher makes a valid point, “You’re on stage. What are you leading people towards? Why should I look at and listen to you? Why should I invest in you? Why should I show up?”
He points out that you have to win mindsets and hearts then win people’s trust. A strong way to build that trust is through education. Knowing your stuff and applying those skills. Now people can trust you when you tell them to attend a poetry show.
Learn to code switch
Code switching is often thought of as just for multilingual speakers. But code switching applies to settings and audiences too. Think about it.
Christopher reminds us that “by day, we work at corporate. By night, we’re spoken word artists.” And we already switch from the corporate office to the dive bar poetry scene without even changing our clothes, right?
As artists on stage, we naturally have to read the room. Know our audience. We match the vibe and voice of the audience to reach them effectively.
To Christopher’s point, “I can’t be too ratchet in the hood because that’s not them. I could throw out some things to let them know I identify with the South Side of Houston. But then I got to get to work because I have a brand. So I can’t be too off the wall.”
But don’t switch who you are
A key to code switching is not changing who you are or your message. It’s about changing how you present yourself and your message. Christopher shares this example from his work with students:
“I would have them write a passion speech. … Before they read it, I tell them to step out of the room. They might come back to a kindergarten class. It could be a juvenile detention center. It could be a Make America Great Again Republican Luncheon, you know? Whatever the speech was, they had to come back in, figure out the audience, and don’t change the speech. Don’t get scared. If you’re really passionate about your words, and you’re true to your words, you will figure out how to connect with that audience and deliver that message.”
Final thoughts from Christopher “Cocktails” Cornell
You have to learn your value and take yourself seriously if you want to make poetry a career and build the poetry industry. Invest in yourself.
Christopher says it best:
“If I want a career in this, am I truly investing in myself to create a career? That career is people investing in me because I am a person of value.
My niche is poetry, but I’m a person of value.”
Let that sink in, and then go listen to or watch the full episode because there’s many more awesome pointers Christopher shared with us.
Christopher “Cocktails” Cornell is a Professional Skills Facilitator at Year Up and is the Founder of E Period LLC.
Follow Christopher on social media: @eperiodspeaks
