Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Bethea.
Hi Brian, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
Writers Block was started by two women named Cecile Wright & Virginia Allard. They started having it at the old Sleeping Moon Cafe that used to be near Full Sail University on the corner of Semoran Blvd & Aloma every first & third Wednesday circa 2010-2011. They started Writers Block to push the great poetry scene that Orlando has. Poets from all over Florida began coming & some from other states. They also had poetry workshops to help poets improve their craft. After about a year or so, Cecile & Virginia decided they wanted to focus on their other gifts & decided to pass Writers Block on. After asking on Facebook if they should pass it on or completely stop the show, it was unanimously agreed to keep the show going & pass it on to other hosts.
Ashley Bland & took over. Ashley & I left Sleeping Moon after a while & only had a place for the show for a couple of months until we ended up at the first location for Tea and Tea Cafe. Ashley then decided she needed to concentrate on her successful vegan foods business & left me as the loan host/producer of the show. Writers Block moved on to several locations, including Tea and Tea Cafe (the second location). Then in March 2020, amid the pandemic, I decided to stop having it in person & have it online only for the time being, but then stopped it entirely because it wasn’t the same as being in person. Then in March 2022 came & I decided to bring it back. With the help of local poet Dream, who told me about Bitters and Bottles, where Writers Block is held every Monday from 7 PM-10 PM, I brought the show back. She happened to speak to one of the managers named Amir about having it their & after meeting with him & the event manager, Kevin, agreed to have Writers Block there. I got the show to where it is today by being consistent & loving the arts, and being an artist. Even though there were days after changing locations where no one or only a handful of people showed up and having to switch the days when it has been on, pushing through those times has paid off. Artists from all over the country have come and featured me as well. I’ve also made some beautiful connections hosting the show. I’m very grateful to be the host of one of Orlando’s best open mic shows.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been smooth?
It can sometimes be smooth. It’s been very rough at times. Some of the struggles were when I would go months without anyone else coming to the show other than myself & the people that worked at venues I had it at. Other struggles have been with promoting & me learning to open up to spark conversations with strangers to get them to come out. I learned to become an introverted extrovert.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Other than being a spoken word poet, I’m also an actor. I have a full-time nine-to-five, working hard as an artist to get my work out there. My specialty is performing & writing poetry, as well as acting & building connections with people. The building of connections is what sets me apart from others.
What does success mean to you?
To me, success is defined best by the number of people you’ve inspired to become successful & to get great results from your hard work.
Pricing:
- None right now other than paying for food at Bitters and Bottles
Contact Info:
- Website: www.reverbnation.com/briantbethea
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/writersblockorlando
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/briantbetheaconfessions
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/writersblockws
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@briantbethea
- Other: www.tiktok.com/briantbethea
Image Credits
Leon Orange, Jr. John Study
