Jackson Free Press

Although Stacey "Soul" Winters doesn't consider herself a spoken-word artist and prefers her written work, her love for language acts as a calling force that draws her to the stage occasionally. "I feel that poetry is owned by no man or woman, so you do as you feel," she says. "It's about expression."

Raised in the small town of Ethel, Miss., Winters began writing poetry at the age of 12. "I just love putting words together," Winters says. She's now the owner of Soul Wired Cafe (111 Millsaps Ave., 601-863-6378), an eatery and safe haven for poets and artist to express themselves.

"I've always been into poetry, music and art," Winters says. Sitting at work one day at Comcast in Madison in 2011, she decided to let that job go and pursue a dream that would allow her art to become her career. "I feel like I was more so spiritually inspired to do some things, and it just kind of came about that way," she says. "Just me letting the dreams in my mind kind of come to life.

Winters extends her artistry not only to the written word, but is to graffiti, recycled art, pieces that can also be found throughout Soul Wired Cafe.

Aside from running her cafe, Winters is currently working on a documentary titled "The Collard Green Diary," which explores LGBT life in Mississippi.

For more info on Soul Wired Cafe, visit its Facebook page.