It’s April! I’m ready for some showers to bring May flowers. This time last year, I participated in a 30 Day Writing challenge called “Escapril.” It basically involves writing a poem every day for the month of April to celebrate National Poetry Month. I had so much fun participating in 2019 so I was eager to do so again this year! This time around I’m facing different challenges but also experiencing different strengths. For instance, last year I struggled to find motivation to write, and this year so far, on more than one occasion (or prompt), I’ve been writing bits and pieces of three poems’ worth of content, and have to narrow down what I like best! Last year I was teaching myself basic editing on Photoshop, because I liked to add a certain aesthetic to each concept. This year I’m playing more with colors and shapes to make it look a bit more clean. That extra step makes it feel both more authentic, and more concrete!
Here are a few tips I’ve found have made a difference in what and how I write:
1. Find your mood. There’s no right or wrong way to feel when writing. Your art should be a reflection of what’s coursing through your veins. Don’t try to force an emotion. If you’re feeling angry, write angry. If you’re feeling happy, write happy. I find that breaking down that filter is the best way to get yourself in the right frame of mind to create. It’s relatively easy to pull back if you go too far, and even that is rarely necessary. Don’t be afraid of what you feel. Breathe it in and grab a pen (or a computer, or your phone… you get it).
2. Find your motivation. Luckily enough, I have a list of prompts to work off of for “Escapril.” What I get out of step 1 helps with step 2; it’s not enough to have a prompt, you need to find how you connect to it. If the prompt is love, what does your mood tell you? Do you love love? Do you think it’s a curse? What do you feel? Why?
3. Stay in it… however you can. I free associate too easily, so I can look at a prompt and reconnect it to something that’s familiar. For example, this week one of my prompts was “Obsession.” My first thought was “You,” which I coincidentally am obsessed with now. With that, I turned on a playlist inspired by the main character, who in turn inspired the poem. Having that extra layer of motivation helps supercharge my brain, and really tap into the subject. Turn on music. Draw it out first. The rest will come more naturally than you think.
4. Remember it’s what you write. Not what others think of what you write. Yoko Ono is currently sitting in a billion dollar apartment in the greatest city in the world after spending the majority of her professional life being hated for what she put into her art. Do you think she cares what the critics think? While getting a second opinion to help you can be beneficial, it shouldn’t be the be-all, end-all. If you rely too much on other people to better channel your thoughts, your thoughts might not even become your thoughts at all. No matter if you’re a musician, painter, writer, actor, dancer, criticism from other people should play a small role in what you create. At the end of the day, all that matters is what you think of your art… unless your art is illegal. Break art laws. Not real laws. Punching a pedestrian in the mouth without their consent is not an art piece. Your criticism should be all that makes a difference to you.
5. With item 4 in mind… take criticism seriously. If you’re not going to look at your work and think “Oh, I could say this instead,” or “This phrase could be better,” then you won’t grow as an artist. Granted, if you can look at what you’ve written and think “Oh, this is perfect,” then I salute you. Personally, there are plenty of times where I’ve gotten it right on the first try, but there have been plenty more times where I haven’t quite nailed it, and going back and fixing a few things has brought my thoughts to a new level! It all goes back to my first point: use your thoughts. If your brain is telling you, “what about THIS metaphor,” give it a try. Who knows? You may hate it and find that what you wrote in the first place was perfect after all.
I am not legitimately published, nor am I an expert. I’m just an English major.
I paid $120,000 for someone to tell me to read Jane Austen, and then I didn’t.
— John Mulaney, “Kid Gorgeous”
I have no clout whatsoever, but this has been my approach, and save for the cripplingly low self-esteem that I think clouds the mind of anyone who creates anything, I feel good about what I make. I feel even better knowing that the more I create, the more I learn, both about myself and the craft of writing (yeah, I said it. CRAFT. C R A F T. SEE ITEM 4, LOSERS).
I hope if you’re reading this, you’ll take some time for you and create something today. You never know what can happen!