What Acting Taught Me About Poetry

Welcome to Twice 5 Miles Radio. I'm your host, James Navé.What can acting teach us about poetry and living a more authentic life?In this solo episode, I explore acting not as a profession but as a way of understanding ourselves. Drawing on decades of performing memorized poetry, studying theater, and learning from master acting teacher Susan Batson, I reflect on what it really means to create a believable character—and why the hardest character we ever play may be ourselves.Along the way, I unpack Robert Frost's Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, examine the difference between performance and performativity, discuss public and private personas, and share lessons from a New York acting studio that continue to shape my work today.Whether you're an actor, writer, speaker, teacher, or simply someone curious about creativity, this episode offers practical ways to deepen your relationship with language, imagination, and everyday life.Because in the end, acting isn't about pretending to be someone else.It's about discovering how to become more fully yourself.