By Nadine Thomas-Brown, Guardian Staff Reporter

When you come to express yourself at EXPRESS YOURSELF, the Bahamas' only free venue for self expression, bring an open mind and your love of all art forms..

Take Wednesday night for instance when the midsized crowd were roped in as Jonathan Murray a graphic artist by trade, took canvas and covered the stage then using the poets as muses began an abstract painting which will no doubt be completed in consecutive shows.

The usual crowd showed up as well as a couple newbies. They all gave 'mad props' to Obadiah Michael Smith a poet who is largely ignored here in his own country. A Shame because he is a published poet whose intellect is second to none as it relates to the arts in his country. Smith who formerly did a speakeasy from the Living Room fondly called "Verse Place" has inspired many poets young and old and has a blog online.

Absent this week was Dawn Hanna whose performance last week was open to interpretation. She was missed. Hanna is the daughter of the governor general and a great lover of the arts.

Ayla Roberts daughter of Bahamian painter Antonius Roberts, was on fire last night. Her poems left the audience asking for more and more she delivered along with EY regular Chet.

The quality of performers at EY has improved noticibly and poets have gotten into the habit of responding to each other's poems, a situation which brings about lots of laughter.

The show which is held every Wednesday at 8 pm in the Island Club is frequented by people from every strata of society. The EY family extends an invitation to every performer on the island to come out and share your original work with us in a club that embraces the work of Bahamians.