Sounds Complicated
Blackout Poetry & Art
by Stacia Leigh
"Out with the old, in with the new."
One day while decluttering my office, I began feeding old proof pages into the shredder with glee. But watching the metal teeth chew up my hard work had me wondering, was reducing my books into tatters a good idea? Or could I turn the pages into something new?
Motivated by an online found poetry community, I recycled my proof copies of Dealing with Blue and Burnout into blackout poems and doodle art. Selected words took on a new meaning and the whimsical line drawings created their own stories, which may require a stretch of the imagination.
Let it stretch!
Sounds Complicated is a colorful compilation about a perplexing journey through love.
"The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time."
So said Bertrand Russell, and I agree. Making blackout poems, the process of choosing words from a page of text and restructuring them into poetry, is a great way to turn those forced idle moments--wasted time--into instances of creativity.
After a summer of travel, where delays weren't uncommon, I made a habit of bringing my blackout poetry kit along. Selecting the right words, adding playful illustrations, and coloring became therapeutic and relaxing while waiting in hotel lobbies, train stations, and airports. Instead of watching the clock, I focused on the page in front of me, letting the words, lines, and colors take me away.
Distance Between is a compilation of blackout poems made possible by all kinds of unexpected opportunities.
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Distance Between
Blackout Poetry & Art
by Stacia Leigh
"The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time."
So said Bertrand Russell, and I agree. Making blackout poems, the process of choosing words from a page of text and restructuring them into poetry, is a great way to turn those forced idle moments--wasted time--into instances of creativity.
After a summer of travel, where delays weren't uncommon, I made a habit of bringing my blackout poetry kit along. Selecting the right words, adding playful illustrations, and coloring became therapeutic and relaxing while waiting in hotel lobbies, train stations, and airports. Instead of watching the clock, I focused on the page in front of me, letting the words, lines, and colors take me away.
Distance Between is a compilation of blackout poems made possible by all kinds of unexpected opportunities.
