How to be yourself /August 4th 2024

An in depth guide to your art

We're in a weird era where there's an upheaval of poets who don't read beyond social media. I recently heatedly debated that poetry is a craft no different from bricklaying. You can't just show up to the field with a backpack full of bricks and build a house; there's an art to it that you have to learn. This doubles with the increase in lazy work. The pyramid schemers promise that we can be rich and only work three hours a day, move to Hawaii, and have an unlimited supply of pina coladas. Affiliate marketing and selling courses to teach you how to make money selling courses or selling tips on how to get engagement for engagement.

I am scared for the future, not so much for the robots taking over but for us handing the robots the keys for an extra vacation day and a lay-in. Poetry has become a popular medium, but it has found itself in the easy work category. People throw poems together, perform them, and get published because they're popular on social media. The poetry part of poetry is becoming secondary. We now have to tick boxes as promises that we didn't ask AI for our metaphors, and I've met too many poets who don't have a favorite poem. Performing to a bunch of people and getting applauded is another form of instant gratification. We are in the instant gratification era, and it terrifies me.

I told somebody I read a poetry book daily, and they told me I was bragging. They tried convincing me that I was claiming myself better than them, which is an odd way to perceive that information. In my mind, I am endlessly studying. I will always have more to learn and different directions to take my poetry; whether it's writing a new form or trying a new layout, I still need to learn some things. I read to learn, absorb, and improve because I'm not at my best, and neither will I ever be.

The sky offers us miles; if we’re lucky, we’ll touch space with our fingertips.

That is an estranged way to say we have a lot of room for growth. Even though I've come a long way, I have an awful lot of journey to go. I read every day not because I'm better but because this is my passion, and I am lucky to call it a job.

I see people who settle on a voice, a cadence, or a topic and don't explore much beyond their comforts, and I am here to tell you that you must explore beyond your comforts. When I run workshops, that's my primary aim. I want to push people into new territory because that will be most helpful in the long term. I also offer elaborate prompts because they are the ones that challenge you and will provide the most growth. Not everybody is out here trying to earn money off their art, some are content with it being something they do for fun in their spare time, and if this is a hobby, then of course, hobby the fuck out of this thing, but if you are aiming for publication and trying to make a living off of it, you should be studying. You should listen to audiobooks, read, watch videos, and attend workshops. You shouldn't be leaning on your popularity but instead allowing your skill to use its outdoor voice. You should work hard at your poems and make them the best they can be. Forget the instant gratification but think of the slow, steadied satisfaction. I hear too many poems with haste in their undertone. Poetry is a scenic drive, not a drag race. That doesn't mean you won't create stuff quickly; it happens, but some poems cry out for patience, and we must grant it.

This spreads into everything. Whatever you do, do it at a pace that provides the best outcome. Go on a morning walk without your phone, look at the world, and then turn what you see into art. There are shortcuts nowadays. Technology will finish your script, edit your photo, reword your poems, tell your mum you love them, and turn your dying cat voice into something angelic. Technology is taking away the failure, but it is the failure that aids our success. Our creativity is a muscle, and we must lift things too heavy until we can comfortably lift them. Yet I see poets lost in the hurry. There is a rush to post for engagement or to get on stage to be applauded, and although social media is strange, you will find people who will applaud your worst work, but you should want your best self on display.

All these forms of AI are some sort of bionic arm lifting the weight for us and requiring less creativity and experimentation. There is no denying that thanks to technology, we can do incredible things that help us, but as always, the opportunity to abuse it is there, and we take advantage of it. Take your time with your art. Edit your photos differently. Can you use blur to your advantage? Can something be purposely overexposed for the sake of art? Write in ways you never have, and if the result is less than desirable, then take a step back and think, what have I learned from this? What can I do to improve it?

Love the art you create, or find something you love and do that instead. Somebody told me they only make poetry because they want to make money and be popular, which is the wrong reason to create anything. It is the reason I wrote this entire newsletter. I would rather have confidence that I can write well and be known by twelve people for being a good writer than by two million for being the writer I know I'm not. I always feel satisfied knowing I gave it my all, took my time, and ensured I did it to the best of my ability. If you are doing anything, then please self-study. To reach your peak, you have to learn from those before you. Enter yourself in the domino line and explore different voices throughout the page and stage. Whatever your discipline, you must self-study and take classes. This doesn't mean you have to have a master's or a PhD, but you must have conversations and lessons with people who have found success in your field. Throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks isn't a method I have ever been fond of. If you are here to make a living from an art, commit. Commit. Commit. Dedicate yourself to it, and don't be afraid to be bad, and don't be scared to fail. Be your authentic self and work hard; eventually, it will pay off in pride alone. Until next time.

Sound off the comments with your thoughts, and let me know what you think of this song. I am unsure if you have ever seen Steven Universe, but this feels like an adult version of that.