Introduction

My dear poetically-inclined friends,

I am thrilled, delighted, ecstatic to have you aboard this amazing venture into the land of poetry. I hope you’re as excited as I am to launch into the world of imagery and find new ways to express ourselves.

This course is designed to equip you with the tools for finding your way into poetry. It is not primarily about learning all the rules or getting it right. This course is about unearthing the treasures inside your soul and inviting you to believe in their beauty. We are not searching for the words themselves. We are searching for word-encrusted gems. It is not the words that touch us deeply so much as the ideas hidden like glinting jewels inside the words.

This is about you being you; finding ways to express yourself.

Poetry invites you to put down the need for a quantity of words, and instead to paint small pictures. Through carefully selected pieces of language, you can evoke emotion and a sense of shared experience with your readers.

This is about giving yourself permission to be human, to be real, to come alive. We will learn, we will practice, and we will make art.

It’s a treasure hunt, and I trust you will find that sweet trove when you meet yourself on this journey.

Consider this course your map. Your own heart is the compass; that is why you are here…

So come join the fun!

Love from my map-making chair,

Jamie

Navigating This Course

At the beginning of every new thing is a measure of trepidation or anticipation. Maybe you feel like you're on a swinging rope bridge, not knowing when it will stabilize. Or perhaps it's as if you found yourself in the middle of a river and you'd really like to know what's around the next bend. How is this thing going to go? Will it be fun? Will it be work?

It's up to you. If you find yourself feeling bogged down, just move forward and return later to the piece that is challenging you. If you love feeling challenged, feel free to repeat the exercises in each chapter.

I want to encourage you to take the time you need. While I have designed the chapters to be taken as a whole there is no limit on the time you spend for each. You can take one hour or day or week. Enjoy the scenery!

Each lesson will feature the following:

• An introductory letter or think piece from me, your poetry coach, that will present the idea we are going to explore in each particular chapter.

• Two detailed assignments.

• A one word writing prompt to get those creative juices flowing.

Throughout your lessons, we will sometimes cover other details or concepts including:

• Stream-of-consciousness writing.

• Poetry Patterns with examples.

• Noteworthy tips or reframes to help guide your thought. (These will be highlighted in bold so you can return to them easily or take your own notes.)

Note: All images for this course have been found at Unsplash.com. I will include links beneath the photos - (a simple click on the photo should open the link in a new window) - in case you would like to find the artists' works or download the images for your own blog posts or website.

Ready?

Get set...

If you have any questions for me throughout this course, feel free to return to this page and use the contact form below.