Lesson 2: What Makes A Poet?
A young person sitting in the front row of blue classroom chairs peeks out over the top of an off-white hardcover book.
What makes a poet?
There are many ways to address this question. If you want to avoid discouragement, it's essential that you define your own answers.
Thinking about what makes someone a poet, and more specifically what you think it takes to be one, can help you overcome the imposter syndrome that plagues us all when we begin to exercise our creative muscles.
Let's prepare for today's assignment:
Have you heard of stream of consciousness writing? It's a practice where you sit down and being to write, without planning or pre-pondering. Simply address the thoughts that come to you as they come, and give them space to unfold on the page. This is your permission to write it messy. Stay present with your thoughts and don't go back to revisit and tidy up a few sentences prior. I repeat, no tidying or tweaking until after you're all done!
Listen to Julia Cameron explain the reasons behind this in her concept of Morning Pages.
Do you find this idea freeing or frightening? Get out your notebook and start jotting down your answer!