“Hill’s performance of his original poem “Only Human” earned him first place in a spoken word competition hosted by indi.com which saw submissions from across the globe late last year. He points to his class discussions at California State University, Northridge as pivotal experiences that nurtured his craft. “Poetry is beautiful,” Hill says. “But then, if it’s not discussed and interpreted, and re-thought about and re-discussed, it doesn’t have its full potential achieved.” Hill led an after school workshop at Oscar de la Hoya High School in LA for two years, walking students through poetic exercises, writing techniques, and improv games. He says he wanted to “help get them out of their shells. Basically, get them to a comfort level where they would want to express what’s in their minds and hearts.””

“A working actor and member of the Screen Actors Guild, a teacher, and an often-featured performer at venues like the Cobalt Cafe’s Open Reading, Soapbox Sessions, and Au Lac’s Open Mic Night, he’s hard to tie down. But wherever he is, he seems to be nowhere else. After watching Gandhi a few times, Hill’s central message of “universal inner and outer world peace” was illuminated. “Through TV. Through music. Through workshops. Through dialogue, especially,” Hill says. “I want to teach people how to express themselves as fully and as clearly as possible.” As an artist, he has a diverse toolbox, but he says poetry is the mainstay of his altruistic arsenal. “I feel like the power of poetry to do that is unrivaled,” he says.”

“A poet with an appetite for peace Sean Hill smiles. Things slow down. His afro bobs with the beat of the universe. A poet whose mention is commonplace at open mics throughout Southern California, Hill’s known for spinning messages of depth, weight, and beatboxing into engaging spoken word performances. His words easily make him out to be a thinking man, someone who considers sincerely, perhaps gravely how each moment can be used to bring the best out of the world. This makes his harmless deportment all the more intriguing: the world is on his shoulders, he just makes it seem so light.”

““For one night, I felt that I was part of a safe space of artists and thinkers, people who create and inspire,” said Kristin Minasian, a fourth-year English major who shared her written work for the first time at the event. “Sharing my work was liberating. It felt like people were understanding and encouraging something that has been a part of me for so long.” At the end of the night, Sean Hill summed the event up as a “safe haven where people can speak their minds, an oasis.” I couldn’t agree more, for as much as there was such great diversity in the opinions shared that evening, and among the people who turned up that night, we were united in our vulnerabilities, in our understanding and baring of our inner worlds.”

“Also helpful were Sean Hill’s tips for first-timers who have nerves about speaking or performing in front of an audience. “Being nervous is probably the most selfish thing you could ever do for the audience,” he said. “You have so much inside you that you can give to them.””

“Hill’s rhythmic ruminations on life, love and other assorted miscellany were light-hearted and accompanied by self-deprecating jokes and up-tempo beat boxing. However, they still struck a deep chord with audience members who laughed and snapped their fingers along in empathy when he touched on a childhood anecdote about being frowned upon for exhibiting his emotional side, complete with a hilariously spot-on reenactment of the precise sentiment he experienced at that point. What I particularly appreciated about this first open mic event was its emphasis on sharing and dialogue; Sean Hill interspersed his pieces with other equally outstanding performances by audience members, and many of these honest confessions inspired short discussions or commentary during the transitions as well. The sign-up list for performances was initially short, but began to fill up fast throughout the night, buoyed by the supportive and encouraging environment.”

“It was a hodgepodge of dazzlingly disparate topics, ranging from home-cooked food and zombies to poo and the essence of true love. But for two hours at Isla Vista’s Biko Garage on Oct. 18, it all came together in a magical confluence of raw honesty and vulnerability during “An Evening of Spoken Word with Sean Hill,” the first of a series of poetry open mic events organized by University California Santa Barbara’s Multicultural Center. Los Angeles-based actor and spoken word artist Hill was in town to headline the event, and he did not fail to light up the stage with his gregarious personality that complemented his signature afro hairstyle.”

“One of the hardest working young poets I know is Sean Hill. I first met him seven years ago at a poetry event at Cal State Northridge. As long as I've known him, he's been doing poetry for Skid Row Youth Programs, as well as several literacy programs, literary festivals and theater showcases. Hill recently hosted the Success is Our Future Scholarship ceremony, and worked the past two years as part of the After School Adventure Enrichment Camp (ARC) at Oscar De La Hoya Animo, teaching Poetry and Theater.”

“Hill, who just released his first spoken word album, says, "I share ideas that involve inner reflection, outer connection, and a gradual delicate diving into the notion that realistic inner and outer world peace exists...sometimes just by allowing yourself to truly believe it."”