Month: May 2017

Reflections on writing for 2 years (and future projects)

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Every single day, for the past two years, I have been writing poetry.

In 2015, I challenged myself to write a haiku poem every day. What started as a joke soon turned into an examination of the beauty inside the simplicity of words. Two years and around 12,410 syllables later, I have written over 800 of these little poems. I also created 66 blackout poems and 31 art journal pages this year, which I post on my Instagram account.

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A collaboration I did with a talented artist, Tristan Fitzgerald, on Instagram. 

While writing over these past two years, I have learned a lot about poetry, creativity, and the writing process. One thing I learned is that creativity comes when you write. So you have to continue to write. Writing and cultivating creativity is like exercising. The more you do it, the better and easier it comes. This is not to say that everything soon becomes easy. There are many days where I struggle with what I write. But other days, poems naturally come. These are the days that the words not only come naturally, but are well received by who is reading them. It is magical. Having these days, in my opinion,  makes the creative blocks and struggles worth it.

Another thing I learned: not everything I create is going to be a masterpiece. What I write is (usually) not a final draft, but a segment of a thought that needs time to be cultivated. Usually, my haiku are continuations of thoughts or ideas that persist over time. The more time passes, the more clearly the idea is fleshed out and articulated. This usually leads to a full poem. While I haven’t shared many full poems, I want to.

I wanted to thank those who take the time to read my poems daily. The support and attention I receive from all of you is something that is very special to me.

As I continue to write, I have been thinking about new projects I want to do. Eventually, I would like to create a poetry and art zine. The zines would be filled with the collaborations I did with artists, and of course, my own poetry.

I have also been thinking about creating a Patreon page. Patreon is a website similar to GoFundMe or IndieGoGo, it allows artists to be supported financially on their artistic endeavors. On Patreon, supporters have the option to donate a certain amount of money (as low as $1) a month to the artist. In return, the artist sets up rewards for the supporters in return, based on how much they donate a month. For example, if someone were to donate $3, the creator would send them a poem in return.

A Patreon page would allow me to pursue larger projects such as zines and more art collaborations. It would also allow an opportunity to connect and engage with all of you, and for you to see my full-length poems and art. I would be working to create quality full-length content on a more regular basis if I had enough support, and I would attempt to turn it into a tangible product.

Again this is all just thoughts I am thinking, nothing is set in stone. But I am curious to have feedback from all of you. What would you like to see from me in the future beyond just writing a haiku daily? Would you support me if I had a Patreon page? What kind of rewards would you be interested in receiving in exchange for support?

Leave a comment below if you have any thoughts. It would be much appreciated.

Until next time,

S.B.