The Academy of Intentional Magic (AIM), a new creative learning platform, announced its launch today, building on the nearly twenty-year legacy of the Poetry Barn and expanding into a broader commons for artists, writers, teachers, and creatives.
“Work is love made visible,” said founder Lissa Kiernan, citing an aphorism from Kahlil Gibran's “The Prophet” that has stayed with her since high school. “For artists, that work is often what we can't stop returning to — the poem revised for the tenth time, the scale practiced ad nauseam, the scrappy xeriscape garden. That's the spirit behind the Academy.”
Poetry remains AIM's first love, but the frame has widened. The Academy now makes room for artists of all kinds — and especially for what happens between disciplines, when one way of seeing alters another. That interdisciplinary exchange continues year-round in Murmurations, AIM's online community for works-in-progress, questions, discoveries, and creative invitations.
Academy of Intentional Magic provides a comprehensive ecosystem for working artists, encompassing eight interconnected areas: Community, Education, Mentoring, Publishing, Library, Retreats, and Outreach. The online social community allows artists to network, collaborate, and share practices for maintaining balance between creative work and life. Education includes curated Studios, Craft Labs, and Circles spanning the arts, continuing a tradition that began with AIM's pioneering online poetry workshops. Mentoring offers access to a vetted consortium of master mentors, available from single consultations to ongoing relationships. Publishing provides opportunities to share work through AIM's press and journal. The Library gives free public access to 4,000 volumes of poetry, with a specialization in single-author collections and rare, out-of-print titles. Retreats include immersive experiences and community-wide arts events led by master teaching artists. Outreach partners with high schools to deliver multidisciplinary arts workshops and education.
In keeping with its inclusive philosophy, AIM makes no distinction between art and craft, or between formal and popular traditions. A classical form and a rock lyric, a folk craft and a fine art, can be held with the same seriousness and the same welcome. Accordingly, fall offerings wander through myth, wonder, and the stars. One of the first offerings is “Sky Writing: Write Your Own Horoscope,” a workshop led by somatic astrologer Cory Nakasue, taking place on September 8, 15, 22, and 29 from 6–8 p.m. ET. The workshop approaches the horoscope as a creative and symbolic form — part interpretation, part storytelling, and part poetry.
To mark Labor Day, AIM is inviting artists to share what they're working on in Murmurations — a messy draft, a half-finished painting, a melody, a collage, an outline, an experiment, even the seed of an idea. The invitation, in keeping with AIM's philosophy, comes with no expectation of polish: the Academy wants to see the work while it's still becoming. AIM is also currently inviting teaching artists to propose a practice, experience, or learning module for future offerings.
This launch signals a significant evolution from the Poetry Barn's focus on poetry to a broader interdisciplinary arts community. By integrating online community, education, mentorship, publishing, and outreach, AIM aims to support artists at every stage of their creative journey. The Labor Day call to share works-in-progress underscores the Academy's commitment to process over polish, celebrating the messy, generative stages of creativity. As the Academy begins its fall offerings, it positions itself as a vital hub for artists seeking connection, growth, and inspiration across disciplines.
