Welcome to an Artist’s Hope

Story time guys:

For the better part of a year (possibly longer), I’ve started doing a poetry and art form known as Blackout Poetry. What this is involves taking text from a book, newspaper, or other source and selecting works to turn it into a poem. The other way to look at this is that I’m taking away the words that I don’t want to make a poem. Traditionally, you remove or “blackout” the words you don’t want and that’s it. However, some people take it to a higher level and add in designs and inked art to the poem.

Here is your first example of blackout poetry

I first came across this where I get a lot of my art ideas: Pinterest.

And I’ve been posting my blackout poems on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

My personal rule of thumb with this particular poetry and art form, is to only use text that is in the public domain or that I have permission from the author (which are mostly my friends). The two books I’m currently working in are Frankenstein (which is harder than I expected for multiple reasons) and Phantom of the Opera. I might add to this collection at some point, but these are the two books I’m working in right now.

Plus these books help me write some darker poems

I find doing these poems both challenging and relaxing. I have so many words I can work with and sometimes I can’t form the sentences or ideas that I want to. It can be frustrating when I want to use the word “was” and there isn’t a “was” to be found on the page. However there is something very cathartic in taking a Sharpie or felt pen and drawing all over a page.

If you are interested in trying blackout poetry, just make sure it’s in a book you won’t be upset drawing in.

I get a lot of these books for free or doubles if I enjoy the book

Now, here’s the reason I’m sharing this information and story with you guys today.

One of my friends has been following me on social media and has a daughter who is teaching in inner city schools. He shared my blackout poems with his daughter who in turn shared the idea with her class for their poetry unit. She took different pages from one of the books her students had to read, photo copied them, and explained the idea of blackout poetry for the unit.

The students loved it.

My friend shared a few pictures of the poems with me (sorry won’t show them since I don’t know the students) and the work was amazing. They were personal, raw, haunting, somber, and beautiful. Most of the students loved the ability to make their own transformation work that represented them.

I honestly hope that the students keep creating.

And I helped inspire someone to introduce this creative idea to these students. I feel humbled and happy that I was able to do that. As a small time artist and writer, I often feel that my work doesn’t matter. I write and create art to entertain my friends and to help me deal with my emotions. I like to hope that others are inspired by me.

And now that I know they are, it feels wonderful.

I can also work on my romance writing and self expression.

Maybe in the future, one of these students will publish a book of poems. Maybe one day, one of these students will become a famous artist or writer or both.

I’ll probably never know if I inspire someone like this, but part of me genuinely hopes that I do.

I wanted to share this story with you today because I think there are times when we don’t feel like our lives mean anything or that we haven’t done anything spectacular. Knowing that my blackout poetry was used to inspired students to express themselves in a new way has reminded me that, even in the small corner of the universe I wander through, I can still make a difference.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y’all like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to the Poetry Around Me

Since I'm on a poetry kick, I've decided to talk about how I find poetry (much like math) in unexpected places. I'm someone who sees math everywhere. It's just second nature to me. Unlike math, however, poetry turns up in unexpected places.

I also think that there's a lot of math in poetry, but that could just be me.

I'm not sure if poetry was a popular unit in my school or not. I remember in elementary school that most of my friends liked the poetry units, especially the funny poems like the ones by Jack Prelutsky. However, in high school, the poems we were reading weren't as entertaining and required a lot of effort to understand. Sylvia Plath might be a great poet, but I was never all that fond of trying to analyse her work.

Since leaving school, I haven't gone out of my way to read a lot of poetry (until very recently that is). That doesn't mean that poetry hasn't managed to worm it's way into my life without me noticing.

There's a lot of variety and versatility in poetry. If I'm not looking for it, I can easily miss when poetry is happening. Usually there's a rhythm or rhyme scheme to poems (especially the ones that are read to us as children), but sometimes there isn't. I think that free verse is becoming more and more popular with modern poets.

A few years ago, I came to the realization that song lyrics were essentially poetry combined with music. Think about it for a second. What are some of the components of poetry that song lyrics often have in common?

1. There's a rhyme scheme. 
2. There's distinct rhythm.
3. They occasionally tell stories.

I'm not saying that all poetry and all songs have these three things in common. There are just as many nonsensical poems out there are nonsensical songs. But the similarities in structure are hard to miss once I started looking for them.

Of all the music genres today, rap is probably the best example of spoken poetry.  I've watched a few freestyle rappers and they have a ton of talent. They create their own rhythms, while telling a story, and making sure everything rhymes. Rappers are amazing poets.

Songs are one example of finding poetry in an unexpected place (unless I'm just dense and this is something everyone else has noticed). What about others? After all, poetry is comprised of words, written and/or spoken. Where else can I find poetry that I might have overlooked?

How about memes?

Specifically inspirational memes. There are a lot of examples I could pull (just ask Google) and I could easily fill this blog post with nothing but inspirational memes (same thing can be said about cat memes). Instead I'll direct everyone to Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for wall to wall examples of memes.

They don't have the same structure as song lyrics, heck most of them don't even rhyme. However, there are tons of poems out there that don't look at all like the traditional poetry we studied in school. Forget the sonnets and epic poems of yesteryear and embrace the free-verse of style of memes.

One of my favorite Dr. Seuss quotes and part of a poem in a kids book. It's also become a meme...

That's right memes are free-verse poetry in action.

So here are two examples of how poetry has surrounded my life without me noticing. I didn't even mention all the children's books that could also count as poems (such as Dr. Seuss).

Maybe I'll save that for another post...

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I like hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me. Until next week!

Welcome to Character Inspirations

After 4 years of producing one blog post a week (give or take a few skips here and there), I've finally hit my 200th post. I wasn't sure what I wanted to write about this week. I've been working on the icon series for a few weeks now, but I wasn't sold on the idea of limiting myself to my personal icons.

Instead I wanted to write about the many characters in books and graphic novels that have inspired me. They aren't in any order and there aren't any ranks.

1) Nancy Drew - she was my first strong female role model in books. For a long time all I would read were Nancy Drew books. I hope she keeps inspiring generations of young girls.

2) Cassie Logan - she was my second biggest female role model in books. I would recommend to anyone to read Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry at least once in their life. 

3) The Golden Trio from the Harry Potter Books (because I just can't pick one)- I was at the perfect age to grow up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. These books shaped my childhood and continue to shape my imagination.

4) Asterix - Asterix was my first comic book hero. He and his good friend Obelix protected their village from the Roman invaders and went on tons of adventures. 

5) Jim Hawkins - I read Treasure Island in my early 20s and I wish I had read it sooner. It was a fun read and a great adventure novel. 

6) Tohru Honda - Fruits Basket was really popular in my middle and high school, which is how I got interested in the series. I loved all the characters, but Tohru really stands out as someone special. She's the most accepting character I've ever come across in literature and she really wants her friends and family to be happy.

7) Sherlock Holmes - I love the mysteries Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote. I also like the many new interpretations that have come out. I don't know how much I'd want to be like Sherlock, but he doesn't seem to care what anyone else thinks of him. He's fascinating person and isn't boring in the slightest.

8) Alice of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass - I love these books and the Disney animated movie. Alice is a true dreamer in every sense of the word.

9) Yusuke Urameshi - He might not be very smart and be a bit of a delinquent, but deep down he has a good heart and is super loyal to those he cares about. Yu Yu Hakusho was one of the first manga I read and I would recommend it to anyone who likes great characters with interesting stories to tell.

Each of these characters have their strengths and their faults. They're all very different characters and have very different stories to tell. Some people might not like the characters at all. 

What makes a character interesting or inspiring is left up to the reader. Yes, the author has the important job of shaping the character, but the reader is the one interpreting and judging them. I have found that the characters I love and am inspired by most are often very flawed, but are still able to do amazing things while flawed.

If you haven't read any of the books or graphic novels I have listed above, I totally recommend each of them.

What I have learned from each of these characters is to

Be as inquisitive as Nancy

Be as strong as Cassie

Have friends like Harry, Ron, and Hermione

Be as confident as Asterix

Be as adventurous as Jim

Be as accepting as Tohru

Be as fascinating as Sherlock

Be a dreamer like Alice

Be as loyal as Yusuke

And follow my own path to build my own story.

Thanks for sticking with me for 200 blog posts. Until next week...

Welcome to the Iconic: A Roundabout Intro

When I finished up my Monster Series (click here for the quick intro), I thought I was done with this whole series of related blog posts with a common theme. After all, I'd never done them before, so why would I make them part of my normal posting schedule?

And then inspiration hit...

How my inspiration works...

I was lying on my couch after a pleasant afternoon nap, texting my cousin/editor, when I finally figured out a great topic for this week's post. This was both fortunate and unfortunate. Fortunate because I finally had something to write about today. Unfortunate because I didn't have any time to do any research (the lightening bolt hit me around 3PM EST today).

And what was this sudden bout of inspiration?

Icons!

And what makes things iconic.

You know, famous images and stories that are so amazing that they keep popping up over and over again. Events that take place that define a generation. Little images on a computer screen that we click on to access programs (okay this one might just be a bad pun, but really why are they called icons?).

Alright fine, I actually didn't know what the word icon (let alone iconic) meant before getting this idea.

So I took to Twitter. I put out the general question of "what do you guys find to be iconic?" Which, in hindsight could have been a terrible disaster since it's Twitter (let me know if I need to explain further). Since I have just under 30 followers, it was no surprise to me that I only received one response (insert shameless plug here for webcomic creator, yes this is their name, khkddn). They responded to my tweet with "oldish cartoons i guess? i dont really know what makes something iconic".

This made me come to the second realization for the day: that I don't even know what makes something iconic. I've heard the word tossed around, but I've never really thought about what makes something iconic versus, say, popular or viral. For the record, I'm not holding my breath for any other responses to this tweet, so I might have to just rely on my research (which I should do anyway) to determine what is and what is not an icon or iconic.

(Side note: I am aware that the words icon and iconic aren't the same thing, but since they are closely related to the point that I can't think of one without the other, this series will look at both words as though they are so interconnected they cannot be separated.)

Googling the definition of the word "icon" brings up two definition:

1) "a painting of Jesus Christ or another holy figure, typically in a traditional style on wood, venerated and used as an aid to devotion in the Byzantine and other Eastern Churches.

2) a person or thing regarded as a representative symbol of something."

I honestly had no idea that an "icon" was originally associated with religious depictions of Jesus (though I did know the word is originally Greek - thanks dad and all your impromptu English language root fun facts). Since Jesus is one of the most iconic, if not the number one icon, in Western religion, this makes sense. Religion has and continues to shape human culture, particularly in the west (have you guys ever heard of the "Parable of the Talents" or  phrase"The Good Samaritan"). Is it any wonder that we would adopt a religious lexicon to describe our current worship of celebrities and pop culture. [Insert bad joke here.]

Merriam-Webster's dictionary contains both the above definitions (with different wording) and adds in that an icon is "a usually pictorial representation", "an object of uncritical devotion", "a sign", and "a graphic symbol on a computer display screen that represents an object (such as a file) or function (such as the command to delete)". Coincidentally this last definition is what I first thought of when I was thinking of really bad puns to make for this series. Especially since images of pop culture icons serve a specific function to our society in our need to objectify everything (oh yes, I went there).

Definitions aside, what does it mean for something or someone to be an icon or iconic?

Is it a symbol? Does it have or need a meaning? Does it define something? Is an icon always an image? How does something become an icon let alone iconic? And, most important, do all icons stand the test of time (because secretly we all want to be immortal).

Will I answer all of these questions? Probably not. Like opinions, language is always changing. The definitions I am looking at right now have the potential to change based on a little more than a whim. What I might try to uncover using the information I have (i.e. the Internet is a deep, dark, and dangerous place when looking for answers to anything) could lead me to completely new questions and answers that I didn't expect.

So this series on Icons/The Iconic will be completely different from the orderly and totally pre-planned Monster Series. I don't even have a set number of posts to write yet (but it is likely higher than two posts).

My question for you guys (and participation is completely voluntary, but highly appreciated) is to tell me what you guys think about when you hear or see the words "Icon" and "Iconic" as well as any images, symbols, or ideas that surround these two words. Heck, you could even give me an iconic inspirational quote to help me out (are those a thing?).

I can already tell that this is going to be a very interesting journey. Especially since I have no destination planned.

Until next week...

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me. Maybe I too, will one day be an icon.

Welcome to a Fairy Tale Adventure

When first I saw that Disney was making a live action Beauty and the Beast movie (one of my favorites from when I was a kid), I thought - well that's completely unnecessary. Then I saw the trailers and listened to the music. I just knew I had to see this movie, even if I did have to sit in a theater with an army of little girls decked out in their best princess outfits.

It was so worth it.

There's just something amazing about seeing the magic of a fairy tale come to life on the big screen. Though, personally I would have been even more thrilled if they had re-released the animated movie in theaters, but the live action movie was a lot better than I originally thought it would be. I still like the original more, but that's my opinion. It was also really cool to see how much technology has changed (especially if you compare the new movie to the 1946 French movie).

The inner child in me was so happy to see this movie that I, of course, went home and put the animated version on right away. While singing along and cleaning my apartment, I was struck by a line Belle sings after she rejects Gaston's marriage proposal.

"I want adventure in the great wide somewhere. I want it more than I can tell."

I've seen that line dozens of times on social media. I think there's even a meme floating around with Belle's arms flung open in the field where she's singing.

It's a good line and I think it sums up half of the reason I love of fairy tales (and fantasy and science fiction). It's that longing for an unexpected adventure. Where my mind is so completely blown away with everything that happens, that it's hard to express my awe. It's being able to leave the boring world behind and go somewhere completely unexpected.

I can't be the only person who feels this way.

Many of the stories I enjoyed as a child had heroes that somehow found themselves embroiled in an unusual situation.

For example, the Hobbit starts with Bilbo enjoying his morning, he meets Gandalf, then later that evening a party of dwarves unexpectedly, and suddenly Bilbo is being hired as a burgle to steal something from a dragon. The ordinary quickly becomes the extraordinary in the span of a day.

Or how about how Aladdin comes across the magic genie*? He starts out his day casually stealing breakfast, accidentally comes across a runaway princess, gets arrested, and is then tricked by Jafar into going into the Cave of Wonders. I don't think Aladdin got up that morning and thought, yes today is the day that I go on an adventure.

 The other half of my love for fairy tale stories is likely because of magic.

Yeah, I know magic doesn't actually exist (or does it?), but it can signify how the improbable becomes the possible. I might not have gotten my letter to Hogwarts (or Ilvermorny), but neither did Jacob Kowalski and he got to help Newt with his escaped Fantastic Beasts. I don't expect to stumble upon a seemingly abandoned castle with sentient furniture while hiking (actually that would be really impressive since I live in North America), but neither was Maurice while he was looking for shelter.

Okay yeah, all those examples were stories and movies. They were created to teach entertaining lessons. Some even used to provide an explanation for the unknown world. But nearly all of them continue to inspire our imaginations today.

Adventures happen, even without magic and singing demigods. Some are planned vacations to new counties, others are unexpected (like having a random snow storm in mid March). Without the ordinary days, it's hard to appreciate the extraordinary ones.

Then again, I could have met a witch or wizard, but don't remember because my memory was oblivated. It could have happened.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Until next week.

*I actually know a couple different versions of this story, but I'm using the Disney version as an example since more people are familiar with it.