June 11, 2025 • 15 mins
In this episode of The Poetry Lab Podcast, we meet new host Leonora Simonovis (Leo), who brings us into her world as a writer living in exile. She reflects on how creative practice becomes a form of resistance and invites you to explore your own. Through personal insight and gentle guidance, Leo models everyday acts of resilience and reminds us that showing up with intention is its own kind of power.
Visit thepoetrylab.com to find the Show Notes for this episode. The Poetry Lab Podcast is produced by Lori Walker and Danielle Mitchell. Hosted by Danielle Mitchell and Lori Walker, with special guest hosts bridgette bianca, Leonora Simonovis and Ravina Wadwhani.
Theme song: "Simply Upbeat" by Christian Telford, Kenneth Edward Belcher, and Saki Furuya.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
(00:00):
When you think about the word resistance,
what is the first thing that comes to mind?
Is it calling your representatives about a
current issue?
Attending a protest?
Maybe leading a book club discussion?
Or creating a new piece of art?
Every day, our inboxes and social media
(00:20):
accounts are filled with terrible news.
As much as we try to take breaks and not
look at what's happening, these things have
an effect on us.
They can cause stress and overwhelm.
It's hard to focus when everything we know
seems to be falling apart.
In today's episode of the Poetry Lab
Podcast, we'll talk about resistance as
(00:42):
a consistent practice that helps ground us
and replenish.
If you're feeling anxious and unsure about
our current times, this episode is for you.
Are you ready, Poet?
Let's go.
Welcome to the Poetry Lab Podcast.
(01:04):
The Poetry Lab started 11 years ago to help
dedicated, self-taught, and formally
trained writers find a place in their
community to write,
read,
learn,
and collaborate.
We help writers tap into their craft with
radical self-compassion,
unlike anything you've ever seen in a
creative writing classroom before.
(01:26):
If you're a creative person trying to
establish a writing practice in the real world,
this podcast is designed to help you carve
out the time,
the courage,
and the inspiration to keep writing your
new shit.
Are you ready, poet?
Let's get into it.
(01:50):
Welcome, dear listeners, to another episode
of the Poetry Lab podcast.
My name is Leonora Leo Simonovis,
and today I'm talking about a topic that
seems to resurface every time we encounter
yet another crisis:
resistance.
I recently came across this wonderful quote
(02:11):
from the writer Ursula Le Guin.
We live in capitalism.
Its power seems inescapable.
But then, so did the divine right of kings.
Any human power can be resisted and changed
by human beings.
Resistance and change often begin in art,
very often in our art,
(02:32):
the art of words.
Le Guin was a woman writing in the science
fiction and fantasy genres during a time
when this type of literature was dominated by men.
She challenged traditional ways of writing
by incorporating political and social
justice issues in her novels and stories,
as well as gender and environmental
(02:52):
concerns.
She used her writing to promote the changes
she wanted to see.
It wasn't easy,
but she persisted,
and today her books have been translated
into many different languages and are read
all over the world.
Today's episode will focus on how we can
create space
to practice resistance in our daily lives.
and how this can help us develop the
(03:14):
resilience we need,
not to just survive, but to actually live
our lives fully and in connection with the
world and the people around us.
The tools and tips I offer in this episode
come from my own experience growing up in
Latin America
and spending my late teens and early 20s
living under an authoritarian regime that
turned my entire world upside down.
(03:36):
Throughout those years, I learned that
there are many ways to resist,
and not all of them involve being out in
the streets or doing big things.
Not everyone is an activist, and not
everyone is able to be one.
Actions, even small ones,
can create ripples in the whole structure
of society and promote change.
(03:58):
According to the Oxford English Dictionary,
resistance is the act of resisting,
refusing to accept or comply with
something,
or the power not to be affected by
something,
especially negatively.
The word comes from the Latin resistencia,
which means to stand against or to
(04:18):
withstand.
That's easy enough, right?
Growing up, I don't remember a time when
there wasn't a crisis going on.
It usually had something to do with the
government and the way one policy or
another affected the economy,
public transport,
access to food, etc.
When I needed to do a transaction either at
(04:38):
the bank
or at a government's office,
I had to ask for the day off at work.
Something that would take 20 minutes
normally could take the whole morning for a
wide variety of reasons that had to do with
the endless bureaucracy, the systems being
down, or something of the sort.
If you ask me the details of those
transactions, I can't tell you
(05:00):
because I barely remember.
What has stayed with me all this time
are conversations I had with strangers,
laughter and storytelling.
Those spaces were hubs for impromptu
gatherings.
I remember one time I walked out of a
government office feeling uplifted by a
conversation I had with someone
(05:20):
about books and poetry.
Like, how does that even happen?
Another time, I was stuck in traffic for at
least two hours and watched people dancing
one song after another
on a public bus.
I almost got out of the car and joined them.
Were all moments like this?
No.
But to be honest, I'm grateful to have
(05:41):
lived through situations that taught me to
be patient,
to stay in the moment,
and to remain open
for whatever happened.
Life was not easy during those times.
There was a lot going on, and violence in
the streets was not uncommon.
I had family members and friends who would
leave for work in the morning,
hug their loved ones, and say,
(06:02):
I hope I make it home tonight.
We all knew anything could happen, and
maybe because of that, we learned to
appreciate life and be grateful for what it
offered,
even if unexpected.
We develop resilience on a day-to-day basis
as we bounce back from one thing to the next.
For every moment the system bogged us down,
(06:23):
for every blackout, blockade, or unhelpful
government official,
there was solidarity, a shared
understanding,
or a helping hand whenever you least
expected it.
There was a sense of community.
One thing I learned from my mom and her family
was that there were always reasons to
celebrate life.
Yes, we celebrated birthdays and holidays
(06:44):
and all kinds of important dates,
but sometimes we gathered around the table
for a delicious home-cooked meal
just because.
When we spent afternoons at my
grandmother's house, she served merienda,
which usually consisted of some kind of
cookie or pound cake
served with coffee sweetened with molasses.
(07:04):
That moment was a break in our afternoon of
playing,
a chance to get together at the table and
to simply savor what was being offered
while listening to a story
or planning the next game.
To this day, I make my own afternoon
merienda with whatever I have available.
If I feel like it, I'll bake something to
go with my coffee or tea.
(07:26):
Even that simple act of baking from scratch
is a celebration of creativity and of
honoring my ancestors,
connecting with them and remembering.
And how is this resisting, you might ask?
Well,
think about our day-to-day lives,
the expectations of the workplace and the
amount of hours.
hours we spend doing?
(07:47):
What happens if we hit the brakes?
If we look up from our screens, take a sick
day from work and do something that feels
nurturing?
What happens if we do nothing?
The writer Alexis Pauline Gomes talks about
listening as a way to connect with others,
but also to understand where we come from
and our role as artists.
(08:09):
She says,
Part of my life's purpose is to say there
is an other way for us to do this,
and there are things that shall not be
contained
by these institutions.
When I was in my 20s, I went to protests,
learned slogans and chants,
met with colleagues and friends to talk
about taking action.
(08:30):
I talked to people in the streets, wanting
to understand why all of this oppression,
violence, disappearances
was happening.
But all of that left me exhausted.
What I didn't realize at the time was that
I was only looking at one side of the
situation.
I was consumed by the news,
(08:51):
so I couldn't speak without judging,
feeling frustrated, angry, and unhappy.
I think resistance can include all of the
things I mentioned before, protesting,
donating, learning slogans, but it can also
be about letting go.
And that means that sometimes you have to
let go of the idea of what resistance looks like
(09:12):
and find your own path.
I want to offer some resistance practices
I've been doing for the past few years
that are meant to challenge the idea that
we have to be on the move
to consume or be consumed by the media.
Number one is
cultivate joy.
The Vietnamese Zen master,
Thit Nhat Han,
(09:33):
said that sometimes your joy is the source
of your smile.
But sometimes your smile can be the source
of your joy.
The way I interpret that is that we don't
always have to wait for the moment when joy
will come and surprise
us.
close your eyes and take a few deep
breaths.
When you're settled,
think of a moment in your life when you
(09:53):
felt absolute joy.
Maybe it was visiting a place you dreamed about,
or seeing a loved one after a long period
of time.
Maybe it was adopting a puppy or a kitten
or watching your children play.
Let yourself be in that moment.
Feel it in your bones.
Smile.
(10:13):
Practice this every day
and see what happens after a couple of weeks.
Another way to cultivate joy is to keep a
journal of joyful daily moments.
You don't have to write a whole entry about them.
Just make a list.
Did you have a meaningful conversation with
someone?
A breakthrough with a piece of writing?
Did you see a beautiful bird outside while
(10:34):
driving to work?
Whatever it is, write it down,
and at the end of the week,
look back at all the things that brought
you joy.
Number two,
listen.
Listening is one of those qualities that
seem to be on the brink of extinction.
All you have to do is look at the news.
(10:56):
Go outside if you can, or if you're
driving, open your car window.
If you're taking public transport,
open up your listening antennas.
What are some of the things you hear?
Besides the noise of the freeway or the
train tracks,
can you catch something underneath the
surface?
Notice what that is.
(11:16):
Focus on it.
What is the texture of that sound?
Does it have a color?
Can you imitate it?
Play with it.
Try something new and be willing to fail at it.
Like Mary Oliver said,
You don't have to be good.
The idea that every single thing we do has
to be the best, or excellent, or
(11:37):
whatever word you want to use,
is a myth.
Set aside your poems or stories for a while.
Let them rest.
Grab some watercolors and paint a
landscape.
Learn to make bread, play an instrument, sing.
Be a dancer for a few minutes.
Enjoy the freedom of not having to perform
for anyone,
of just doing the thing without having a
(11:58):
show and tell.
Have fun.
Number four,
rest.
We've all heard the phrase,
rest is resistance, which is part of the
title of a wonderful book by Tricia
Hershey.
I left my full-time job last year after 17 years.
I was feeling exhausted and bogged down and just
joyless.
(12:20):
After the first couple of months, I began
to realize how much noise there was in my life,
how much moving around I did.
Even on weekends, there was always
something to be done, to take care of.
Rest never felt like rest.
So for a few months, I took the time to do
just that.
And little by little, I began to replenish
(12:41):
my energy levels.
Now, rest is a daily practice for me,
whether it's five minutes or an hour,
whether sitting, laying down, or in a
parking lot.
I take a few minutes in silence to just be
with myself and away from any and all
responsibilities.
5.
Spend time with your loved ones.
Whether friends or family,
(13:03):
community is the most important thing
during these difficult times.
Changing your perspective and your way of
engaging with the world is important, yes,
but so is being a part of a collective that
takes care of each other
so that the whole can be healthy.
In my neighborhood,
when we couldn't get a hold of a food item,
we'd butter with our neighbors or family
(13:24):
members,
or we bought extra for the neighbor who was
ill and couldn't get out.
Having each other's back is so important
right now.
6.
Connect with the Earth
Whether it's taking a walk at the local
park, watching squirrels play, or caring
for a new plant,
it's important to remember that we are all
(13:46):
part of a very big network of beings,
human and more than human.
Get your hands in the dirt, hug a tree, or
lay down on the ground and breathe.
Number seven,
gratitude.
I have a planner next to my computer with
space to write things I'm grateful for.
Every day, around lunchtime,
(14:07):
I take a break and write about three
things.
By the end of the week, I have a very long
list that I reread,
and it makes me smile.
Try it,
it'll lift you up.
We talked about how resistance doesn't have
to be about big actions,
but that, besides calling, donating, and
protesting,
there are things we can do that will help
(14:27):
us become centered and grounded.
We are not alone, we never were.
Resisting is also realizing the beauty of
doing something positive with others,
becoming truly aware of your connection to
yourself and with the world.
If you want to hear a bit more about the
role of the writer in difficult times,
listen to Episode 39 of the Poetry Lab
(14:48):
Podcast,
where poet Bridget Bianca talks about how
to continue to create and not lose hope.
If you liked this episode, please give us a
like and a follow and help us spread the
word about our podcast by texting the link
to a few creative friends.
You can also find us at
thepoetrylab.com/podcast.
(15:11):
Again, I'm Leonora Simonovis and you can
find me on Instagram
@leosimonovis or check out my website at
leonorasimonovis.com.
That's all for now.
I'll catch you soon at The Poetry Lab.
(00:00):
When you think about the word resistance,
what is the first thing that comes to mind?
Is it calling your representatives about a
current issue?
Attending a protest?
Maybe leading a book club discussion?
Or creating a new piece of art?
Every day, our inboxes and social media
(00:20):
accounts are filled with terrible news.
As much as we try to take breaks and not
look at what's happening, these things have
an effect on us.
They can cause stress and overwhelm.
It's hard to focus when everything we know
seems to be falling apart.
In today's episode of the Poetry Lab
Podcast, we'll talk about resistance as
(00:42):
a consistent practice that helps ground us
and replenish.
If you're feeling anxious and unsure about
our current times, this episode is for you.
Are you ready, Poet?
Let's go.
Welcome to the Poetry Lab Podcast.
(01:04):
The Poetry Lab started 11 years ago to help
dedicated, self-taught, and formally
trained writers find a place in their
community to write,
read,
learn,
and collaborate.
We help writers tap into their craft with
radical self-compassion,
unlike anything you've ever seen in a
creative writing classroom before.
(01:26):
If you're a creative person trying to
establish a writing practice in the real world,
this podcast is designed to help you carve
out the time,
the courage,
and the inspiration to keep writing your
new shit.
Are you ready, poet?
Let's get into it.
(01:50):
Welcome, dear listeners, to another episode
of the Poetry Lab podcast.
My name is Leonora Leo Simonovis,
and today I'm talking about a topic that
seems to resurface every time we encounter
yet another crisis:
resistance.
I recently came across this wonderful quote
(02:11):
from the writer Ursula Le Guin.
We live in capitalism.
Its power seems inescapable.
But then, so did the divine right of kings.
Any human power can be resisted and changed
by human beings.
Resistance and change often begin in art,
very often in our art,
(02:32):
the art of words.
Le Guin was a woman writing in the science
fiction and fantasy genres during a time
when this type of literature was dominated by men.
She challenged traditional ways of writing
by incorporating political and social
justice issues in her novels and stories,
as well as gender and environmental
(02:52):
concerns.
She used her writing to promote the changes
she wanted to see.
It wasn't easy,
but she persisted,
and today her books have been translated
into many different languages and are read
all over the world.
Today's episode will focus on how we can
create space
to practice resistance in our daily lives.
and how this can help us develop the
(03:14):
resilience we need,
not to just survive, but to actually live
our lives fully and in connection with the
world and the people around us.
The tools and tips I offer in this episode
come from my own experience growing up in
Latin America
and spending my late teens and early 20s
living under an authoritarian regime that
turned my entire world upside down.
(03:36):
Throughout those years, I learned that
there are many ways to resist,
and not all of them involve being out in
the streets or doing big things.
Not everyone is an activist, and not
everyone is able to be one.
Actions, even small ones,
can create ripples in the whole structure
of society and promote change.
(03:58):
According to the Oxford English Dictionary,
resistance is the act of resisting,
refusing to accept or comply with
something,
or the power not to be affected by
something,
especially negatively.
The word comes from the Latin resistencia,
which means to stand against or to
(04:18):
withstand.
That's easy enough, right?
Growing up, I don't remember a time when
there wasn't a crisis going on.
It usually had something to do with the
government and the way one policy or
another affected the economy,
public transport,
access to food, etc.
When I needed to do a transaction either at
(04:38):
the bank
or at a government's office,
I had to ask for the day off at work.
Something that would take 20 minutes
normally could take the whole morning for a
wide variety of reasons that had to do with
the endless bureaucracy, the systems being
down, or something of the sort.
If you ask me the details of those
transactions, I can't tell you
(05:00):
because I barely remember.
What has stayed with me all this time
are conversations I had with strangers,
laughter and storytelling.
Those spaces were hubs for impromptu
gatherings.
I remember one time I walked out of a
government office feeling uplifted by a
conversation I had with someone
(05:20):
about books and poetry.
Like, how does that even happen?
Another time, I was stuck in traffic for at
least two hours and watched people dancing
one song after another
on a public bus.
I almost got out of the car and joined them.
Were all moments like this?
No.
But to be honest, I'm grateful to have
(05:41):
lived through situations that taught me to
be patient,
to stay in the moment,
and to remain open
for whatever happened.
Life was not easy during those times.
There was a lot going on, and violence in
the streets was not uncommon.
I had family members and friends who would
leave for work in the morning,
hug their loved ones, and say,
(06:02):
I hope I make it home tonight.
We all knew anything could happen, and
maybe because of that, we learned to
appreciate life and be grateful for what it
offered,
even if unexpected.
We develop resilience on a day-to-day basis
as we bounce back from one thing to the next.
For every moment the system bogged us down,
(06:23):
for every blackout, blockade, or unhelpful
government official,
there was solidarity, a shared
understanding,
or a helping hand whenever you least
expected it.
There was a sense of community.
One thing I learned from my mom and her family
was that there were always reasons to
celebrate life.
Yes, we celebrated birthdays and holidays
(06:44):
and all kinds of important dates,
but sometimes we gathered around the table
for a delicious home-cooked meal
just because.
When we spent afternoons at my
grandmother's house, she served merienda,
which usually consisted of some kind of
cookie or pound cake
served with coffee sweetened with molasses.
(07:04):
That moment was a break in our afternoon of
playing,
a chance to get together at the table and
to simply savor what was being offered
while listening to a story
or planning the next game.
To this day, I make my own afternoon
merienda with whatever I have available.
If I feel like it, I'll bake something to
go with my coffee or tea.
(07:26):
Even that simple act of baking from scratch
is a celebration of creativity and of
honoring my ancestors,
connecting with them and remembering.
And how is this resisting, you might ask?
Well,
think about our day-to-day lives,
the expectations of the workplace and the
amount of hours.
hours we spend doing?
(07:47):
What happens if we hit the brakes?
If we look up from our screens, take a sick
day from work and do something that feels
nurturing?
What happens if we do nothing?
The writer Alexis Pauline Gomes talks about
listening as a way to connect with others,
but also to understand where we come from
and our role as artists.
(08:09):
She says,
Part of my life's purpose is to say there
is an other way for us to do this,
and there are things that shall not be
contained
by these institutions.
When I was in my 20s, I went to protests,
learned slogans and chants,
met with colleagues and friends to talk
about taking action.
(08:30):
I talked to people in the streets, wanting
to understand why all of this oppression,
violence, disappearances
was happening.
But all of that left me exhausted.
What I didn't realize at the time was that
I was only looking at one side of the
situation.
I was consumed by the news,
(08:51):
so I couldn't speak without judging,
feeling frustrated, angry, and unhappy.
I think resistance can include all of the
things I mentioned before, protesting,
donating, learning slogans, but it can also
be about letting go.
And that means that sometimes you have to
let go of the idea of what resistance looks like
(09:12):
and find your own path.
I want to offer some resistance practices
I've been doing for the past few years
that are meant to challenge the idea that
we have to be on the move
to consume or be consumed by the media.
Number one is
cultivate joy.
The Vietnamese Zen master,
Thit Nhat Han,
(09:33):
said that sometimes your joy is the source
of your smile.
But sometimes your smile can be the source
of your joy.
The way I interpret that is that we don't
always have to wait for the moment when joy
will come and surprise
us.
close your eyes and take a few deep
breaths.
When you're settled,
think of a moment in your life when you
(09:53):
felt absolute joy.
Maybe it was visiting a place you dreamed about,
or seeing a loved one after a long period
of time.
Maybe it was adopting a puppy or a kitten
or watching your children play.
Let yourself be in that moment.
Feel it in your bones.
Smile.
(10:13):
Practice this every day
and see what happens after a couple of weeks.
Another way to cultivate joy is to keep a
journal of joyful daily moments.
You don't have to write a whole entry about them.
Just make a list.
Did you have a meaningful conversation with
someone?
A breakthrough with a piece of writing?
Did you see a beautiful bird outside while
(10:34):
driving to work?
Whatever it is, write it down,
and at the end of the week,
look back at all the things that brought
you joy.
Number two,
listen.
Listening is one of those qualities that
seem to be on the brink of extinction.
All you have to do is look at the news.
(10:56):
Go outside if you can, or if you're
driving, open your car window.
If you're taking public transport,
open up your listening antennas.
What are some of the things you hear?
Besides the noise of the freeway or the
train tracks,
can you catch something underneath the
surface?
Notice what that is.
(11:16):
Focus on it.
What is the texture of that sound?
Does it have a color?
Can you imitate it?
Play with it.
Try something new and be willing to fail at it.
Like Mary Oliver said,
You don't have to be good.
The idea that every single thing we do has
to be the best, or excellent, or
(11:37):
whatever word you want to use,
is a myth.
Set aside your poems or stories for a while.
Let them rest.
Grab some watercolors and paint a
landscape.
Learn to make bread, play an instrument, sing.
Be a dancer for a few minutes.
Enjoy the freedom of not having to perform
for anyone,
of just doing the thing without having a
(11:58):
show and tell.
Have fun.
Number four,
rest.
We've all heard the phrase,
rest is resistance, which is part of the
title of a wonderful book by Tricia
Hershey.
I left my full-time job last year after 17 years.
I was feeling exhausted and bogged down and just
joyless.
(12:20):
After the first couple of months, I began
to realize how much noise there was in my life,
how much moving around I did.
Even on weekends, there was always
something to be done, to take care of.
Rest never felt like rest.
So for a few months, I took the time to do
just that.
And little by little, I began to replenish
(12:41):
my energy levels.
Now, rest is a daily practice for me,
whether it's five minutes or an hour,
whether sitting, laying down, or in a
parking lot.
I take a few minutes in silence to just be
with myself and away from any and all
responsibilities.
5.
Spend time with your loved ones.
Whether friends or family,
(13:03):
community is the most important thing
during these difficult times.
Changing your perspective and your way of
engaging with the world is important, yes,
but so is being a part of a collective that
takes care of each other
so that the whole can be healthy.
In my neighborhood,
when we couldn't get a hold of a food item,
we'd butter with our neighbors or family
(13:24):
members,
or we bought extra for the neighbor who was
ill and couldn't get out.
Having each other's back is so important
right now.
6.
Connect with the Earth
Whether it's taking a walk at the local
park, watching squirrels play, or caring
for a new plant,
it's important to remember that we are all
(13:46):
part of a very big network of beings,
human and more than human.
Get your hands in the dirt, hug a tree, or
lay down on the ground and breathe.
Number seven,
gratitude.
I have a planner next to my computer with
space to write things I'm grateful for.
Every day, around lunchtime,
(14:07):
I take a break and write about three
things.
By the end of the week, I have a very long
list that I reread,
and it makes me smile.
Try it,
it'll lift you up.
We talked about how resistance doesn't have
to be about big actions,
but that, besides calling, donating, and
protesting,
there are things we can do that will help
(14:27):
us become centered and grounded.
We are not alone, we never were.
Resisting is also realizing the beauty of
doing something positive with others,
becoming truly aware of your connection to
yourself and with the world.
If you want to hear a bit more about the
role of the writer in difficult times,
listen to Episode 39 of the Poetry Lab
(14:48):
Podcast,
where poet Bridget Bianca talks about how
to continue to create and not lose hope.
If you liked this episode, please give us a
like and a follow and help us spread the
word about our podcast by texting the link
to a few creative friends.
You can also find us at
thepoetrylab.com/podcast.
(15:11):
Again, I'm Leonora Simonovis and you can
find me on Instagram
@leosimonovis or check out my website at
leonorasimonovis.com.
That's all for now.
I'll catch you soon at The Poetry Lab.
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