How To Write Poems With Artificial Intelligence—Using Google's Verse by Verse
Hi readers and writerly friends!
Today in Artsy Things, we’re going to explore writing poetry using artificial intelligence (AI). I heard about this from an article a few years ago —I tried to find it, but so many others have come out discussing the same topic, I haven’t been able to. However, I have linked some particularly interesting articles at the end of this post for further reading. All other articles quoted in this post will be linked at the end as well.
Artificial intelligence
Before we can create poetry using artificial intelligence, we must first understand what the term means in definition as well as what it means for the future of humanity. Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the world in ways no one can yet fully predict.
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) of Oxford University Press defines artificial intelligence as:
“Noun. The capacity of computers or other machines to exhibit or simulate intelligent behaviour; the field of study concerned with this. Abbreviated AI.” (OED 2008)
Artificial intelligence can also be described as the theory and development of computer systems that are able to perform tasks such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, translation between languages, and other tasks that normally require human intelligence. Initially, AI included search engines, recommendation algorithms such as those used by YouTube, Amazon, and Netflix, computer programs that could play games like chess with users. In the last decade, we have seen an emergence of AI applications that can complete a myriad of tasks that typically require human intelligence. These applications include understanding and responding to human speech (apps such as Siri and Alexa), self-driving cars (such as Tesla), and even art making and poetry writing programs (such as the infamous Lensa app and Verse by Verse by Google).
In his article, “Can AI Write Authentic Poetry?” cognitive psychologist and poet Keith Holyoak explores whether artificial intelligence could ever achieve poetic authenticity. In the article, he makes the comparison of AI to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein:
“On the hazier side of the present horizon, there may come a tipping point at which AI surpasses the general intelligence of humans. (In various specific domains, notably mathematical calculation, the intersection point was passed decades ago.) Many people anticipate this technological moment, dubbed the Singularity, as a kind of Second Coming—though whether of a savior or of Yeats’s rough beast is less clear. Perhaps by constructing an artificial human, computer scientists will finally realize Mary Shelley’s vision.” (Holyoak 2022, par.6)
Despite the bleak predictions of how AI may one day replace all human activity, the reality is that this technology is simply not there yet. While AI can simulate human intelligence successfully in many tasks, it is still lacking in the poetry writing department and requires humans to be the editors and final decision makers in the outcome of a poem. Holyoak explains this current iteration of poetry AI being a system that “operates using a generate-then-select method” (Holyoak 2022, par.10).
In his article, Keith Holyoak ponders the validity of AI poetry, functionalism, the Hard Problem of consciousness, and the critical essence or subjective experience within poetry. I have linked his article at the end of this blog post, and I highly encourage you to read it if you’re even remotely interested in these topics.
Users can select up to three poets to serve as their muses. They will provide suggestions as you write. Photo by Payton Hayes.
So, what is Verse by Verse?
Verse by Verse, is a powerful poetry writing AI created by Google, that produces suggestions line-by-line inspired by famed classical poets such as Emily Dickinson, Edgar Allen Poe, Walt Whitman, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. The tool allows users to select up to three poets they want to mimic from a list of twenty-two classical poets.
Google’s about section on the Verse by Verse demo page says this of the software:
Verse by Verse is an experiment in human-AI collaboration for writing poetry. We have created a cadre of AI poets, trained on the poems of many of America's classical poets, to work alongside you in writing poetry.
Each poet will try to offer suggestions that they think would best continue a poem in the style of that given poet. As such, try working with different poets to see whose style best meshes with your own.
Explore what works best for you when composing the poem. You can try using the poets' suggestions (including editing them to better match your style!), or write your own inspired by what they suggest. (Google)
I conducted a little more research to gain a better understanding of how the AI operates and how best to use it for writing my own poetry. The article “Google’s ‘Verse by Verse’ can help you write poetry” by Aditya Saroha provides insight into how the muses provides suggestions based on classical poets. Saroha said, “Google explained that Verse by Verse's suggestions are not the original lines of verse the poets had written, but novel verses generated to sound like lines of verse the poets could have written. To build the tool, Google’s engineers trained models on a large collection of classic poetry. They fine-tuned the models on each individual poet’s body of work to try to capture their style of writing” (Saroha 2021, par.8-10). So, the poetry that the tool’s muses provide the user with were not actually lines crafted by classical poets, but rather inspired by their individual bodies of work.
In the article, “Google’s ‘Verse by Verse’ Lets You Imitate Writing Style Of Your Favourite Classical Poet” by Rudrani Gupta, provided quotes from one of Google’s software engineers, Dave Uthus where he explained how the AI was trained to write like classical poets. She said, “The suggestions of the new verses are possible because the tool has been ‘trained to have a general semantic understanding of what lines of the verse would best follow a previous line of verse,’ said engineer Dave Uthus. ‘Even if you write on topics not commonly seen in classic poetry, the system will try its best to make suggestions that are relevant,’ he added” (Gupta 2020, par.4). By training the AI in this fashion, the tool allows modern poets to write about modern topics, themes, and concepts, while imitating classical style and voice.
While this software can prove to be a useful writing too, it isn’t intended to replace talented poets. Saroha concludes his article by noting that the tool is meant to aid poets rather than replacing them. He said, “Through the tool, Google aims to ‘augment’ the creative process of composing a poem. Google said Verse by Verse is a creative helper, an inspiration and not a replacement” (Saroha 2021, par.11 ).
Google’s Verse by Verse, an AI poetry-writing tool. Photo by Payton Hayes.
I first tried using Verse by Verse in 2020
I was first introduced to Verse by Verse in 2020 and I tried it just to see how effective it could be. At the time, I was really getting into my own religious deconstruction and exploring overt sexuality and expression. As a result, my writing at the time certainly reflected my interests and spiritual journey. I typed in words such as holy, prayer, pleasure, love, lust, sex, worship, devotion, god, and church. The poets I selected as my muses were Whitman, Emerson, and Poe and as I wrote each verse on the left, they provided me with inspiration from the column on the right.
I do not have the original poem the AI created when I first did this exercise in 2020 however, from that, I ended up with the following poem:
PRAYER
"Oh God," she says, hands clasped together, fingers entwined, knees bent.
He doesn't answer; he does.
he answers with earnest, continued, devoted worship
head bowed, eyes closed, his mind devoid of all else but this
—this soul-shaking, earth-shattering pleasure, this blessed communion between man and woman,
the Holy Spirit an undoubted voyeur through the candlelight,
this holy practice wherein they do some of their finest praying. (Hayes 2020)
Revisiting Verse by Verse in 2022
To show you how this AI writes poetry and how it’s suggestions can be effective for your own poetry writing, I decided to give it another go in 2022. Below is a gallery of screenshots from the tool as I entered each verse/line at a time. As you can see, my muses Emerson, Poe, and Whitman all provided me with interesting and unique suggestions to include in my poem.
I used words and phrases that came to mind, without rhyme or reason. I typed out ten verses and my chosen muses produced three lines each to help inspire my poem. Below are the twenty-seven lines from each poet in the right column (totaling eighty-one lines among my muses).
Ralph Waldo Emerson Muse
Tides of the hands of the bold,
Tides of the North wind, and to woods
Tides of the hands of the snow;
Hearing a weary weary voice at happy eve,
Hearing a happy poet recount
Hearing a weary poet high
Whilst upper wits, and for their memory ave
Dwarfed for thy harp to willing hand;
Victor over war’s enchanted lid
Spreading their scent through a ian gold;
House in for the blood of their delight,
Bright with homage to their well-known delight!
Wield these young honey wine for their delight:
Escort and beauty for their sick delight:
Their shining beauty to each youthful lamp
Knew that their roar and pulse of kindred air:
Wield these first tones that shine through speak;
Bright with homage to their well-known delight!
Soothes with their shining sorrow;
Mixed with sand by other true delight.
Scent with thy summer horn.
Spreading their scent through fancy and desire;
Stream through thy friendship to the upper air,--
Beer and cup from every cottage beams–
Freedom and beauty for a delicate beams.
Strewed the wide wave with their enchanted maids;
Mixed with sand by other true liberty.
Walt Whitman Muse
Entering my feet over the prairies,
Wherein each stands or sweeps in the though,
Entering my feet upon the prairies
Splashing the waves with a yellow light,
Splashing the waves over the beach at night,
Splashing the river with a mystic midnight light,
Gave up the mighty and diverse hand
Rose the old drunkard, with a long side,
Making the young land tremble for the soul;
Wherein I feel so certain and happy,
Wherein all women pass from the world,
Encircled by a servant at hand;
Encircled by a servant at hand;
Making a song of a open air;
E’er lashes and clothes without wealth.
Thunder on stride on stride on lean words:
Rich greenish drift and the measureless light;
Wherein I understand each breath and the age;
Encircled by a delicate mouth and hand.
Mighty and perfect pour through the night.
Perfume the white arms of the summer night
Rich with ample forms and barbarian words,
Rich and perfect play for other globes!
Light the world with a mystic motion;
Encircled by a world in other bay;
Encircled by a perfect float in the air;
Encircled by a perfect float in the air:
Edgar Allen Poe Muse
Which fall’st into this world like rain
When in an happy Runic rhyme,
Wherein my youth and dreams and words,
Light as the lavas of summer air
Drowning a wild feeling with the sound
Tempting and dreaming in this passionate light
Filled with deep thoughts of thee.
Brought a silver, silken rest.
Brought a silver silken veil of light,
Beside the dames that gilded each bright noon,
Filled with light of life and light!
Brought down the world to me with their delight;
Put my own solace to a golden light,
Brought a silvery silken veil of light,
Hold about my fingers with their delight,
Divulge this secrets of that lovely isle!
To breathe those voice of thine. The lovely light
Nor ask the riches of the summer air;
To breathe those kisses of the summer air.
Sorrow with its own light eye.
Filled with light of many eyes.
A fountain of light. No living light
Hold about my fingers with their delight
Hold about my fingers as a crown.
Brought on a throne in their elysian air;
To breathe those kisses of the jewelled air;
To breathe those voice of thine.The lovely light
So, the muses definitely wrote…something. It’s not necessarily poetry —yet.
From those lines, I narrowed them down to my favorites in the following lines:
Wield these young honey wine for their delight:
Their shining beauty to each youthful lamp
Splashing the river with a mystic midnight light,
Wherein I feel so certain and happy,
Encircled by a delicate mouth and hand.
Light the world with a mystic motion;
Tempting and dreaming in this passionate light
Brought a silver silken veil of light,
Put my own solace to a golden light,
Brought a silvery silken veil of light,
Hold about my fingers with their delight,
To breathe those kisses of the summer air.
Here, you could put these lines back into the AI to see what you get. I decided to rework them myself to make them less abstract. The lines crossed out above, I ended up using below. I kept my first verse, “feminine beauty dressed in light” and used that as the first line for the poem.
Feminine being dressed in light
To breathe those kisses of the summer air
Held about her fingers my delight
Washed softly away my every care
Encircled by a delicate mouth and hand
Wherein I feel so happy and certain
Her shining beauty imprinted in the sand
She is most deserving of devotion
You don’t have to use all of the lines the muses provided you with. As you can see, I have only used a handful here. This poem isn’t complete, but you get the idea. I’m going to set these lines aside for use with another poem later. The suggestions from the muses in the tool may not have been completely sensible or eloquent, but its a great starting point for poets who may be stuck. It’s also a great way to practice mimicking your favorite classical poet’s writing style if you’d like. Although AI cannot yet write poetry that is indistinguishable from human poetry, it can certainly serve as a useful tool in your own poetry practice.
The next time you find yourself stuck on a line, try using AI to help you finish out your poem! If you try this, leave your work in the comments below! What was your favorite line the muses came up with? Let me know below!
Thank you for reading this blog post and if you’re interested in reading more about AI poetry or delving deeper into the sources I mentioned above, check out the bibliography and further reading sections below! Additionally, if you’d like to read similar posts, check out the related topics section. Lastly, if you want to read more posts from me, check out my recent blog posts.
Bibliography:
Further reading:
Hart, Matthew. “Google’s New AI Helps You Write Poetry Like Poe.” Nerdist article, November 24, 2020.
Related topics:
Recent blog posts:
—Payton
20 Poetry Projects Writing Exercise by Jim Simmerman
Hi readers and writerly friends!
Welcome back to my blog! I’m glad you stopped by! This week, I’ll be showing you how to write a poem from a bunch of nonsensical lines. 20 Poetry Projects is a creative writing exercise by Jim Simmerman, taken from The Practice of Poetry, Robin Behn and Chase Twitchell.
In my sophomore creative writing and poetry class, we did this activity and I had a lot of fun with it, so I figured I’d share it with you! Later in this post, I will do a second attempt at this writing exercise with a step-by-step look at my process.
My favorite example of this was “A Thousand and One Nights” written by Margo Roby for the literary journal, Lunarosity. I had this information in my files from school, and couldn’t find the webpage where Margo Roby posted the poem she wrote from this exercise, step-by-step. I did find it on her website so I’ll link that in my bibliography, but if anyone can find the other webpage, please link it in the comments!
20 Poetry Projects by Jim Simmerman
1. Begin the poem with a metaphor.
2. Say something specific but utterly preposterous.
3. Use at least one image for each of the five senses, either in
succession or scattered randomly throughout the poem.
4. Use one example of synesthesia [mixing the senses].
5. Use the proper name of a person and the proper name of a place.
6. Contradict something you said earlier in the poem.
7. Change direction or digress from the last thing you said.
8. Use a word [slang?] you’ve never seen in a poem.
9. Use an example of false cause-effect logic.
10. Use a piece of talk you’ve heard [preferably in dialect and/or which you don’t understand].
11. Create a metaphor using the following construction: The [adjective] [concrete noun] of [abstract noun]…
12. Use an image in such a way as to reverse its usual associative qualities.
13. Make the character in the poem do something he/she could not do in real life.
14. Refer to yourself by nickname and in the third person.
15. Write in the future tense such that part of the poem sounds like a prediction.
16. Modify a noun with an unlikely adjective.
17. Make a declarative assertion that sounds convincing but that finally makes no sense.
18. Use a phrase from a language other than English.
19. Personify an object.
20. Close the poem with a vivid image that makes no statement, but that echoes an image from earlier in the poem. (Simmerman)
I will use these steps when my brain is not behaving, when I have an idea and don’t know where to go with it. There are steps I ignore, but not many. Below is the final draft as published in Lunarosity, a now defunct ezine. I was going nuts while typing the drafts from my old notes. I kept wanting to fix things and get rid of verbs of being. I also had to decipher the original below my first revisions.
I am a concrete person with my writing. When I first tried this, I was sitting on our bed, in Jakarta, because that was my work space. I was feeling downhearted with life — I wrote the first line. I had a small Persian carpet next to me I was staring at while trying to figure out how to do this prompt — I wrote the next line…
1. I am a prisoner without walls
2. among the flowers of my Persian carpet vines/weeds are beginning to sproutOnce I had a focus, a direction, I found the exercise much easier to carry out. I don’t think I can write this exercise without knowing where I am going. It would be interesting to try, though. Randomness has merit. (Roby)
Steps with my first draft
1. Begin the poem with a metaphor.
I am a prisoner without walls
2. Say something specific but utterly preposterous.
among the flowers of my Persian carpet vines/weeds are beginning to sprout
3. Use at least one image for each of the five senses, either in succession or scattered randomly throughout the poem.
They twine and curl reaching for me pulling me down into the fields of silk and wool; as I slide through warp and weft I hear the rustle of thread grasses. My nostrils fill with the pungency of sheep and goats and I taste the dryness of dust.
4. Use one example of synesthesia [mixing the senses].
The dampness of a blue silk river runs through my ears.
5. Use the proper name of a person and the proper name of a place.
Nearby, Omar Khayyam sits writing under a date palm, the white minarets of Nineveh on the horizon.
6. Contradict something you said earlier in the poem.
If a carpet can have a horizon.
7. Change direction or digress from the last thing you said.
The hunt was on; turbaned caliphs on Arabian steeds, bows and arrows slung across their backs, chased a leopard peering forever across his shoulder.
8. Use a word [slang?] you’ve never seen in a poem.
Tally ho and an arrow is loosed never hitting its mark,
9. Use an example of false cause-effect logic.
suspended eternally in mid-air by silken threads.
10. Use a piece of talk you’ve heard [preferably in dialect and/or which you don’t understand].
A thousand throats can be slit by one man running.
11. Create a metaphor using the following construction: The [adjective] [concrete noun] of [abstract noun]…
The towering trees of thought stand in an expectancy of silence
12. Use an image in such a way as to reverse its usual associative qualities.
and I stand in the trap free of danger
13. Make the character in the poem do something he/she could not do in real life.
my arms sliding around the leopard’s golden ruff;
14. Refer to yourself by nickname and in the third person.
Ducky would have run
15. Write in the future tense such that part of the poem sounds like a prediction.
to be hunted forever through threads of colour,
16. Modify a noun with an unlikely adjective.
chased by frozen horses
17. Make a declarative assertion that sounds convincing but that finally makes no sense.
trapped by a web of patterns
18. Use a phrase from a language other than English.
another playmate in the Bokharan fields.
19. Personify an object.
The arrows hum through the staring trees
20. Close the poem with a vivid image that makes no statement, but that echoes an image from earlier in the poem
and I am trapped in a web of patterns.
With a draft to go on, I stopped worrying about the steps. I listed nouns and verbs that fit with Persian carpets and Middle Eastern fairy tales, circled words I wanted to look up for other possible meanings, and started back through this draft, trimming, adding line breaks, making the story active rather than passive. I got rid of lines that I had in only because the exercise asked for them.
I will use these steps when my brain is not behaving, when I have an idea and don’t know where to go with it. There are steps I ignore, but not many. Below is the final draft as published in Lunarosity, a now defunct ezine. (Roby)
A Thousand and One Nights
Among the flowers of my Persian carpet
vines sprout curl twine me into fields of silk
and wool. Sliding through warp and weft,
I hear the rustle of thread grasses, and
my nostrils fill with the pungency of feral cats,
I taste the dryness of dust, and the dampness
of a blue silk river runs through my ears.
A blend and blur of color mark the horizon
spots of russet and black resolving into a hunt
undisturbed by my addition to the scene.
Arabian steeds damp dark with silken sweat,
silent as Attic shapes, prance and wheel
through date palms and trees of fiery-fruited
pomegranate. Turbaned caliphs, bows slung
across their backs, chase a leopard forever
peering over his shoulder. An arrow loosed never
hits its mark eternally suspended by woven
threads. Trees stand in an expectancy of silence
as I move within zig-zags of light and shadow.
My arms slide round the leopard’s golden
ruff and I am bound by threads of color
to be hunted forever through fields of silk and
wool, chased by frozen horses, another
player in the weaving fields of Bokhara. (Roby 2014)
My 20 Poetry Projects poem from 2017
In 2017, my creative writing class did this writing exercise and below is my poem that resulted from it. In the next example further on, I’ve done this exercise again (2022) and I show you my writing process line-by-line like Margo Roby did with hers. This poem was published in Rose State College’s annual literary journal, Pegasus, 2017. It was inspired by Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. If you’ve read it, let me know if you catch all the references! (I have no idea who Caroline Janeway is, by the way.)
Angel
You were an angelbut feathers fall like bowling balls
when the air is missing from the room,
from your lungs.
You gasped when I called you out, a
baffled sound, surprised more so, only by
the startling sensation of your wings being torn off.
Though, that warranted bloodcurdling screams,
and rightfully received them.
You had us all fooled with silken lies,
but Caroline Janeway saw you in the back of Al’s
Pool Hall in Roseville, Minnesota, back in 1994.
And last I checked, heaven wasn’t in the back of Al’s Pool Hall.
She said that you were glued to the lips of some chick in a miniskirt,
that you looked like you’d had one hell of a time.
That’s when I put it all together: you weren’t an angel, you never were.
You’ve always been good at bending the truth, though.
Here I was thinking that you’d fallen from heaven,
but really, I’d just fallen for you.
Solitary walks through silent city streets seem to clear the air for me.
You needed to become a part of my past, but how
do I fix the damage that’s been done?
You had a broken halo and I, a broken heart.
I never knew you could be so savage.
The glittering look of endearment in your eyes was
lust and nothing more. I saw so much more.
You, Cupid, loose an arrow; though it sticks I can
no more than despise you, now.
I pluck it from my side, warm, sticky blood
running down in streams.
Janie would have fainted at such a sight.
I’d stand frozen, watching it all unfold before me.
Your bloodied, pristine, feathers litter the ground.
There I stood, trapped by a web of lies.
Yet, la mia anima è libera, my soul is free.
I feel more weightless, now, than any feather ever could.
Though, I suspect that they feel freed from you as well.
You were never an angel but you fell from grace.
I hand you the arrow, dried blood covering the silver tip.
(Hayes 2017, 61)
Revisiting 20 Poetry Projects in 2022
Steps with my first draft
1. Begin the poem with a metaphor.
My father is a rock. He is strong, stable, and enduring.
2. Say something specific but utterly preposterous.
My family stands trapped, smiling behind the glass.
3. Use at least one image for each of the five senses, either in succession or scattered randomly throughout the poem.
The jagged shards are sharp, threatening to cut me and the irony is not lost on me. Holding up the frame to my nose, it smells of old and the figures behind the cracks are quiet and stock-still.
4. Use one example of synesthesia [mixing the senses].
I could almost taste the film of dust around its edges.
5. Use the proper name of a person and the proper name of a place.
The Payton of San Antonio is not the Payton of Oklahoma City, though she takes their riverwalks with her.
6. Contradict something you said earlier in the poem.
My father is crumbling.
7. Change direction or digress from the last thing you said.
My mother is fluid like a river. Fluid, taking up the shape of any container she occupies
8. Use a word [slang?] you’ve never seen in a poem.
Some would call her flexible, others call her flakey.
9. Use an example of false cause-effect logic.
I’ve made it this far without a mother, I must be fine without her.
10. Use a piece of talk you’ve heard [preferably in dialect and/or which you don’t understand].
She was just ‘round the corner. Just ‘round the corner.
11. Create a metaphor using the following construction: The [adjective] [concrete noun] of [abstract noun]…
The fathomless abyss of my childhood trauma gapes before me.
12. Use an image in such a way as to reverse its usual associative qualities.
I stand at the precipice, intrigued by its enormity and dreadfulness.
13. Make the character in the poem do something he/she could not do in real life.
I dive like a heron, fishing in its depths for the panacea that will restore my soul.
14. Refer to yourself by nickname and in the third person.
Peaches desires more —ambrosia.
15. Write in the future tense such that part of the poem sounds like a prediction.
And the soul food she will soon get, but it’s not what she expects.
16. Modify a noun with an unlikely adjective.
Her just desserts have the gall to be simultaneously acidic and sweet. The second time around, the tequila feels more like a prison than an escape.
17. Make a declarative assertion that sounds convincing but that finally makes no sense.
Atlas reborn, she carries a burden that is far too heavy for her to bear.
18. Use a phrase from a language other than English.
Mi familia es mi fuerza y mi debilidad -my family is my strength and my weakness.
19. Personify an object.
The bottle gazes up at her from the floor.
20. Close the poem with a vivid image that makes no statement, but that echoes an image from earlier in the poem.
Rough draft, assembled
My father is a rock. He is strong, stable, and enduring.
My family stands trapped, smiling behind the glass.
The jagged shards are sharp, threatening to cut me and the irony is not lost on me. Holding up the frame to my nose, it smells of old and the figures behind the cracks are quiet and stock-still.
I could almost taste the film of dust around its edges.
The Payton of San Antonio is not the Payton of Oklahoma City, though she takes their riverwalks with her.
My father is crumbling.
My mother is fluid like a river, taking up the shape of any container she occupies.
Some would call her flexible, others call her flakey.
I’ve made it this far without a mother, I must be fine without her.
She was just ‘round the corner. Just ‘round the corner.
The fathomless abyss of my childhood trauma gapes before me.
I stand at the precipice, intrigued by its enormity and dreadfulness.
I dive like a heron, fishing in its depths for the panacea that will restore my soul.
Peaches desires more —ambrosia.
And the soul food she will soon get, but it’s not what she expects.
Her just desserts have the gall to be simultaneously acidic and sweet. The second time around, the tequila feels more like a prison than an escape.
Atlas reborn, she carries a burden that is far too heavy for her to bear.
Her family watches her, sip after sip, frozen behind the glass.
Mi familia es mi fuerza y mi debilidad -my family is my strength and my weakness.
The bottle gazes up at her from the floor.
Final draft
Trypophobia (Working Title)
My father is my rock. He is strong, stable, and enduring —a stone statue against the dawn.
I stare at the relic of a bygone family — shattered, they stand trapped, smiling behind the glass.
The jagged shards are sharp, threatening to cut me open and the irony is palpable.
Holding up the frame to my nose, it smells of old and the figures peering through the cracks are motionless, silent.
I could almost taste the film of dust around its edges.
The Payton of San Antonio is not the Payton of Oklahoma City, though she takes their riverwalks with her.
And now, my father is crumbling.
My mother is fluid like a river, taking up the shape of any container she occupies.
Some would call her flexible.
Others call her flakey.
I’ve made it this far without a mother, I must be fine without her.
She was always just ‘round the corner. Just ‘round the corner.
The fathomless abyss of my childhood trauma gapes before me.
I stand at the precipice, intrigued by its enormity and dreadfulness.
The liquid gold calls out to me, inviting me in with a false sense of courage.
I dive like a heron, fishing in its depths for the panacea that will restore my soul.
Peaches desires more —ambrosia even.
And the soul food she will soon get, but it’s not what she expects.
Her just desserts have the gall to be simultaneously acidic and sweet.
The second time around, the tequila feels more like a prison than an escape.
Atlas reborn, she carries a burden that is far too heavy for her to bear.
Her family watches her, sip after sip, frozen behind the glass.
She is swallowed up by the pit.
Mi familia es mi fuerza y mi debilidad —my family is my strength and my weakness.
The bottle gazes up at her from the floor.
As you can see from all the examples above, Jim Simmerman’s 20 Poetry Projects Writing Exercise provides an excellent framework for writing poetry. When you follow this process step-by-step, you end up with at least twenty lines to work from.
You may not necessarily keep them all or keep them in order. But surprisingly, this structured writing exercise allows creativity to flow freely. Once you have the rough draft, you can rearrange lines and edit the poem to your liking.
I always enjoy working with this exercise and I’m proud of both poems I’ve written using it.If you try this exercise, please let me know what you think of it in the comments! Thanks for reading this post and if you want to be notified when new blog posts come out, subscribe to my newsletter!
If anyone can find the webpage with Margo Roby’s post with her process on the exercise and poem, A Thousand and One Nights in Lunarosity, or information on the 2004 edition of Lunarosity, please let me know!
Bibliography:
Hayes, Payton. “Angel” Pegasus. Midwest City: Rose State College, 2017. (61)
Krukov, Yan . "A Man in Long Sleeves Writing on a Notebook while Sitting on a Chair." Pexels photo, Feburary 13, 2021. (Thumbnail photo).
Roby, Margo. “A Thousand And One Nights” Lunarosity, 2004.
Roby, Margo. “A Thousand And One Nights” Margo: Roby: Wordgathering. (Blog).
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—Payton
Experimentation Is Critical For Creators’ Growth —In Both Art and Writing
Hi readers and writerly friends!
Experimenting as an artist, creator, or writer, is a crucial step in your creative career. It’s important to practice experimentation, early on and regularly throughout your life as an artist to keep your work fresh, innovative, unique, and interesting both for you to create and for viewers to observe. Aspiring or amateur artists should not commit to any one specific style until they’ve had time to experiment with different styles, themes, and mediums. And once they’ve landed on a signature style they enjoy, it is wise to continue experimenting from time to time.
An experiment is a scientific procedure undertaken to make a discovery, test a hypothesis, or demonstrate a known fact. In science, this is true, but it is also the case for art and for writing. When creating art, there are many aspects of the artistic process that can be changed or played with to provide different results.
Vandy, in his article “Should Artists Experiment?” said “In the world of art, often when we say experiment we think of a psychological process of working out what we like and don’t like about the act of making art and the final result” (Massey 2020).
For example, in resin art, the artist can use alcohol ink, watercolor, acrylic, pigment, glitter, guash, sharpies, beads, charms, cabochons, or just about any material between each layer of resin or submerged inside the resin. This example alone shows how much creative freedom we have with just one medium. Consider how you can experiment with different tools as a painter or sculpture. In what ways can you experiment with different colors, saturations, inversions, scales, and shading? How can an artist experiment with the same picture or subject across multiple mediums? How will an artist’s concept change from pen and paper to digital drawing on a tablet? The possibilities are truly endless and every artist’s experiments will naturally be unique.
I’ve been making art since 2010 and writing since well before then, and I still experiment with my work. Although I now have a style I tend to stick with, that wasn’t always the case, and for most of my artistic practice, my works looked as if each one came from a different artist —you’d never know my hands had created them just by looking at them.
Experimentation helps encourage creativity, freedom to try new things, and broadens your perspective as an artist and creator.
In her article, “Why Artists Must Experiment,” Kathleen Kralowec said “Recognizing an act as an experiment releases it from a lot of seriousness, a lot of demands of perfection. The outcome of experimentation is knowledge, and failure is just as valuable as success, because one has expanded one’s awareness of one’s own abilities, one’s deeper ideas, the potential of a media, a process, a genre, an art-form” (Kralowec 2019).
Art studio filled with canvases and murals done in many different styles. Photo by Matthieu Camoy.
Experimenting with Style
Before committing to a signature style or aesthetic, experiment with a wide array of different styles. Try experimenting with patterns, colors, shapes, themes, mediums and styles. No two artists' works are the same and even derivative works can be unique in their own way. Do style studies to practice working with styles that you admire or are out of your comfort zone. For example, try drawing the same sketch ten times, but base it off of someone else’s style to familiarize yourself with different styles and techniques.
Below are a few examples of the Style Challenge artists have been partaking in across social media. The challenge is for an artist to draw something in their own style and then replicate it several more times in other popular animated art styles such as anime, Disney, cartoons, and comic books styles.
Never settle on a specific style; instead continue to always experiment, innovate, and evolve your art, whilst retaining an underlying current of your own style.
ART STYLE CHALLENGE
“draw different styles” by p0kky.
“Style Challenge” by emzdrawings.
“Hijabi” by XenoPurple_Art
“Art Style Challenge” by erinleedani.
Experimenting with Themes
Art studio filled with colorful canvases depicting different styles and themes. Photo by Dom J.
Consider using different themes and subject matter in your work. If you typically write about nonfiction topics, consider writing a short story or poetry. If you usually paint realistic animals, try painting people or still-life paintings instead. If you usually draw geometric forms in your work, try experimenting with realism or surrealism instead. If you typically write comedy, consider painting something with a more political message behind it. If you typically draw geometric or abstract sketches, try drawing something inspired by another work you like such as a Swan Lake ballet performance or a video game character. Experiment with various themes and messages and see how art with similar concepts is translated across different mediums.
Experimenting with Techniques
A myriad of techniques can be used across many different art styles and mediums. Creatively mixing and matching techniques with different styles, mediums, and themes, can result in interesting, unique, and engaging art. It also strengthens your skills and creativity as an artist —having to try new things, troubleshoot, and make creative decisions to reach your desired outcome.
In her blog post, Rebecca of the Rebecca Art Tutor blog explains how she instructed students on a variety of techniques and required they use them to illustrate a textured object in a new and interesting way, leaving the creative decisions up to the students. She said, “We had learnt layering paint, dry-brush, different types of brush strokes, scratching into, lifting off, splatter, dots, impasto and more. We then did an exercise where we had to select a textured object (wood, fur, feathers etc.) and represent it with a painting technique….Although still slightly confused by the idea that …[the student] had the answer to ‘how to do fur’... [and] started representing fur with the fan brush in a very effective way…. I had taught the general techniques but allowed the learner to make the connection of how these techniques could be used.” (Rebecca 2022)
This is a fantastic example of how experimentation can result in effective use of techniques to produce interesting and unique outcomes.
Experimenting with Size
If you’re an artist who typically paints large-scale works such as signs, murals, and backdrops, consider downsizing to practice your hand at details. Both large and small scale art has it’s upsides; small scale art focuses more on details and large scale art focuses more on the big picture. Experiment with size and shape in your work and you’ll find you prefer one over the other and its freeing to focus on other aspects of an art piece from time to time.
Artist looking through her canvases depicting many different themes, styles, and subjects. Photo is a still from a video by Antoni Shkraba.
Experimenting with Mediums
If you’re a sketch artist, try working with watercolor, ink pens, markers, colored pencils, or crayons. If you’re a sculptor, try creating sculptures from mixed media such as plastic, wood, metal, paper, paper mache, yarn, or stone. If you’re a novel writer, try experimenting with poetry, nonfiction, or screenwriting. If you’re a digital artist, try your hand at video editing or animation. The examples are endless, but the advice is the same: experiment across different mediums to see what you enjoy using and to strengthen your skills as an artist.
Kralowec said that by experimenting, we can learn what kind of space we work best in, learn what kind of daily practice, pace, or goal-structure we thrive in, learn about the rules and how to effectively break them, and we can stumble on new genres, approaches or styles: the creation of something truly new.
In my sophomore year of college, I did an art capstone class, where the final project was to produce a large fine art piece that could be sold in a gallery. One crucial step of this project process was to produce a test piece prior to working with our fine art materials and larger-scale canvases. The pieces I submitted for the final grade were 2ft (L) x 2ft (W) (test piece) and 3 x 2ft (L) x 4ft (W) (final project triptych). I was working with ink and wood and it was essential that I do a test piece to ensure my materials worked well together. After all, the test piece came out better than the actual final project, in my personal opinion. But I learned a valuable lesson in art through that project; art has a mind of its own and all the planning in the world can still result in the unexpected. Experimentation frees us from the turmoil we feel when our creative visions do not turn out quite like we’d planned.
Experimentation and innovation in art is an important skill to build for any creator. Artists should not box themselves into any one style or medium and instead look for new ways to breathe life and intrigue into their work. They will become a stronger, more diverse, artist for it. Writers should do the same. Writers should challenge themselves by working across different storytelling mediums, genres, and styles whilst retaining their own unique voice between the lines.
I hope you enjoyed this blog post about experimentation in art. This advice can be applied to any creative skill and is encouraged for artists of all genres, mediums, and walks of life. If you already do experiment in your work, let me know in the comments below!
Bibliography:
Comoy, Matthieu. “Art studio with wall graffiti.” Unsplash photo, July 26, 2017.
Dom J “Horse and figure paintings.” Pexels photo, October 5, 2017.
bodobe “Paint supplies” Pixabay photo, September 2, 2015 (Thumbnail).
emzdrawings. “Style Challenge.” Deviantart post, Jul 24, 2019.
erinleedani. “Art Style Challenge.” Instagram post, accessed November 7, 2022.
Kralowec, Kathleen. “Why Artists Must Experiment” Medium article, June 12, 2019.
Massey, Vandy. “Should Artists Experiment?” Vandy Massey Studio blog post, August 5, 2020.
Mcseal. “Style Challenge.” Medibang.com, ArtStreet post, 2019.
p0kky. “draw different styles.” Deviantart post, June 21, 2019.
Shkraba, Antoni. “Woman looking at paintings. “Pexels photo, June 2, 2020.
Yulaukira. “Art Style Challenge.” Medibang.com, ArtStreet post, 2021.
—Payton
Writing Exercises from Jeff Tweedy's Book, How To Write One Song
Hi readers and writerly friends!
Welcome back to the blog and if you’re new, thanks for stopping by!
Today, I’ll be showing you how to write a poem or song from a bunch of common words. By unlocking our subconscious and letting go of predictability and perfection, we can create unique and interesting lyrics.
“Why words? Because I believe all words have their own music and along with that music, I believe words contain worlds of words and meanings that are more often than not, locked beneath the surface.Poetry is what happens when words are opened up and those worlds within are made visible, and the music behind the words is heard.” (Tweedy 2020, 65)
I first heard this concept from Logan from vib3.machine on TikTok who explained using Jeff Tweedy’s ladder method from his book How To Write One Song. It’s called the Ladder Method because of the way you write out the words and link them together on paper.
Keep the words simple
I’m not talking about expanding your vocabulary. I mean, that’s always a nice thing to do in the name of self-improvement, but fancy, multisyllabic words aren’t going to make a lyric better.They’re very often the thing that breaks the spell being cast by the melody being cast when I listen to music….In fact, I would say that most of my favorite songwriters consciously stick to common, simple, and precise language, but they don’t use it in a common and simple way within a song or melody. (Tweedy 2020, 68-9)
He gives John Prime as an example of someone who uses concise, simple, language effectively, that he “didn’t use a log of big words or flowery language and when he did, he always stayed true to the song and what needed to be said over any desire to make himself sound smart or poetic.” (Tweedy 2020, 69)
Word Ladder - Verbs and Nouns
The 6 Steps For Songwriting Using The Word Ladder
Step 1: Come up with a label or word for a specific job
Step 2: List out 10 Verbs to describe the label or job
Step 3: List out 10 nouns you currently see in the space around you
Step 4: Connect the two sets of words in a way is unexpected
Step 5: Write a poem with these connections
Step 6: Rearrange and edit the lines to your liking
Jeff Tweedy’s Word Ladder
Step 1: Come up with a label or word for a specific job.
Tweedy picked “physician” for his example. He listed out ten verbs to describe a physician and then listed out ten nouns from objects within his line of vision.
Step 2: List out 10 Verbs to describe the label or job
Examine
Thump
Prescribe
Listen
Write
Scan
Touch
Wait
Charge
Heal
Step 3: List out 10 nouns you currently see in the space around you
Cushion
Guitar
Wall
Turntable
Sunlight
Window
Carpet
Drum
Microphone
Lightbulb
Jeff Tweedy’s word ladder. Photo by Payton Hayes.
Step 4: Connect the two sets of words in a way is unexpected.
Examine→ Lightbulb
Thump→ Microphone
Prescribe→ Cushion
Listen→ Window
Write→ Sunlight
Scan→ Carpet
Touch→ Turntable
Wait→ Drum
Charge→ Wall
Heal→ Guitar
Step 5: Write a poem with these connections.
“Now take a pencil and draw lines to connect nouns and verbs that don’t normally work together. I like to use this exercise, not so much to generate a set of lyrics but to remind myself of how much fun I can have with words when I’m not concerning myself with meaning or judging my poetic abilities.” (Tweedy 2020, 73)
Jeff Tweedy’s first draft:
the drum is waiting
by the window listening
where the sunlight writes
on the cushions
prescribed
thump the microphone
the guitar is healing
how the turntable is touched
charging in the wall
while one lightbulb examines
and scans the carpet (Tweedy 2020, 73-4)
I find it almost always works when I’m finding a need to break out of my normal, well-worn paths of language. (Tweedy 2020, 74)
Below is Tweedy’s revision of the poem. He says, you don’t have to use every one of the verbs and nouns or put any restrictions on your writing at this point. The goal of this exercise is to warm up your creative muscles.
Tweedy’s revised poem:
The drum is waiting by the windowsill
Where the sunlight writes its will on the rug
My guitar is healed by the amp charging the wall
And that's not all, I’m always in love (Tweedy 2020, 74)
“That’s still a little awkward, but it's enough to jumpstart my brain to where words and language have my full attention again.” (Tweedy 2020, 75)
Logan’s (Vib3.machine) use of the Word Ladder
Step 1: Come up with a label or word for a specific job.
The word Logan picked for his example was “astronaut.” He listed out ten verbs to describe an astronaut and then ten nouns from objects in his room.
Step 2: List out 10 Verbs to describe the label or job.
Explore
Discover
Float
Wait
Voyage
Travel
Learn
Fly
Land
Journey
Step 3: List out 10 nouns you currently see in the space around you.
Basket
Letters
Books
Art
Kitchen
Camera
Floor
Watch
Fan
Bike
Step 4: Connect the two sets of words in a way is unexpected. In his captions, Logan said, “Having your subconscious constantly finding creative unique phrases while you aren’t actively TRYING is super powerful. It’s a habit [I’]m [trying] to develop.” (00:45-1:00)
Logan’s word ladder. Photo by Payton Hayes.
Logan connected his verbs and nouns like this:
Explore → Basket
Discover→ Kitchen
Float→ Floor
Wait→ Fan
Voyage→ Books
Travel→ Letters
Learn→ Bike
Fly→ Watch
Land→ Art
Journey→ Camera
Step 5: Write a poem with these connections. Don’t worry if it still doesn’t make sense. Right now, we’re just writing; we’ll edit it soon!
Logan says in regard to lyric writing, to make it as conversational as possible because it’s more relatable. (Logan 2022, 1:30-1:45)
Here was the poem he came up with from those connections:
I explored your basket
And discovered us in the kitchen
We floated on the floor
And waited next to the fan
You voyaged through this book
And traveled every letter
So I can learn to bike
And fly through this watch
You landed in my art
And the camera we journeyed (Logan 2022, 2:36-2:50)
He said, “I know this sounds like nonsense, but we just wrote something without thinking about it.” (Logan 2022, 2:30-2:35)
Step 6: Rearrange and edit the lines to your liking. For full-length songs and longer poems, continue the process with each stanza. Consider sticking with a common theme, for your first 10 words each time you start the process within one poem or song, but change the words you use for this process with each stanza. Try to avoid unintentional repetition. For poems, see if you can create a rhyme scheme with the words and themes present and make use of the elements of poetry.
I wrote a poem using the Word Ladder
I was substituting for a high school drama teacher when I tried this exercise so, you might notice a theme.
Step 1: Come up with a label or word for a specific job
I picked “Actress”
Step 2: List out 10 Verbs to describe the label or job
Perform
Practice
Dance
Project
Articulate
Memorize
Act
Pantomime
Smile
Transform
Step 3: List out 10 nouns you currently see in the space around you
Podium
Mirror
Pen
Curtain
Piano
Spotlights
Screen
Tape
Carpet
Garbage
My word ladder. Photo by Payton Hayes.
Step 4: Connect the two sets of words in a way is unexpected
Perform→ Spotlights
Practice→ Tape
Dance→ Carpet
Project→ Podium
Articulate→ Piano
Memorize→ Spotlights
Act→ Garbage
Pantomime→ Mirror
Smile→ Curtain
Transform→ Screen
Step 5: Write a poem with these connections
The performance begins with the spotlights
The practice tape is peeling up as I
Dance across the carpet
My teacher projects from the podium and
The piano’s keys articulate a melody
I’ve memorized my position beneath the spotlights
Inside, I hope my acting isn’t total garbage
My classmate pantomimes in the mirror
I plaster on a smile as the curtain opens
We transform from stage to screen
Step 6: Rearrange and edit the lines to your liking
The performance begins with the spotlights
The practice tape is peeling up from the stage
Dancing on the painted wood is nothing like the carpet in our classroom.
For a breath, I think back to rehearsal —the director projecting ques from the podium
The pianos keys articulate the melody of the opening coda
I’ve memorized my lines a million times beneath these spotlights
And still, I hope that my acting isn’t total garbage
The other actors pantomime one another like reflections in mirrors
I plaster on a smile as the curtain opens
We transform from students on a stage to actors on a screen
Here is my final poem:
ACTRESS
The performance begins with the spotlights
The practice tape is peeling up from the stage
Dancing on the painted wood is nothing like the carpet in our classroom.
For a breath, I think back to rehearsal —the director projecting cues from the podium
The pianos keys articulate the melody of the opening coda
I’ve memorized my lines a million times beneath these spotlights
And still, I hope that my acting isn’t total garbage
The other actors pantomime one another like reflections in mirrors
I plaster on a smile as the curtain opens
We transform from drama students in a classroom to actors on a stage
As you can see this process is easy, effective, and creatively freeing. It takes the pressure of your shoulders to create something perfect, especially with the first draft. Having this skill is a great resource for writers both new and seasoned because it gets the words out of our heads and onto the paper and it gives us something to work with. You can edit a bad page but you can’t edit a blank page.
Exercise 4: Word ladder variation using adjectives
“Don’t let adjectives make you think you’re being poetic. An “impatient red fiery orb loomed in the whiskey-blurred, cottony-blue sky is rarely going to hit me anywhere near as hard as “I was drunk in the day.”...Of course, it’s strange how adding words to paint a clearer, more specific image often muddies the image you’re trying to expose. The problem is when they are used to spice up a vague verb or noun instead of replacing that with precise language….”I was extremely frightened by the very large man behind the counter” versus “I was petrified by the colossus working the register.”” (Tweedy 2020, 86)
Step 1: Come up with a location
Step 2: List out 10 adjectives to describe that location
Step 3: List out 10 nouns in your line of vision or that pop into your head (and aren’t related to the location you picked)
Step 4: Connect the two sets of words in a way is unexpected
Step 5: Write a poem with these connections
Step 6: Rearrange and edit the lines to your liking
Step 1: Come up with a location
Tweedy selected “outer space” for his location.
Step 2: List out 10 adjectives to describe that location
Circular
Distant
Ancient
Haloed
Cold
Vast
Bright
Frozen
Silent
Infinite
Step 3: List out 10 nouns in your line of vision or that pop into your head (and aren’t related to the location you picked)
Ladder
Kiss
Daughter
Hand
Pool
Summer
Lawn
Friend
Blaze
Window
Jeff Tweedy’s word ladder variation. Photo by Payton Hayes.
Step 4: Connect the two sets of words in a way is unexpected
Circular→ Summer
Distant→ Hand
Ancient→ Blaze
Haloed→ Daughter
Cold→ Kiss
Vast→ Pool
Bright→ Window
Frozen→ Ladder
Silent→ Lawn
Infinite→ Friend
Step 5: Write a poem with these connections
Tweedy’s poem came out as:
there is a distant hand
on a frozen ladder
climbing through
a bright window
a vast pool waiting
beside a silent lawn
where a daughter haloed
lives a circular summer
one cold kiss
from an infinite friend
away from an ancient blaze (Tweedy 2020, 87)
“It’s not a perfect poem, but it took me only about fifteen minutes to complete, and I really do enjoy some of the imagery that emerged. I actually found a few bits of language that I’ve been looking for to complete a song I’ve been working on.” (Tweedy 2020, 87)
Exercise 2: Steal words from a book writing exercise
This is the second writing exercise in Tweedy’s book. It’s a bit more free-form than the first exercise and can be helpful for getting you used to working with lyric fragments. (Tweedy 2020, 77)
Step 1: If you have a melody, keep it at the forefront of your mind as you read
Step 2: Skim over a page and see what words jump out at you
Step 3: Highlight the words that strike you
Step 4: Keep going until you have a collection of words that sound right with your melody
Step 5: Use an anchor word if one strikes you and pair other melodic words you find with it
Tweedy explains that this process helps put his ego securely in the backseat and forces him to surrender to a process that puts language/words in front of his creative path and he feels free to find them as though they’ve come from somewhere else. He feels more free to react with surprise and passion or cold indifference than he is able to when his intellect begins treating his lyrical ideas like precious jewels. (Tweedy 2020, 78)
He recommends using anchor words if any jump out at you and to find words that go well together sonically. He uses “catastrophe” as an anchor word and uses it to create the following lines:
wouldn’t you call it a catastrophe
when you realize you’d rather be
anywhere but where you are
and far from the one you want to see?” (Tweedy 2020, 79)
Tweedy advises “overdoing it” in terms of coming up with lyrics you like. “Coming up with more than you need is almost never going to make a song worse. Sometimes every good line doesn’t make it into the song you’re working on. But that doesn’t mean you have to throw those lines away. I go back and look at the pages of lyrics I’ve written with this process…and find things I love, even ones I never used, frequently. It helps for there to be some length of time between when they were written and revisited, especially for it to be long enough for the initial melody to have faded. At this point you’re not committing yourself to anything. You’re just creating building blocks. (Tweedy 2020, 79-80)
Exercise 3: Cut-up techniques
“Grab something you’ve been working on and write it all down on a legal pad. Or if you have access to a printer, print it out double-spaced… The easiest cutting strategy is line by line, but word by word or phrase by phrase can provide equally interesting results. Once you’ve cut up your text, you can either put the strips in a hat or turn them over and pull each line/word/phrase randomly. Then scan your chosen poem construction for unexpected surprises.” (Tweedy 2020, 81)
Tweedy says he almost always finds “at least one newly formed phrase or word relationship” that “moves” him or makes him “smile.” (Tweedy 2020, 81)
“Another way to use your cut-up strips is to forget about trying to make random associations and just use them as moveable modules of language. It’s always fascinating to me how much more alive lines I’ve written become when I’m able to have a simple tactile experience reorganizing the order and syntax of the lines and phrases.” (Tweedy 2020, 81-2)
Tweedy provides a comparison of the initial order and finalized order of a set of lyrics from his song, “An Empty Corner”
Version 1:
In an empty corner of a dream
My sleep could not complete
Left on a copy machine
Eight tiny lines of cocaine (Tweedy 2020, 82)
Version 2:
Eight tiny lines of cocaine
Left on a copy machine
In an empty corner of a dream
My sleep could not complete (Tweedy 2020, 83)
“[The second] version is so much more powerful and better overall that I can’t believe I ever tried to sing these lyrics in any other order…Take the time to play with your words. Allow yourself the joy of getting to know them without being precious about directing everything they are trying to say.” (Tweedy 2020, 83)
Exercise 5: Have a conversation
In Chapter 12 of Tweedy’s book, he advises trying another liberating writing exercise. He says to record yourself and someone else having a conversation to see what lyrics can emerge from common conversational language. He shows two examples of this exercise in action and it’s actually brilliant. For the sake of brevity, I’m only including the steps for this exercise but I highly recommend you try it.
Step 1: Record a conversation or rewrite it as accurately to life as possible
Step 2: Take the important and surprising snippets from the conversation
Step 3: Arrange those snippets to amplify or give them new meaning
Step 4: Read it aloud
Step 5: Rearrange and edit as necessary
Other poem and song writing exercises in the book
Some other exercises Tweedy recommends in his book include playing with rhymes (in an unexpected and new way) and pretending to be someone else and channeling their essence when writing songs or poems, which takes the pressure to be vulnerable and perfect off the writer’s shoulders. He also recommends songwriters collect pieces of music, either in the form of mumbled songs, hummed tunes, instrumentals you play yourself or digitally, or music from other artist’s songs and advises songwriters to learn other people’s songs like the back of your hand, so you can take them apart and create something new with those parts.
Additionally, he advises writers to “steal” elements of songs such as themes, lyric fragments, chord progressions, and melodies from existing songs and make them your own. He strongly advises writers to loosen their judgment and allow the creativity to flow freely.
He explains writer’s block as he sees it and provides four conflicting tips for combatting the “stuck” feeling that comes with being creatively blocked: “1) start in the wrong place, 2) start in the right place, 3) put it away, and 4) don’t put it away.” (Tweedy 2020, 144-49) By all of this, he means rearrange song parts until they sound like a good fit for that part of the song, work on fragments or start from the end if the beginning is stumping you, walk away from the piece if its just not working and “keep punching” until you push through to the lyrics you’re looking for.
That’s it for my guide, on writing a song or poem using writing exercises from Jeff Tweedy’s book, How To Write One Song. I hope you enjoyed it and that this process inspired you to try this in your own writing. If you do try this method, post your work in the comments below so I can see how it helped you! Make sure to check out Jeff Tweedy’s book and Vib3.machine’s TikTok for more information on songwriting! Thanks for reading!
Bibliography:
Hayes, Payton. “How To Write One Song by Jeff Tweedy.” Thumbnail Image, November 6, 2022.
Hayes, Payton. “Jeff Tweedy’s word ladder.” Image, November 6, 2022.
Hayes, Payton. “Logan’s word ladder.” Image, November 6, 2022.
Hayes, Payton. “My word ladder.” Image, November 6, 2022.
Hayes, Payton. “Jeff Tweedy’s word ladder variation.” Image, November 6, 2022.
Related topics:
Screenwriting For Novelists - How Different Mediums Can Improve Your Writing
Experimentation Is Critical For Creators’ Growth —In Both Art and Writing
Recent blog posts:
—Payton
8 Reasons Why Having Writing Community Matters
Two writers working on their projects together. Photo by Windows.
Hi readers and writerly friends!
When we hear the word “writer,” the image that comes to mind is that of a hermit holed up in their office or writing room, hunched over their desk, writing at all hours, alone. However, this is often not the case when it comes to successful writers. While writing itself is often a solitary activity, there's a lot of other people involved in the publishing process from mentors, to beta readers to editors, to critique groups, to agents and publishers. The process of writing, editing, and publishing a manuscript isn’t done alone.
However, many writers still forget this crucial part of writing. Writing partners and critique groups serve as excellent sources for feedback, critiques, and writing advice. Many writers avoid writing communities and try to do it all alone. Without other writers around to encourage you, support you, and hold you accountable, it’s easy to give up on your goals.
Support
A writing community can provide essential support to both seasoned and aspiring writers alike. I am part of a couple of Facebook writing and editing groups and just scrolling through their posts provides me with an abundance of motivation and support to keep doing what I do. It feels amazing just seeing what everyone else is working on and reading supportive comments from fellow group members. There are many stages of the writing process where writers give up. The difference between an unfinished draft and a published book is a strong writing community.
2. Accountability
A writing community can hold you accountable to your goals. If you’re already great at meeting objectives and reaching your goals, then maybe you can show someone else how to. Many writers still struggle with meeting deadlines and achieving their goals. Having a writing community to fall back on is immensely helpful. Even when you don’t feel like writing, their commentary and advice is motivating and inspiring.
3. Feedback
We’ve all gotten feedback from friends and family, and it’s just not as helpful or constructive as advice from other writers. They don’t understand the genre, demographic, subject matter, or other story elements and provide biased feedback when asked their thoughts. Having a writing community means you have access to constructive, actionable, relevant feedback and in turn, you can provide the same for your fellow writers.
4. Advice
Much like feedback, useful writing advice is essential, and non-writers aren’t equipped to provide it. Writers can recommend books, blogs, guides, YouTube videos, speakers, podcasts, and tons of other useful content to each other through their writing communities.
5. Reaching Readers
Writing communities do not have to be exclusive to just writers; readers are a big part of writing communities too. Take beta readers for example —they enjoy reading novel drafts and providing readers with feedback relevant to their genre. Readers can provide vital advice and critiques to writer’s works without the writer’s lenses. A community of dedicated readers or your target audience can be extremely beneficial to you as a writer, especially during the marketing phase.
6. Inspiration
Group of writers cheering each other on in the library. Photo by Yan Krukov.
Inspiration is an important part of the writing process and watching your fellow writers grow and succeed in their craft can serve as crucial motivation and inspiration to keep you on track with your craft as well. The same reason writers read books from their genre or works from their favorite writers, they can also take feedback from their writing community as inspiration.
7. Helping Others
Helping other writers learn and grow in their craft is a wonderfully rewarding feeling. If you’ve got experience writing, you can share it with your writing community and maybe teach someone something they didn’t already know. Writers often post questions in community forums or groups on Facebook seeking advice for specific struggles in the writing process. Helpful answers from fellow writers can be more useful and actionable than simply asking a friend for their opinion or having to sift through a long blog post to answer a quick question.
8. Tribe
Last but not least, having a writing community means that you have a tribe to belong to. Writers from all walks of life come together for a common goal: to write a book, leave a legacy, and make their mark on the world. Having a connected, empowering, inspirational, constructive community is essential for writers of every genre and level of expertise and having a tribe to belong to is important for anyone regardless of if they are readers or writers.
I’ve included some examples of writing communities that I am a part of below.
Oklahoma Writing Communities
Below are a few of the editorial communities in Oklahoma:
Writer’s Societies at UCO
Below are a few of the writer’s societies I am a part of at the University of Central Oklahoma:
Golden Ponies Creative Writers Guild
Facebook Writing and Editing Groups
Below are a few of the editorial groups I am a member of on Facebook:
Bibliography:
That’s it for my 8 Reasons Why Having Writing Community Matters. Do you have a writing community? How has it helped you in your writing practice? Let me know in the comments below!
Recent blog posts:
—Payton
Active Reading Vs. Passive Reading - Using Pscyhology-Based Critical Reading Skills To Increase Information Absorption
Hi readers and writerly friends!
This week in Reader Life, we’re discussing the concept of active reading for comprehension and concept retention. This article is all about helping you ensure you’re actually absorbing what you’re reading and will able to put into application, the information you’ve read or listened to, rather than it simply going in one ear and out the other.
Passive Reading
Passive reading is when one reads quickly, skimming the material and not really taking it in effectively. This most often occurs when readers are cramming with little time to read, reading amidst distractions such as loud music, noises, or voices, or listening to books while doing some other activity that pulls their attention away from the information they’re trying to absorb.
To avoid passive listening, limit your multitasking and have a pen and paper close by so you can jot down any important notes as needed. If you must do something while listening to an audiobook or recording, combine that mental activity with a physical activity of low mental energy such as working out, going for a walk, bathing, or doing some other simple, automatic/repetitive task that won’t pull you away from the material. Where you can, try to have a copy of the physical book to read along with the audiobook for extra focusing power and immersion.
Active Reading
Active reading is the method of reading material by which you are fully engaged and able criticize concepts as they are presented to you, comparing what you are learning with that which you already know. By active reading, you are absorbing the information you are presented with and thus able to apply it moving forward.
How to read actively:
When reading chapters in text books or curriculum material, read any questions BEFORE reading the passage so you can know what key information you’re supposed to be looking for.
Where you can, read the passage three times and review the questions between each pass through. This will help you to cement the information in your brain and will ensure you’re becoming extra familiar with the material, introducing any key concepts you might have missed in the first pass through.
Underline and search any unknown words, subjects, concepts, or ideas referenced, that you might not be familiar with. This will avoid any confusion during the reading process. Write these terms and their definitions down so that you can reinforce your understanding of them.
Pay attention to headers and sub-headers as they typically provide clues to the main idea of that section. As you move through paragraphs, jot down a few words in the margins or in your note, to describe the main idea of each paragraph. This is especially helpful when writing a summarization or response paper for passages.
As you read, highlight or underline any concepts that may be relevant to the reading questions you reviewed before and between reading sessions. When it comes time to answer the questions, go back to the highlighted sections for easy and accurate answering.
As you read, take any notes on concepts, terms, or subjects you will be quizzed on later or save any ideas you will want to come back to. There are all kinds of ways to take notes, but opt for simplicity and efficiency. Notes do not have to be gorgeous or frilly to be effective. Legible handwriting, underlining, capitalization, and a few different color pens will go a long way. If you prefer, handwrite your notes and then type them up on your computer for extra studying power and better legibility.
The benefits of active reading
Active reading ensures you absorb the material you’re reading, you retain more of what you read, and you remember the information for years to come. It’s a skill that takes time and practice to build but after a few sessions, you’ll have this useful skill in your toolkit forever. This skill is especially useful for students and educators but anyone who considers themselves an academic or lifelong learner would benefit from practicing this skill.
Active reading using the SQ3R Method
According to the American Psychological Association, the SQ3R method is “a study method developed on the basis of research in cognitive psychology which promotes enhanced learning of reading material (APA, 2020). The acronym SQ3R stands for the five steps in the reading process: Survey, Question, Read, Remember, and Review. This process is effective for reviewing previously visited material as well as reading passages for the first time. According to the Marbella International University Centre, the SQ3R method was proposed in the book Effective Study (1946) by Francis P. Robinson, a prominent American educational psychologist (Marbella IUC 2020).
Survey: Skim through the text quickly to get an overall idea of the subject matter. Pay close attention to section headers and sub-headers.
Question: If you are reading the passage for a particular purpose (for example, to answer an assignment), ask yourself how it helps. Ask these additional questions of the text: Who? What? Where? When? How?
Read: the text in a focused, and fairly speedy way. Take breaks between long passages to allow your brain to refocus and absorb more material.
Remember: Test your memory - but don't worry if you can't remember much. Flashcards are a great way to test your memory. Work with a friend or colleague or use Quizlet to create your own virtual flashcards to quiz yourself.
Review: Read the text in more detail, taking notes. Summarize and paraphrase important concepts. Being able to accurately rephrase content in an easily-digestible format demonstrates your understanding of the material.
Take your reading a step further with the SQ4R Method
According to Weber State University, there are some other terms you could insert for a SQ4R method instead. Below are the optional R’s that can be used as a fourth step in this method and will take your reading, memorization, and application to another level.
Relate and Reflect: Making a meaningful, personal connection between yourself and the material will help cement concepts in your mind. As you read each chapter or section, try to create ties between the new concepts and the information you already know. How can this material apply to your life
Rewrite: Reduce the information to easily-digestible notes by rewriting and paraphrasing. Take notes that are both concise and complete, and double check your own version against the text. For your reference, include page numbers in your notes, so you can quickly trace the information back to the source text if needed.
Record: Retain essential information and key concepts either by literally recording yourself read aloud, saving bookmarks or timestamps in an audiobook, or adding sticky tabs to the pages of your physical text. Create a list of terms and concepts that you know will be on the test and write the page numbers from the source material as well as your notes so you can quickly and easily find the information you need while studying.
Repeat and Read Aloud: As with the Record option, you could read aloud your material. Studies have shown that reading aloud improves comprehension as well as memory. As per the Neurobehavioral Associates, a 2017 study from the University of Waterloo confirmed the production effect, or the “distinction experienced when words are read aloud, versus reading words silently. The speaking of the words is more active than silent reading, and therefore aides in the production of our long-term memories” (Neurobehavioral Associates 2018).
The ninety-five participants in the study “were asked to read silently, listen to someone else read aloud, read aloud themselves, and listen to a recording of themselves reading. While hearing a recording of themselves did show a small benefit, the greatest benefit to memory was, overwhelming, found when the participants read aloud” (Neurobehavioral Associates 2018). Try reading aloud to help retain important information and read along with your own recordings for even stronger concept retention.
Respond: As you read, write the answers to the questions you read before diving into 3R/4R part of the method. As necessary, ask yourself additional questions and write them with the answers in the margins or in your notes. When you go back to answer the actual test questions, double check that your answer is correct and include the page number with your answers if you have the space.
Active reading starts with the reader. It is the act of engaging deliberately with the material and absorbing it effectively. Readers can practice reading more actively with a few simple steps and by doing so will increase their information absorption and reading comprehension.
That’s it for my article on how to practice active reading! Have you ever heard of this practice before? In what was has active reading helped you study smarter? Let me know in the comments below and thanks for reading!
Bibliography:
Kang, Jaeyoung Geoffrey. “Assorted-title-book lot photo.” Unsplash photo, July 31, 2019 (Thumbnail).
Weber State University. “The SQ3R Method.” PDF found on Google.com, accessed September 12, 2022.
Further reading:
—Payton
Updates Coming To The Website: New Brand/Site Name, New Site Styles, New Content, and More!
Big changes are coming to Wonderforest.net —or should I say, Paytonhayes.com! You read that right. New brand name, new URL, new content, and more. I decided I wanted to save Wonderforest for another project and I wanted my editorial biz under my own name for simplicity and few other reasons. Read more here.
Hi readers and writerly friends!
I hope you all are well. It’s reaching peak temps this summer in Oklahoma, where we’re seeing highs get into the 100°s. I’ve been in the process of moving and preparing for back-to-school but in my free time, I’ve been making some changes to my website and brand, This blog post details the current and upcoming changes to this site in 2022.
This post is for informational purposes. I get steady traffic to my website, and I’d like to make the transition as smoothly as possible for all my readers. Likewise, for learning and transparency, I’d like to keep track of the changes.
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out.
Upcoming changes for 2022 include:
New Site/Brand Name
New Logos and Site Media
Blog Page New URL slug
New Blog Post Formatting
New Blog Content
New Newsletter Content
Features
Shop Product Logos
Broken Links (temporary)
Wonderforest Landing Page
Photo Formatting
Chicago Style
Other Changes
New Site/Brand Name
First and foremost, Wonderforest/Wonderforest LLC/Wonderforest.net/www.wonderforest.net will be changing to Payton Hayes Writing & Editing Services/www.phwritingservices.com. After a lot of consideration, I’ve decided to rename my editorial business to something that is more relevant, succinct, and appropriate for my work. The new name is relevant, practical, and straight to the point. I will be changing all the site media to reflect this change.
New Logos and Site Media
As mentioned above, the logos, pictures, photos, artwork, and other media on www.phwriting.com (formerly www.wonderforest.net) will change to reflect the brand’s name change. In an effort to maintain brand uniformity, the logo’s color palette remain the same. Below is a comparison of the old logo alongside the new logo. Logos were made with Canva.
Blog Page To Merge With Home Page
Previously, the Blog hub page (where all my blog posts could be accessed, not just recent posts like on the Home page) was called “Blog” with the url slug “https://www.paytonhayes.com/blog-feed/”. This slug will be changing to “archives” and will look like this: “https://www.paytonhayes.com/archives/.
Tip: To return Home at anytime, simply click the logo at the top of the screen.
Additionally, images will not be edited to contain lens flares or sparkles anymore. These edits are hard to keep uniform from photo to photo and often distort the images they’ve been applied to. This was an aesthetic I’d decided on in the early stages of the blog’s creation and honestly, it’s time for a change. I will try to swap out all the edited photos for uniformity, but that will take time. For now, all cover/thumbnail photos will no longer contain these elements, and the rest of the site will follow shortly.
New Blog Post Layout
As the previous paragraph states, the Blog will be getting renovated and that includes blog posts as well. Blog posts will not always contain an image and will no longer be concluded by a photo of myself with a byline. Blog posts will follow a casual, conversational, AP Style Column-like style.
New Blog Content
I’m hoping to have a more steady creative schedule in the upcoming months so hopefully you’ll see more posts here soon. I plan to finish the Book Writing 101 Series this year and I’ve got a few book reviews in the works. If you’d like to see me cover a particular topic or review a book, please reach out. I am hoping to get the Features page up and running with content sometime this year as well so keep an eye out for that.
New Newsletter Content
Following suit with the changes coming to the website and blog content, the Newsletters will be seeing some cosmetic changes as well. A new newsletter will be coming soon, along with the new blog content and Features.
Features Page
The Features page will now be part of the Blog Page.
I am looking for writers, artists, and fellow creatives who are interested in guest blogging for my website. I get a fair bit of niche traffic but I am wanting to expand beyond writing advice and editorial content.
I'd like to start an e-zine with a focus on OKC and articles in the following categories:
Nonfiction: education, health, beauty, fitness, arts, entertainment, business, travel, lifestyle, diet, and culture.
This is a non-profit, collaborative effort to give other artists and creators a voice and help my colleagues gain more journalistic writing and editing experience.
Diversity and inclusivity are two of the most important elements of this project. Writers who identify with a marginalized community are strongly encouraged to get in touch.
Please reach out if you’re interested. Serious inquiries only.
Shop Product Logos
The Wonderforest-branded content that will not see changes are the products listed in my online shop. The WF logo will remain as part of the merchandise designs and will be included in the finished products. Changes to these items and their listings may come at a later date but will remain the same for now.
Broken Links
Many of my “Read More” or “Related Reading:” links will be temporarily disabled. You can search articles straight from the website. Further reading lists already contain the exactly titles of other posts, so simply copying and pasting should pull them up for you. I hope to get these up and working again asap, but if you need help finding anything, please let me know.
Wonderforest Landing Page
Lastly, but certainly not least, you might come across a Wonderforest landing page to help redirect traffic from the old URL to the new one. Again, the old URL is www.wonderforest.net, and the new URL is www.paytonhayes.com. I still own the URL for Wonderforest and will not be retiring it anytime soon. I have plans for it in the future, so keep your eyes out for that! In the mean time, this site (www.paytonhayes.com) will be the place for bookish content, writing and editing advice, and editorial services so make sure you bookmark it for reference later!
Photo Formatting
Photos will no longer have lens flares or other extensive editing. I will also try to include more of my own photos rather than generic stock images. Additionally, I will be adding captions and bylines to photos in blog posts with links tracing back to the photographer for credit. Thumbnail photo credits will always be at the end of the blog post.
Chicago Style Blog Posts
This change may not be immediately observed, but moving forward, my blog posts will now follow Chicago Style formatting. Previously I was using a mixture of styles, but being a book editor, I’d like to demonstrate my knowledge of and experience using the Chicago Manual of Style by ensuring my posts align as closely as possible to Chicago Style. I will not be using superscript for my notes or putting endnote/footnotes at the end of blog post sections as this will take way too long to edit using HTML and will break up the blog posts in a distracting way. Instead, blog posts will feature in-text author-date citations and a bibliography section at the end of the post. Thumbnails will also be credited in the Bibliography. Older blog posts may or may not be updated to reflect this change, but all posts from 2022 and onward will follow Chicago Style.
Other Changes
Other items that will see changes include: Wonderforest social media, contact email, terms of use page, other policy pages, and business cards.
Thanks for reading! If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out.
—Payton
The 4 Most Useful FREE Apps for Writers in 2022 (Sync Across Multiple Devices, Not Only iOS)
Though it may seem counterintuitive from a notification/distraction standpoint, there are many great tools for both readers and writers readily accessible from multiple devices. If you want to knock out your book challenge or level up your writing game for 2022, keep reading to find out what apps might help you reach your bookish goals this year!
Hello readers and writerly friends!
Though it may seem counterintuitive from a notification/distraction standpoint, there are many great tools for both readers and writers readily accessible from multiple devices. If you want to knock out your book challenge or level up your writing game for 2022, keep reading to find out what apps might help you reach your bookish goals this year!
Wonderforest is not affiliated with any of these apps mentioned below. These are my genuine recommendations. All of these apps listed below are free-to-use or have free versions available.
Google Docs
Notion is widely versatile and is very user friendly. Photo by Filip Baotić.
Although its an obvious one to start, most writers and editors will suggest MS Word before Google Docs. However, for someone who values accessibility and security over an abundance of professional editorial features, the cloud-based word-processing app might be the way to go. You can access Google Docs from your desktop, laptop, phone, or tablet and autosave is always one. Writer’s can rest easy knowing their precious drafts are safe in the cloud.
2. Notion
Regardless of whether you’re a creative individual or not, Notion is a fantastic multi-functional app with accessibility across multiple devices much like Google Docs. Notion is described as a project management and note-taking app, but to some, it’s the ultimate productivity station. Notion is truly an all-in-one platform for tracking, project management, note-taking, planning, lists, databases, and so much more. It can be as minimal or maximal as needed and its adaptive to the user’s needs. This means users can complete a wide variety of tasks within a single platform, thus decreasing distraction and increasing workflow.
3. Evernote
Readers and writers alike can benefit from using Evernote because it is designed for note taking, organizing, task management, and archiving. Readers who enjoy taking notes over the books they’ve been reading and writers trying to keep track of their project notes can all make use of the features Evernote has to offer, which include but are not limited to:
Sync and Organize. Keep your notes handy.
Web Clipper. A save button for the web.
Tasks. Bring notes & to-dos together.
Calendar. Connect schedules and notes.
Templates. Create better notes, faster.
Document Scanning. Go paperless with Evernote.
Search. Find exactly what you need.
Plagiarism Checker by Grammarly. Screenshot by Payton Hayes.
4. Grammarly
While Grammarly is more of a writer tool, non-writers from students to teachers to business professionals can all benefit from checking their work for plagiarism. When it comes to written content, it’s immensely important to ensure your work is unique and that you’re not taking someone else’s words. Double check that your words are fresh by running them through Grammarly’s plagiarism checker. It’s as simple as uploading a file or copying and pasting.
Honorable mentions
These apps and software didn’t make the cut above because a) they either weren’t free or didn’t have free versions available or b) weren’t available across iOS, Android, and Windows. However, these apps are incredibly useful and are definitely worth checking out!
Living Writer
Scrivener
Final Draft
Storyist
MS Word (MS Office 365 Subscription)
That’s it for my top four most useful apps for writers in 2022, and they’re all free! Do you use these apps for your writing? What did you think of this list? Let me know in the comments below! Thanks for reading and make sure to check out my recent blog posts!
Bibliography:
Related topics:
Recent blog posts:
—Payton
Self-Care Tips for Readers and Writers
Sometimes it’s hard being a writer—I get it. Sometimes we get writers’ block and sometimes we just don’t feel like pulling up to the computer and cranking out 1200 words a day for the month of November, or ever for that matter. Writing is hard. No matter how many times I say it, it doesn’t make the process any easier. Writing can be really, really, reeeeeally difficult sometimes. Most of the time, in fact. It’s a process that makes you swoon, cry, cringe, hyperventilate, and want to tear your hair out at every turn. It’s frustrating when you want to write but you just don’t feel motivated or inspired enough to do so. It’s frustrating when you feel motivated and inspired but you just don’t feel like writing.
Hi readers and writerly friends!
This week in Reader Life, we’re going over how to practice self-care for both readers and writers. It can be hard to remember to take care of ourselves, and I think after the insane year we’ve all had with 2020, we’ve been reminded how valuable good, regular self-care is important for everyone, no matter what hobbies or occupation you may have. While these tips are geared more for readers and writers, they’re certainly applicable for any kind of creator.
Woman reading in a relaxing floral milk bath. Photo by Monstera.
Give yourself a little grace as a writer
Sometimes it’s hard being a writer—I get it. Sometimes we get writers’ block and sometimes we just don’t feel like pulling up to the computer and cranking out 1200 words a day for the month of November, or ever for that matter. Writing is hard. No matter how many times I say it, it doesn’t make the process any easier. Writing can be really, really, reeeeeally difficult sometimes. Most of the time, in fact. It’s a process that makes you swoon, cry, cringe, hyperventilate, and want to tear your hair out at every turn. It’s frustrating when you want to write but you just don’t feel motivated or inspired enough to do so. It’s frustrating when you feel motivated and inspired but you just don’t feel like writing.
Give yourself grace as a writer. Remember, writing is hard, and it takes time to finish projects. Be kind and patient with yourself and remind yourself often, that writing isn’t something that everyone can do and that’s why you’re special and essential to this world.
Read my blog post, When Writing Becomes Difficult.
Read my blog post, 5 Reasons Most Writers Quit.
Stop caring what others think and stop comparing yourself to others
This goes for both readers and writers—stop comparing yourself to other people and stop worrying about what other people think. This kind of thinking doesn’t benefit anyone and can end up consuming so much of our time and energy.
Readers, stop comparing yourselves to other readers who may have read more books than you, may be faster readers, or who have more aesthetically pleasing bookshelves (and in turn, social media feeds.)
Writers, stop comparing yourselves to other writers who may have been published before you or who have published more books than you have, writers who may come up with beautiful words or excellent writing, or writers who seem to write easily without difficulty.
Everyone should stop comparing themselves to others and remember to appreciate the good qualities about themselves and enjoy the positive things that them apart from the other people in their community.
Allow yourself to put down or part with books you dislike
Give yourself permission to DNF—Did Not Finish—books that you don’t like or feel like a chore to read. If you find the book isn’t grabbing your pages at a hundred pages in, or you realize you have to bargain with yourself to sit down and read, consider that the book in question might not be for you and that’s okay. Think carefully about the books you read and try to build a reader profile for yourself, so you know what books to seek out and which ones to avoid in the future. If you notice historical fiction is just not captivating you the way paranormal romance does, then evaluate your tastes and remember to seek out books that align with them as you search for your next read.
Take frequent writing breaks to recharge your creative battery
Woman writing and using a laptop. Photo by cottonbro.
This piece of advice is essential. We’ve all been there —we glance at the clock and gasp after spending hours writing or reading the day away, hunched over our books and computer screens, in some other world. For readers and writers alike, remember to take frequent breaks to break up the tedium that reading/writing for hours so often brings. Readers, stand up and move around between chapters and writers, do some yoga or some kind of gentle movement to loosen up and get you out of your head. Consider taking a walk outside for fresh air or stroll down to your favorite coffee shop for a post-chapter treat!
Read for pleasure and not for work
Many of us creative bookworms often read to create content for our YouTubes, blogs, and social media accounts and we often read to review books. However, I implore you, dear reader, to remember to read just to read. Read for pleasure and read books that you enjoy. You don’t always have to read the most anticipated book of the year or the book of the month, especially if you can’t find time to read for yourself.
Write just to write
This is easier said than done, right? At first yes. Try writing just to dump all of your thoughts, feelings, items you were supposed to remember, lists and anything else taking up creative space in your mind. This is called brain-dumping and it can work wonders for writers who get stuck in their heads or are easily distracted. Try writing morning pages—Invented by Julia Cameron—where you mindlessly write for several pages, first thing in the morning to clear your mind for the important work you will do later.
Read The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron here.
Stay on a writing schedule
Read or write regularly. This will make it easier to sit down to work on your manuscript or dig into your reading material every single day. It might be hard to remember at first, so set alarms for yourself until it becomes a habit for you. Carve out a space and time for completing this activity daily and it will, slowly but surely grow increasingly easier for you. Eventually it will become like second nature. When that time rolls around each day, you’ll feel the writing/reading itch creep in and you’ll know what to do.
Check out my blog post, Writing Every Day: What Writing as A Journalist Taught Me.
Maintain a balanced diet
While this isn’t exactly related to reading or writing, it is related to being human. No matter what your hobby or occupation is, balanced diets are integral to your health and should never be left out of the self-care conversation. Remember to drink plenty of water and eat balanced meals throughout the day. Consider having a snack with your book and treat yourself to an occasional glass of wine or coffee while you write.
Move your body regularly
Much like the practice of maintaining a balanced diet is important for all readers and writers (and people in general,) exercising regularly is as well. Regular, quality exercise is crucial to your health and can help you keep your energy and mood elevated long after you’ve finished working out. There are countless studies that support the notion that exercise is directly linked to happiness and maintaining a positive mood and energy. So, like reading and writing, set aside time to exercise and loosen up.
Pro Tip: Couple your breaks with short, gentle stretch routines to knock out two birds with one stone.
Check out my Yoga For Writers: A 30-Minute Routine To Do Between Writing Sessions blog post.
Get plenty of good-quality sleep
Writing/reading are ultimately mental activities, and what we know about the brain is that brain function decreases when there’s a lack of sleep in our lives. This article from the Sleep Foundation explains how lack of sleep can impair our day-to-day cognitive function.
Sleep is an important time for the brain. Levels of brain activity change in each stage of sleep — including both rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM (NREM) sleep — and evidence increasingly suggests that sleep enhances most types of cognitive function.
Getting enough hours of high-quality sleep fosters attention and concentration, which are a prerequisite for most learning. Sleep also supports numerous other aspects of thinking including memory, problem-solving, creativity, emotional processing, and judgment.
—Sleep Foundation
How Lack of Sleep Impacts Cognitive Performance and Focus
Investing in yourself is also directly investing in your creativity and writing career. Consider what lifestyle changes you can make to positively impact your sleeping habits.
Adhere to a strict sleep schedule
Pick up a set of noise-canceling earbuds/earplugs
Upgrade your mattress and bedframe
Create a practical and nourishing night routine
Pick up some blackout curtains
Get a white noise or sound effects machine
Treat yourself to luxuriously soft bedsheets and comfy pillows
Cut off the caffeine in the afternoon
Turn your bathroom into an at-home spa for heavy writing days
Don’t forget to celebrate both the small and big wins
Two friends working creatively outside with coffee. Photo by Keira Burton.
Don’t forget to celebrate your small and big wins, no matter whether or not you’re a reader, writer, both, or neither. If you knock out a book, make sure to update your Goodreads Reading Challenge, and treat yourself to a coffee. If you manage to write through a particularly difficult chapter of your novel reward yourself with a break and 30 minutes of your favorite TV show. Celebrate in whatever way makes sense for you and your life, but make sure you don’t forget to set aside time to recognize when you’ve hit major and minor milestones and completed your goals. The challenges and wins alike can all blur together and without taking time to reflect and cherish your successes, its easy to get caught up in the drudges of the writing world. Don’t let the negativity and workload drag you down. Honor you small and big wins alike by taking time to celebrate the hard work you’ve done and how far you’ve come
Meet another reader/writer for coffee
I know this will be difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic but when this all blows over, make sure to reach out to your friends and family to catch up over coffee or a nice meal, and gush about all of your favorite reads or current writerly projects. In the mean time, if you can abide by social distancing guidelines while meeting a member of your safety circle or visiting with a new friend, try to find time to do so, but safely.
And don’t let isolation keep you locked inside —find your next adventure between the pages here.
Pro tip: Try working outside at a local park, in a coffee shop, or at the library for a change of scenery. Sometimes getting out of the house and out of your usual writing space might help spark inspiration and refresh your creativity. Plan a co-working date with a friend or colleague for extra focusing power.
And that’s it for my self-care tips for readers and writers. Have you practiced any of these tips before? What has worked for you in your reading/writing practice? Do you experience any overlap between the two activities? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Further Reading
—Payton
Breathing New Life Into Humanities At Rose State College
Hi readers and writerly friends!
This week in Artsy Things, I wanted to republish an article I wrote for the 6420 Magazine. They’ve redone their website again so I figured I’d try and post all my writing here! This article was supposed to be second in a three part series, but was adjusted to fit all the core information into one brief article for the magazine. You can learn more from the articles linked at the end of this blog post!
In part one of this series, we looked at the research and development the Fall 2019 Mural class conducted in preparation of the new humanities mural. They visited with Randy Marks from OKC’s Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, Pablo Barrera from Oklahoma Contemporary, and the heads of the Arts Division from OCU to see what the process was like getting a mural up in public spaces, what Oklahoma Contemporary was doing to make public art more accessible, and what new courses and features OCU’s art division had to offer art majors transferring from Rose State College.
The start of an art-covered campus at Rose State
Even though the process for getting a mural up at Rose State was different than the process for public art, they still had to render out their ideas, budget their supplies, and put together a presentation for the Humanities Building Interior Mural Committee on the Rose State College campus. They narrowed down their ideas down to two mural concepts, one done by Fine Arts major, Ashley Gilliland and one done by myself. The committee chose Ashley's design due to time constraints and planned for my mural to be done next semester.
Once all of the prep work was complete, the mural was set to begin. They started sketching the design out on the wall and in days, had the first layers of paint up. Over the past few months, they've been working on it, each Tuesday and Friday, and they made considerable progress for only working two days out of each week of the semester. They just finished the mural and sealed it on Tuesday, December 10th, 2019, so it's officially finished.
Suzanne Thomas described her thoughts on the mural class, how it differed from previous years’ classes, and her thoughts on the mural:
“This mural class was more about the process and procedures that an artist must go through before they create artwork. Especially artwork that is meant to be viewed in public. I think a lot of art students have this idea that art is just about their personal expression, but public art, i.e., like murals, are about the reflecting the values within the community at large. This class was different in that there was more research that had to be done, more collaboration among the students, and Humanities faculty. I am really proud of the mural and their work!” said Thomas.
No Limitations
No Limitations mural in the Humanities building at Rose State College
Humanities Brain Mural Planned for Spring Semester
When the mural class rendered out their concepts for the first painting, at least three of five students came up with a left brain versus right brain type of design. They said this happened with zero communication or collaboration on their part and thought it was a good sign that they were on the same page. However, due to the fall semester moving so quickly, the students of the mural class, Suzanne Thomas and the Humanities Building Interior Mural Committee agreed it made more sense to do Gilliland’s mural in the fall semester and save my mural for the spring semester.
The Humanities Building Interior Mural Committee was torn between the two mural concepts and voted to have both done since they couldn’t pick one over the other. The second design is planned for the spring semester. I will be completing the mural as an honors credit project for my painting class, with the help of volunteer high school students from Midwest City High School. We’re still getting all our ducks in a row but so far, Humanities Dean, Toni Castillo’s approval we have a few students who have volunteered to work on the mural, and Suzanne Thomas’ has agreed to mentor me on the project.
Since I will be spearheading the project, it is my job to organize all the logistics from reaching out to the high school to recruit students, obtaining liability waivers, and getting everything approved between both schools. This project is exciting because it benefits all three parties—the MCHS students who will be receiving recognition for their volunteer work on the project, Rose State College which is using this as a recruitment opportunity for the Fine Arts Department, and myself who will of course receive recognition for the concept as well as an opportunity to participate in a leadership program.
Toni Castillo, Dean of Humanities provided her thoughts on both of the murals and her plan for breathing new life into the Humanities building:
“The mural project is a perfect opportunity for the Humanities Division Art Program to showcase the exceptional talents of Rose State students. I am particularly gratified that the project is completely student driven—their vision, their presentation, their implementation—so that eventually that entire upstairs corridor of our building will be a legacy of their values left for all who come here. Professor Suzanne Thomas, who has headed the project, has shown particularly strong leadership in the way she has structured the class and worked with dedicated Honors Program students to complete the project, as those students have in turn reached out to involve area high school students. The project in that corridor will be ongoing for several years until we finally have a true venue for experiential art here at Rose.” said Castillo
Spring Humanities mural completed in the summer of 2020 due to COVID-19 Pandemic
Unfortunately due to the pandemic, I had to push my mural back until the summer where I was one of the only people allowed in the building. Since then, I have completed it and was awarded honor’s credit for it’s completion. It was an incredible opportunity I will be gracious to Rose State College and Suzanne Thomas for forever. Below is a slideshow of the completed mural.
Humanities
“Humanities” mural in the upstairs back hallway of the Humanities building at Rose State College
Further reading
Exploring Oklahoma Murals Where Public Art Is More Than Paint
Exploring Oklahoma Murals Where Public Art Is More Than Paint
Is there an official opening date? Will there be a special opening ceremony or event for the public?
Oklahoma Contemporary - New Home
Artist VARA Waiver
General VARA Waiver for Works of Visual Art
COVID-19 Delays Oklahoma Contemporary’s New Location Opening Ceremony
New Light—Oklahoma Contemporary’s Plan to Re-Open
Making Space With Oklahoma Contemporary Interview With Pablo Barrera
Making Space With Oklahoma Contemporary: Interview With Pablo Barrera
Thank you for reading my article about murals at Rose State College and fine arts in the OKC area! If you’re in the area and interested in art, I highly encourage you to check out Oklahoma Contemporary and get involved with the art community here in Oklahoma!
—Payton
Exploring Oklahoma Murals Where Public Art Is More Than Paint
When the mural class met with Randy Marks from the OKC Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, they learned that the process for getting not only murals, but other forms of public art installed is a much more extensive process than slapping paint up on a wall.
Hi readers and writerly friends!
Suzanne Thomas’ Fall 2019 Special Topics In Art: Mural Students paint the finishing touches on the first Humanities hallway mural. Photo by Ken Beachler at Rose State College.
This week in Artsy Things, I wanted to republish an article I wrote for the 6420 Magazine. They’ve redone their website again so I figured I’d try and post all my writing here! This article was supposed to be first in a three part series, but was condensed, so the full versions will be here.
In Suzanne Thomas’ Fall 2019 Special Topics In Art: Mural class, students learned all the ins and outs of getting a mural up in public space when they met with the Randy Marks from the Oklahoma City Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs. The same day, they met with Pablo Barrera, Oklahoma Contemporary’s inaugural Curatorial fellow and the Division heads of the Fine Studio Arts at Oklahoma City University. After learning about the public art process and different opportunities for art in Oklahoma, the students began preparing for the mural they’d be painting in the upstairs, back hallway of the Rose State College Humanities building.
OKC Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs
When the mural class met with Randy Marks from the OKC Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, they learned that the process for getting not only murals, but other forms of public art installed is a much more extensive process than slapping paint up on a wall. First, one must go through the Oklahoma City Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs to get their artwork approved, if it’s going to be on public property or on the external surface of a building (Indoor murals are at the discretion of the shopkeeper).
The mural artist must build a presentation which includes the stages of execution, mockups, expected start and finish date, location, and a budget for the project if it will require public funding from the city. The presentation must be formally presented in front of the Oklahoma City Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs Committee and approved. Once approved, the artist will begin preparing for the mural process; this includes gathering materials, preparing the workspace, and getting the necessary paperwork and waivers in order.
It’s important that muralists get a VARA Rights Waiver. Anyone who commissions a mural or other work on the interior or exterior of a building, they should ask the artist to sign a waiver of VARA rights before the work has begun and have this reviewed by an attorney and ensure that the waiver is transferrable to future owners of the property.
When the mural class met with the Oklahoma City Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, they learned the importance of VARA waivers because on January 23, 2017, Bob Palmer’s 2-year old mural, on 46th and Western (along the crown heights area) was painted over by Alotta Action Advertising, a new company who had just moved into the building. This mural was a legacy piece by one of Oklahoma’s most acclaimed artists, and the idea that it has been covered up has a lot of artists upset at the lack of respect for the internationally renowned artist.
The mural class also learned about Kent Twitchell, the Los Angeles artist who settled his lawsuit against the U.S. government and 11 other defendants, for $1.1 million, for painting over his six-story mural—“Ed Ruscha Monument,” that was painted on the side of a federal government-owned downtown building.
Once all of this has been done and the artist gets the green light, work can commence on the project—and that’s when the paint finally goes up on the wall.
Making Space with OKC Contemporary
After their meeting with Oklahoma City Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, the class stopped by the newly constructed Oklahoma Contemporary building to check out the building-in-progress the murals adoring the fences around the construction site, and to chat with Pablo Barrera, the Director of Oklahoma Contemporary. He told them Oklahoma Contemporary’s new building would be open in March 2020 (the opening has since been postponed due to the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic), that the building’s exterior was made to reflect Oklahoma’s picturesque sunsets and sunrises. He also showed us the murals that they’ve set up along the construction site, called Making Space.
Fine Studio Art Division at OCU
When the students finished their visit with Oklahoma Contemporary, they visited briefly with some of the art Bryan Cardinale-Powell, Associate Professor and Chair of Visual Art and Film, and Jeff Price, Professor of Game Design and Animation at Oklahoma City University. They learned about their extensive art programs, saw their high-tech graphic design studio, and some of their projects for upcoming courses—notably their motion capture room which was under construction during the visit. It was neat to see a full-blown art studio with every tool one could imagine for bringing artwork to life. Beyond that, students saw they even had their own little art museum and exhibit hall. The area was bigger than Rose State College’s fine studio arts area but smaller than the Fred Jones Museum at the OU campus in Norman.
New Humanities Mural at RSC Coming in Spring 2020
After the class met with the different local art communities, they decided to get to work on their own mural. You can read more about their process and experience in part 2 of this series, “Breathing new life into Humanities at Rose State College” which will be featured in the Spring issue of the 6420 Magazine from the 15th Street News, at Rose State College, as well as here. The next part in this series, also covers Dean of Humanities, Toni Castillo’s vision for breathing new life into the RSC Humanities building by covering all the hallways in murals.
Further reading
Breathing new life into Humanities at Rose State College
Breathing New Life Into Humanities at Rose State College
Is there an official opening date? Will there be a special opening ceremony or event for the public?
Oklahoma Contemporary - New Home
Artist VARA Waiver
General VARA Waiver for Works of Visual Art
COVID-19 Delays Oklahoma Contemporary’s New Location Opening Ceremony
New Light—Oklahoma Contemporary’s Plan to Re-Open
Making Space With Oklahoma Contemporary Interview With Pablo Barrera
Making Space With Oklahoma Contemporary: Interview With Pablo Barrera
Ken Beachler Photography with Rose State
Thanks for reading my article about murals and fine arts in the OKC area! If you’re in the area and interested in art, I highly encourage you to check out Oklahoma Contemporary and get involved with the art community here in Oklahoma!
Check out more posts in Artsy Things!
Thumbnail photo by Payton Hayes.
— Payton
Christmas 2020 For Writers: 5 Must-Have, Useful Items For The Writer In Your Life
While we can’t all be with our loved ones during this crazy time, you can still show the writers in your life love by gifting them something useful they’ll actually use! Ditch the boring old notebook and go for one of these ideas! If you’re the writer in your life, gift yourself something nice or add your faves from this list to your own personal wishlist!
Hi readers and writerly friends!
Its December 2020! Can you believe it? It somehow simultaneously feels like this year flew by and just dragged on forever. Well, against the background of 2020’s chaos, its holiday season once again, hooray! While we can’t all be with our loved ones during this crazy time, you can still show the writers in your life love by gifting them something useful they’ll actually use! Ditch the boring old notebook and go for one of these ideas! If you’re the writer in your life, gift yourself something nice or add your faves from this list to your own personal wishlist!
Books about writing
Chicago Manual of Style (Contains everything a writer needs to know about grammar, formatting, style, and industry standard practices!)
The Novel Planner: A Daily Planner for Authors by Kristen Kieffer
No Plot? No Problem! A Low Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing A Novel In 30 Days by Chris Baty
Want more amazing books to choose from? Here’s a list of my favorites —40+ of the best books on writing.
Annual subscription to something useful
Sometimes writers just need the right tools to write. Pick up an annual subscription you your writer’s favorite word processors, apps, writing tools, design software, and marketing services!
Writing Tools
Word Processors
Design and Website Tools
Canva (Lightweight but powerful photo editor and design app)
Marketing and Exposure
MasterWriter claims to be the “leading songwriting, lyric writing and creative writing software.” If the writer in your life is a creative writer or songwriters, consider picking up a monthly, yearly, or two-year license for $9.95, $99.95 or $149.95.
With this software they can access a suite of useful writing tools that will not only encourage them to express themselves in “a unique and meaningful way,” but will also give them the means to do so digitally, whether their a songwriter, poet, novelist, or blog writer.
Author photoshoot with a professional photographer
Regardless of whether the writer in your life has been published or not, its always a great idea to have professional photos taken. Writers can use these in their resumes, writer websites, media kits, social media profiles, and more. This is likely something they’d never think to get themselves but will ultimately end up paying for themselves since the value of professionally shot photos far exceeds the cost of the service fees. Many photographers will even lightly edit the photos for you. Consider hiring photographer for 1-2 hours and heading out to a library or public park with all of your favorite writerly tools in hand.
Pro Tip: Search Instagram, Facebook Marketplace, or Groupon to start looking for affordable photographers near you.
If you’re in the Oklahoma City area, I would recommend Jae McBride of @Jaeashtenphotos and Jalea Alexandria of @j.alexandriaphotography on Instagram.
Writer’s Associations and Editing Masterclasses
Writers never stop learning and growing. Help the writer in your life become a better writer by taking professional masterclasses or by making valuable connections with other writers and literary freelancers by getting them an annual subscription to a writer’s association.
The Christian PEN (Proofreaders and Editors Network) has tons of affordable masterclasses and lesson packs to chose from.
Writersrelief.com has a great list of writer’s associations to chose from.
Check out these amazing editorial associations!
The Christian PEN offers masterclasses, lesson pack bundles, and even group rates.
Comfy writing room additions
Complete your writing set up with these comfy, warm, adjustable, and ergonomic office-space must-haves!
Writing isn’t a sprint —it’s a marathon. Writing takes time and that means your writer will be parked at their desk for hours on end, typing and staring at a screen. Outfit the writer in your life with a comfortable set up from seating to warmth to blue-light glasses. Get more writing done with a comfy desk chair, adjustable footrest, or even fingerless handwarmers (so you can still type!) Consider tossing in a candle warmer to keep your tea/coffee warm while you write!
If you want to go above and beyond and splurge on yourself or the writer in your life, consider picking up a new writing computer for them. This is a vital tool for the writing and editing process and can last them years. Bundle it with writing software and/or a masterclass to really go the extra mile this holiday season!
Story Binder Printables
Bonus Item!
Story Binder Printables (Includes Character Sheets, Timelines, World-Building Worksheets and More!)
For only $10 you can help yourself or the writer in your life keep their writing notes organized in a beautiful and easy-to-navigate Story Binder! Choose from 10 beautiful covers, take advantage of quick reference pages, easy prepping and developing kits for your story, and make use of 52 pages of actionable content that will help you stay on track while writing your story! The best part is, you get access to my Story Binder Printables FOREVER! Reprint and reuse this system for all of your novels!
These are just a few of the faves on my personal wishlist. I might even end up gifting myself a couple of these! Show the writer in your life that you care and want them to succeed in their craft by gifting them something they can actually use in their writing practice! If you’re shopping for yourself, remember you’re investing in your passion and career, so no shame in the occasional writing book or masterclass and in fact, it’s highly recommended! Happy Holidays readers and writerly friends! Have a merry and safe holiday season this year!
Thumbnail photo by Element5 Digital.
—Payton
7 Fun, Useful, Quirky, and Cute Non-Book Bookish Items
Here’s a bunch of fun, weird, non-book bookish things that you may not have heard of before!
Hi readers and writerly friends!
This week in Current Faves, I’m showing you a bunch of fun, weird, bookish things that you may or may not have heard of before! Some of these have been recommended to me time and time again while others I only recently discovered and now that I’ve got a pretty good stack of quirky bookish objects, I figured I should share them with you!
Bookly App
You might not have expected an app to make it onto a weird bookish things list but it was so good I couldn’t not put it on the list. If you don’t know, Bookly is a gorgeous app that helps you track your books, read more and improve your reading over time. You can scan your books or simply search for them online to add them to the app, from there you can track to whom you lend them, add favorite quotes and thoughts, and see insightful data that can help you improve or read even more.
Gorgeous book sleeves by Love You More Studio. Photo by @fablesandwren on Instagram.
I personally love this app because it really gets me motivated to read more books and it keeps me reading regularly because I don’t want to break my reading streak!
Book Sleeves
Does anyone remember using the paper book sleeves or the 99c spandex book sleeves to protect their textbooks back in middle school? No? Just me? Okay.
These book sleeves from Love You More Studio are absolutely stunning. They even come in holiday prints and everything! I’m going to have to snag myself a few of these!
Goodreads App
Okay, I promise this list isn’t all apps. But I had to put this one on the list too, because I recently discovered a surprising amount of my writerly friends had never heard of Goodreads even though its basically been around forever. Goodreads is an American social cataloging website that allows individuals to search its database of books, annotations, quotes, and reviews. Users can sign up and register books to generate library catalogs and reading lists. Similarly to Bookly, I really like tracking my reading progress, read, currently reading, and to-read book lists, and engaging with other readers on Goodreads.
Clear panel booklight from Shein. Photo by Payton Hayes.
Clear Panel Booklight
While this booklight is more of a necessity than a quirky object I had to include it as well because it’s amazing. If you read my Bookish Things blog post for this week, How I Read Books/ My Reading Routine, then you might remember this little gadget from that post. I raved about how awesome it was to have when the power went out last month during the Great Oklahoma Ice Storm of 2020. It was an absolute lifesaver. I found my light on Shein, but you can get them just about anywhere.
Home decor for book lovers.
Bookish Home Décor
I found these items on the ebookfriendly.com blog where Ola Kowalczyk put together a list of bookish home décor that was just too cute to ignore!
Kowalczyk says,
“In times when most of the books can be stored on a single e-reader or tablet, there comes a problem book lovers haven’t experienced before: how to express the love for books? Hundreds of books on the Kindle means you won’t need a classic floor-to-ceiling bookshelf, or, at least, you won’t need a bookshelf that large. But it’s good to have things at home that remind you of the evening you will spend with the book and a cup of delicious tea.”
—Ola Kowalczyk, Eboookfriendly.com
You can read the full blog post here.
While I personally enjoy physical copies of books, I can certainly see the appeal of keeping all of your favorite reads stored in the cloud. From book-shaped cutting boards to ceramic pencil-holders, these cute, practical, bookish home décor items are sure to serve as a warm reminder that your next read is only a swipe away.
Bookish Pillows
What’s cuter and cozier than a book sleeve or cuddling up with a good book, you ask? Book-shaped pillows! These adorable and surprisingly soft bookish throw pillows on Etsy make a wonderfully whimsical addition to every book lover’s reading nook.
Wood Book-Shaped Coasters
Not the cozy type? That’s alright! Maybe you’re into entertaining or you’re a craft brew aficionado? Next time your friends come over games and booze (post-pandemic of course!) whip out these beautifully made, handcrafted wooden book-shaped coasters. They have some hilariously witty twists combining the classics and alcohol which are sure to entertain.
I hope you liked my list! Please let me know in the comments what quirky and fun non-book bookish items you’ve been into lately and make sure to check out my other posts in Reader Life!
—Payton
I Visited The Full Circle Bookstore In OKC
I took my bestie on a bookish, friend date to the Full Circle Bookstore in OKC…
And we loved it.
Yeah, we’re hitting the ground running in Reader Life this week, because I just cannot wait to tell you all about it.
Neither me nor my best friend Allie have ever been to Full Circle before and needless to say, we a first-time FC converts, if there is such a thing. When we rolled up to the shop at the bottom of the 50 Penn Place building, we were greeted with a quaint little storefront, painted mint green and black with chalkboard signs and jazzy music playing softly from an outdoor speaker. We were already so excited, and we hadn’t even entered the building.
Full Circle Bookstore’s Storefront inside of the 50 Penn Place Mall. Courtesy of the Full Circle Bookstore Website. Click here to visit the site.
Hi readers and writerly friends!
I took my bestie on a bookish, friend date to the Full Circle Bookstore in OKC…
And we loved it.
Yeah, we’re hitting the ground running in Reader Life this week, because I just cannot wait to tell you all about it.
Disclaimer: Yes, we went while the pandemic is still going on, but we went early in the week during a time when hardly any people where there, we wore masks and we kept our distance from people while we were browsing the store. We tried our best to keep ourselves and others safe but it was a nice little treat for us to go and spend time together and enjoy a wonderful, bookish place we’ve never been before.
Okay, back to our regularly scheduled programming.
An inside peak into the Full Circle Bookstore where guests can get lost in the seemingly endless shelves of books. Courtesy of the Full Circle Bookstore Website. Click here to visit the site. Photo by Payton Hayes.
Neither me nor my best friend Allie have ever been to Full Circle before and needless to say, we a first-time FC converts, if there is such a thing. When we rolled up to the shop at the bottom of the 50 Penn Place building, we were greeted with a quaint little storefront, painted mint green and black with chalkboard signs and jazzy music playing softly from an outdoor speaker. We were already so excited, and we hadn’t even entered the building.
Then, when we did go inside, we were greeted for the second time, only this time it was by a very friendly employee named Brent who told us all about the bookstore—some of the events they have on weekends, the different types of books they had available and where to find them, and where to find the café in the back of the shop. Did I mention they had a café? Hello—book nerd/coffee addict heaven!
The inside of the store was much like a Tardis from the hit series, Doctor Who, in that it seemed much larger on the inside than it did on the outside. And on the other hand, it was also like a hobbit hole, in that it had all these wonderful little winding hallways and hidden alcoves tucked within one another. It was like and endless maze of books and I wanted to get lost in there forever. I was constantly enchanted by all of the books there were, all of the fun little bookish knick-knacks, and even the signed first edition copies and box sets of some books. It was everything I’d ever dreamed it would be.
And can we just take a moment to talk about the incredibly vaulted ceilings, the enormous floor-to-ceiling bookshelves filled to the brim with books of every size, shape, and color, and the ladders scattered all throughout the bookstore so a book can never be out of a guests reach? It was incredible. It reminded me so much of the Hogwarts library, only it was a little less dusty and a lot more modern. Also, there weren’t screaming faces coming from the pages of the books…
Bookshelf with a ladder at the Full Circle Bookstore. Photo by Payton Hayes.
So, we stopped for coffee first, and I must recommend the toasted marshmallow latte—get it hot or cold, either way will be scrumptious. Allie and I shared a chocolate mouse and a cheese danish, both of which were delicious. We would have stayed for lunch, but the kitchen officially closes at 2pm every day, so we’d just barely missed it when we arrived around 3pm.
Then we made off for the books.
Stack of the books I bought from the Full Circle Bookstore. Photo by Payton Hayes.
Like I mentioned, the shop was seemingly endless—I found myself drooling over the fantasy books one second and suddenly, I was in the classic literature drooling over the books there too. They had just about every book you could imagine, and we certainly snagged a few for ourselves. I think Allie ended up with a few classics— A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, and The Call of The Wild by Jack London. I sort of went overboard and ended up with six books—Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Ghosted by Rosie Walsh, The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, and The Languages of Tolkien’s Middle-earth by Ruth S. Noel. There were so many more books I wanted to buy but I was reminded by that little voice in my head—my TBR Conscience, if you will, who kept reminding me that I had over a hundred books at home, most of which I still have not read yet. So, I figured I’d take what I could carry and come back later, because I am absolutely coming back again later.
When we got to the checkout, the cashier gave us a bunch of bookmarks, a pamphlet that described upcoming events for October 2020, and stamped a couple of rewards cards for us to use when we inevitably returned (every $10 spent contributes to a total of $200 spent which rewards customers with a $30 off coupon to use in-store when they’ve met that goal).
Suffice it to say, we had a truly wonderful time, and hopefully we can go back again once things are back to normal. It would be really fun to attend a live reading from one of our local authors or stop in for a concert from one of the regular bands that play every couple of weekends or so. If you’ve never been to this book store before, be sure to check it out next time you’re in Oklahoma City and say hi to Pearl the Buffalo for me!
The Full Circle Bookstore is Located in 50 Penn Place, 1900 NW Expressway, Oklahoma City, OK 73118
Phone: 405.842.2900 or 800.683.
Visit the Full Circle Bookstore’s website here. Hours are located on their home page and events can be found here.
Neither this website, nor Payton Hayes are affiliated with The Full Circle Bookstore. I just really enjoyed my first trip there and wanted to share my experience with all of you. There are Amazon affiliate links present in this blog post.
Check out more posts in Reader Life!
Have you ever been to the Full Circle Bookstore in OKC? Where is your favorite bookstore? What bookstore should I visit next? Let me know below! Thanks for reading!
— Payton
Fun Bookish Things to do at Home
Hi readers and writerly friends!
With everyone trapped at home and most fun activities deemed off-limits due to the pandemic and concern for public health, many people are going stir crazy. Not to worry, though! Us introverted book nerds have been waiting our entire lives for this moment. Oh to be locked indoors for weeks on end and amidst a sea of books to lose myself in…
Okay, that was nice about three months ago. I think even the most reclusive readers are starting to itch for even a little sunlight and the mildest social interaction. Okay, maybe things aren’t that bad here in Oklahoma. In any case, I can’t help but feel like its about time to set the books down and get into some bookish activities instead.
Attend a Virtual Book Event
Penguin Random House Virtual Book Convention Poster
If you’ve been around for a minute, then you might know that I am a big of a gamer *blush*. I prefer to play Blizzard games like World of Warcraft and Hearthstone. Now, you’re thinking, what does this have to do with books? Well, let me tell you, every year Blizzard puts on Blizzcon—a fun, fantastical nerd convention based around all the games Blizzard fans love. Too bad this year, it was completely canceled due to the pandemic. A lot of events were canceled due to the pandemic. But one this Blizzard has ALWAYS done is put on a virtual Blizzcon for the millions of fans who are unable to make it out to California for the 3-day convention. Much like Blizzard, many other bookish conventions have converted their conventions to online format for the safety and accessibility of their convention patrons.
Virtual book events come in many forms—it could be a book festival, book launch party, book reading, or even just a virtual gathering of virtual book lovers. Book events are fun ways to interact with fellow bookish people and authors. Although its because of terrible circumstances, many book events have been moved online, thus making such events more accessible to folks from all over the world. I hope once the pandemic is all over, convention planners can continue to find ways to keep events accessible.
Authors are also moving their book launches online and it’s a great way to gain access to your favorite authors and celebrate their launches with them. If your favorite author is publishing a book, check to see if they’re having an online launch party. Many publishing houses and organizations are coming together to create immersive virtual events to connect book lovers from all over the world. . And authors, this is a fantastic way to get closer to your readers and build meaningful connections with them while staying safe. Amy Landino, author of Vlog Like A Boss and Good Morning Good Life (Check out my in-depth book review here) had an in-person and online launch party, just before the pandemic started complete with a countdown timer and champagne. Author Alexa Donne, of Brightly Burning, and The Stars We Steal, has put on (and continues to put on) 1st page critique live streams on her YouTube Channel for her readers and aspiring writers. These are great ways to stay connected with your reader base and for readers to better get to know and engage with their favorite authors.
Here are some online book events you can join:
Author Kelly Yang’s writing workshops for teens on Instagram (July 1st and 3rd)
Books Connect Us Live, hosted by Penguin Random House Ongoing (Previous events videos are available.)
Lauren Jackson and Christina Orlando spotlighting sci-fi and fantasy media on Instagram (every Thursday.)
LeVar Burton goes live on Twitter to read books (every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.)
Middle Ground Book Fest (August 1st)
Virtual Thrillerfest 2020 (July 7-11)
Worldcon New Zealand (July 29-August 2)
You can find more book events in this list on Netgalley and this one on Book Riot.
Watch film adaptations of your favorite books.
Another bookish activity you can do within the safety of your own home is watching book-to-movie adaptations. While it’s true, most books are better than their on-screen counterparts, sometimes it can be fun and refreshing to see your favorite characters and stories come to live on the screen. You can watch the classics, rewatch your old favorites and check out the recent adaptations as well.
Here are some that I’m currently watching/planning to watch:
Pride and Prejudice (anyone else out there still need to watch this whirlwind romantic classis at least once a year?)
Heart of Darkness (Yes, another classic, but since I just read the book in one of my classes, I thought it might be fun to see how the movie adaptation compares)
Silence of the Lambs (I’m saving this one for spooky season!)
The Shining (I’ve never seen this adaptation, and I think its time to give it a go, once fall rolls around!)
Wuthering Heights (okay, so I’m into the classics, what gives? 😂)
Jenn from The Bibliofile compiled a list of book to film adaptations coming out this year.
Join a virtual book club.
I actually started a virtual book club with my guildies from WoW! If you’re looking for some bookish company while you’re stuck at home, joining a book club is a great way to go! You can chat about books with other members through Discord, Skype, Twitter, and Zoom! (We prefer to use Discord, but you can use just about any social media service to stay in touch with bookish friends!)
Here’s a screenie from my guild’s book club channel in Discord! I blocked out names and profile pictures for the privacy of my friends, but you get the idea! Our first book we’ll be reading is Shadows Rising by Madeline Roux, just in time for the Shadowlands expansion release in October 2020. 📚
Here’s a list of virtual book club lists from Time, the New York Times, Hugo House and The Nerd Daily:
Create a book journal/scrapbook.
Over the years, journaling has grown in popularity and for many is a relaxing and cathartic exercise. A book journal is a great place for you to scribble down all of your bookish thoughts, favorite quotes, bookish pet peeves, favorite authors, book lists, mini reviews, reading trackers, and any other bookish musings. It’s you own little bookish corner, so just have fun with it!
The creative possibilities are endless here. You can create one from scratch with any notebook or use free printables available online! It doesn’t have to be elaborate or fancy ad long as it works for you! Etsy is a great place to find beautiful reading journals.
If you need some inspiration or help starting a bookish journal, here are a few useful links:
“Tips and Tricks to Start a Reading Journal in 2018” from Page Flutter
“31 Bookish Journal Prompts to Inspire You For a Month” from Book Riot
“Bookish Bullet Journal Supplies for Readers” from Book Riot
Start a Bookish Youtube Channel.
Maybe all this extra time indoors is just the push you need to get you started with your new book-related hobby—making videos for your Bookish Youtube channel! If you’re anything like me, you hate being on camera, but don’t let that stop you from chatting about the books and authors you love. You can talk about books, do book reviews, record reading vlogs, do bookshelf tours, and tons of other fun, bookish activities for your internet friends to see. You can use a phone or laptop camera to record and free video editors such as Windows Movie Maker or DaVinci Resolve to edit the video. Audio editors such as Audacity work great as well, if needed. You can check out more of my favorite free content creation resources in my online course, How to Create A Stunning and Highly Marketable Website.)
Read an interactive novel.
Take your book adventures to the next level by reading an interactive novel or chose your own story book. Interactive books allow you to engage with the story in ways that regular books just can’t. They allow you to steer the plot in different directions and towards several possible endings. Check out Bustle’s list of interactive books for adults.
You Are A Cat! by Sherwin Tjia.
Lost In Austen by Emma Campbell Webster.
To Be or Not To Be by Ryan North.
I remember how I got into the Starcrossed trilogy by Josephine Angelini by playing through an interactive novel on Figment when it was still around. In the book, Helen wakes up night after night of being trapped in a maze. The interactive novel on the Figment website consisted of readers making their way through the maze. It was so interesting and engaging and certainly brought my reading experience to the next level. R.I.P. Figment. 😭
Match books with objects or create outfits based on your favorite book characters.
If you’re on book twitter or Bookstagram, you might have come across the #booksasoutfits trend where people match their clothes with books. It’s a fun way to play around with color schemes and dress up since most of us are stuck indoors lately. You can match books with anything, and you don’t have to share it online—just have fun with it! Likewise, you can dress up as your favorite character and see how you can bring their fictional styles to life with your own wardrobe.
Lauren Kiss’s YA book cover-inspired outfits.
Many bookish YouTubers have made videos following this trend. Lauren Kiss made one called “YA Books as Outfits.”
Create some awesome book art
This might be easier said than done if you don’t consider yourself artistic at all. But this is supposed to be fun so just dive in and don’t think about it! Book art can be almost anything—doodling in the margins of books, creating bookmarks, drawing your favorite characters, or making jewelry inspired by characters and elements in your favorite books.
It’s safe to say there’s something for everyone in the artsy/bookish world. You can paint the edges of your book’s pages to add in some colors and vibrancy. Or you can take an old book and make found poems out of the already-constructed sentences inside. You can make some amazing book sculptures with folded book art! If you’re into baking, you can make book-inspired cupcakes or try making a 3-tier cake inspired by your favorite trilogy. This totally counts as book art and it’s a yummy win-win!
This beautiful lakeside #wtj painting was done by @thepinkdoodler on Instagram. Check out the book-paintings all the artsy/bookish people are doing on Instagram with #wtj (stands for Wreck this Journal, created by @emma.wtj and friends.)
These lovely watercolor book paintings are were done by @rabiosa.art on Instagram. She says books hold up surprisingsletter-for-updatesly against watercolor. And the words make a lovely texture/pattern in the backdrop of any sheer watercolor painting. Likewise, she finds poems between the lines and couples them with her paintings which is such a fun idea! So, next time you want to bring some life to an old book, consider finding poems in the existing writing or making a beautiful landscape over the words.
And that’s it for my list of fun bookish things to do at home! These are just some of the things you can do, so if you think of some, comment below and let me know! I hope you enjoy this post and hopefully it gave you some ideas about how to spice up your reading life. What bookish things do you do at home? Thanks for reading! And if you liked this post, consider signing up for my newsletter for more bookish and writerly content.
Thumbnail photo by Lacie Slezak.
—Payton
Yoga For Writers: A 30-Minute Routine To Do Between Writing Sessions
Hello readers and writerly friends!
This week in Reader Life, we’re taking it back to the basics—mindfulness, intention, and self-love. The writing process can be tough sometimes. We often get so into our writing that we forget to step back and take care of ourselves. With NaNoWriMo just around the corner, I thought this would be a great time to step out of my usual writing advice avenue and help you remember to show yourself some love. Whether you’re stuck at a desk 9-5 reading or writing, this yoga routine designed for writers will help you get back to your center, get out of your own head, and relax while also waking up all those sedentary muscles.
And lets be honest, after writing an blog post about yoga it makes me want to get back into my own practice. Back in 2017 I was in the best shape of my life with my daily yoga routine and I know I need to come back to the mat. I love yoga—I always feel so energetic yet relaxed after even a brief session. It is a distinctly renewed feeling you get from yoga, that you just can’t find in any other physical practice. I always feel relaxed and less stressed, energized and clear of mind after my yoga routine and this is great headspace to be in for writing.
Many people will argue they can’t do yoga because “I just can’t get into it” or they’re “not flexible enough!” It’s all about the journey—the baby steps. You can’t be come completely fluid overnight and just the same, yoga isn’t for people who are flexible already, it’s for people who are wanting to become flexible. Likewise, it will require a bit of concentration, perseverance, and time to get into yoga seriously. I remember when I first got into it and I just felt so silly doing yoga by myself in my tiny bedroom at home. It was quite hard to take it seriously and not get in my head about it. You just have to remind yourself that this is for your mental and emotion health and your writing as much as it is for your own physical health and stick with it!
This yoga routine is tailor-made for writers and readers chained to the desk for ours on end each day. It focuses on the shoulders, neck, and back, which tend to be problem areas for us writers. All of the movements in this simple, 30-minute routine are beginner-level. No human-pretzeling necessary! Once you have done this quick little mindful routine a handful of times, it quickly becomes a nice little break between writing sessions.
Before we get into our own flow, lets go over a few of the yoga basics for anyone here that is new to the yoga practice.
Movements—Yoga is all about slow, smooth, controlled movements. There is no need to rush. Take the time to linger in movements that feel good to you and ultimately listen to your body.
Breathing—One of the key elements of yoga is the breathing. And in fact, this is the part I struggled with the most because I kept thinking “ugh, why do I need to worry about breathing. It’s not like I’m going to forget how to do it.” But breathing is integral to the practice and if you can put those nagging, unhelpful thoughts aside, you might see how good it feels to do some mindful breathing. You want to take slow, deep breaths. Focus on your breath and be aware of how it feels to let your lungs fully fill with air as you inhale and fully empty as you exhale. Briefly hold your breath and let it linger in your chest and imagine your oxygen-rich breath being pushed gently to all of your muscles. In yoga, the biggest part to remember about breathing is to inhale when you move into a pose and to exhale as you move out of that pose. You should take it slow at first but with time, you will become more fluid with it.
Body and Mind Awareness—Of course this directly ties into the movements and breathing elements of yoga, but its important that you empty your thoughts and try to keep a clear, focused mind while working on your practice. Focus on your breath, your movements, and try to think positive thoughts. When you find yourself going down the rabbit hole of divergent thoughts (don’t worry it happens to all of us) take a moment to breathe deeply and re-center yourself. If you’re struggling to take the yoga practice seriously, just say to yourself, “This is a special time I carved out for myself so I can remember to practice mindfulness, self-care and love.” Nagging thoughts will have a hard time arguing with that, trust me. This is a time to meditate and relax, so shut out all of your worries, responsibilities and stresses of daily life.
Equipment—This is optional and it all comes down to preference. You’re welcome to use a yoga mat if you like, but you can also use a towel or blanket if you don’t have a mat. If you’ve got a fluffy carpeted area, that will work too. Wear loose, comfortable clothing and keep some water handy in case you get thirsty during your flow. (No worries, we won’t be doing any serious exertion here.) Additionally, you can put on some nature sounds or soft instrumental music in the background. Candles and soft lighting goes great with yoga as well!
Now that we covered all of the basics, are you ready? Let’s get started!
All poses mentioned in this blog post are accompanied by links that further explain how to execute the pose perfectly without strain or injury. Just remember to take it slow. Yoga should never hurt, so be aware of how you feel during the practice and take it one step at a time.
Section 1: Meditation and Neck
To begin, come to the mat and sit with your back straight and legs crossed or tucked underneath you, whichever feels most comfortable. Place your hands gently on your knees and close your eyes in Meditation Pose. Remember to have a good posture, but relax and try to clear your mind, focusing on your breath and becoming aware of your body. Hold this post for about 30 breaths (1 inhale + 1 exhale = 1 breath). Conclude this with a long, Lion’s Breath and proceed with the rest of the routine.
Next, lets work on loosening the neck and shoulders. Do the following steps, while remembering to take deep breaths and move slowly:
1. Roll your shoulders forward eight times and then back eight times.
2. Roll your head in gentle circles five times to the right and then five times to the left. Look gently to the right, as far as you can and roll your head down and to the left. Do this five times and then repeat, switching sides.
3.Bring your chin down to your chest as far as you can, lowering your shoulders gently. You should feel a deep, refreshing stretch curving up your spine and down the sides of your neck. Hold this stretch for three to five breaths. If you like, you can gently massage your temples or just behind your ears. Repeat.
4. Next, stretch you neck to the left and right and hold each stretch for several breaths. You can add a gentle pressure to your head by placing your palm to your cheek and pressing slightly. You should not feel any strain here but popping in the spine and neck joints is normal.
5. Bring your hands together behind you and gently press them outward, as much as you can without straining or pulling too hard. Draw your shoulder blades together in a nice, gentle squeeze. Hold this for three to five breaths. Release and return to your meditation pose.
6. Shake it out! (Gently!) Move your neck and shoulders in whatever way feels nice. Gently shake our your hands give your shoulders a little shimmy.
Section 2: Back and Shoulders
Now that your neck is nice and loosened up, lets continue on to the rest of the poses, with more focus on the back and shoulders. Remember to take these movements slowly and breathe deeply as you go. Inhale as you move into a pose and exhale as you move out of the pose. Hold each pose for four to eight breaths or longer if you like.
1. Start this sequence in a Seated Twist. You will likely feel a gentle, warm stretch in your side and legs here, and again popping in joints is normal. Repeat twice on each side.
2. Bring your legs under you and transition into Cat Cow pose. Repeat four to six times. For this pose, simply move with your breaths—no need to hold either part of the pose for any extended period of time. Just inhale and curve the spine gently up towards the sky, then on your exhale, push the air out slowly as you bring the belly down and curve the tail and head upwards.
3. Tuck your feet under you, bring the tailbone backwards and sink softly into Child’s Pose. Stretch your arms out past your head and let your forehead kiss the mat. Hold this pose for a few breaths.
4. Raise up on your hands and knees again back into Cat Cow and repeat four to six times.
5. Return to Child’s Pose.
6. Once in Child’s Pose, bring your arms around and clasp them behind you, facing them upward in Seal Pose. Hold this for a couple of breaths then return to Child’s Pose for a few more breaths.
7. From Child’s Pose, use your hands and knees to transition to Sphinx Pose. Rest gently on your elbows and point your toes out behind you. Keep your neck and shoulders low and unhunched and face forward. Remember to smile for yourself.
8. Next, push yourself up into Cobra Pose. Remember to breathe here. If this pose is too challenging return to Sphinx Pose and take a few breaths. If you are able to, hold Cobra Pose for two breaths.
9. Lower yourself back down to Sphinx Pose and slowly curl back into Child’s Pose. Then bring your torso down to the earth and Thread The Needle on both sides. Rest softly on your head and shoulder’s her and don’t smash them into the mat. Instead, allow them to kiss the mat softly and keep most of your weight on your knees which should be spaced apart slightly.
10. Next, slowly move to a flat position on your back. Bring your arms over your head and reach as far as you can. Point the toes here and lengthen the spine. Get a nice, warm stretch moving through the entire body. Softly roll wrists and ankles. Flutter your fingers and toes. Take turns hugging one knee into your chest and then the other in Half Wind Relieving Pose.
11. Lastly, lay with your palms facing upward and at your sides in Corpse Pose. Close your eyes. Remain in this pose for a few moments, breathing deeply and relaxing before retuning to the desk. When you rise, come up slowly to avoid getting a head rush. Breathe deeply and when you’re fully standing once again, give yourself a hug. Remember to drink some water when you get back to the desk.
You did it! See, it wasn’t that bad, was it? I bet you’re feeling pretty good right about now, huh? Now that you’re all relaxed and rejuvenated, you’re ready to start your next writing session. Want a free, handy PDF guide for this routine for next time? Click here! (IT HAS CATS!) That way, next time you’ll be all ready to go when you need a break from the writing process.
So, what did you think of this relaxing 30-minute routine for writers? Do you like yoga? Have you ever tried it before today? How do you like to relax between writing sessions? What was your favorite pose mentioned in this flow? Let me know in the comments down below!
Thumbnail photo by Zen Bear Yoga.
—Payton
Rose State College: Attending Art School In The Midwest
I went to Art School.
In Oklahoma.
And it was nothing like going to RISD, Parsons, or The Art Institute of Chicago, or any of the other top art schools in America.
I finished high school with a very picturesque idea in mind of what art school would be like when I finally headed off to college. I had watched videos from YouTubers like Tiffany Weng, CatCreature, May Gao, and Cup of Jasmien which not only excited me about art school, but it intimidated me as well. I wondered if I had what it took to make it in to any one of the top art schools in the country. I never really found out. I went to art school in Oklahoma. Specifically, I studied Fine Studio Art from Midwest City’s own, Rose State College, and it was nothing like I’d imagined.
I had imagined bustling hallways lined with student art, a student art gallery, rigorous classes, brutal critiques, and an almost palpable competitiveness that just wasn’t there. The art classes at Rose State College weren’t particularly hard, but the school, teachers, and students have a commitment to excellence that you would find just as well, at the larger art schools in the country. Just because I attended an art program at a smaller, community college doesn’t mean I haven’t gained a greater understanding of the arts, a substantial appreciation for the artistic process, and wider knowledge of mediums, principles, elements, and techniques. Community college is just as great as the prestigious art schools, and here’s why:
First Still Life of Painting I with Suzanne Thomas (SP 2020) in the Painting Room of the Communications Center at Rose State College
The Classes
Student Art Gallery Hall at OCU
Rose State College prides itself on having the golden 20-to-1 ratio, meaning unlike the larger schools in the state, there are fewer students to each teacher. This allows for more meaningful connections, wider possibility for discussion, and provides a space where students can really work one-on-one with their professors to achieve the education they are seeking. However, what the school is lacking is the vastness of a larger school, and perhaps this is a good thing. Rose State College has visibly been making strides to grow the campus and the student body from the new and improved Learning Resources Center and student housing built in 2016 and the new student center which began construction in 2018 and is set to be completed in late 2020.
Empty Student Art Gallery Hall at OCU
Unlike the well-known art schools in the country, Rose State College is not strictly an art school, and in fact, it’s quite the opposite. Rose State College, is similar to OSU, OCU, and OU in that they are schools that offer a wide variety of majors. RISD and the Art Institute of Chicago focus primarily on majors within the field of art from digital art, to fine studio art, to textiles and more. The closest art design degree that Rose State College offers is in Fine Studio Arts which includes several survey art courses, several painting and drawing classes, a ceramics class and more. Alternatively, students can study animation and digital art under the Multimedia Digital Design degree. While these are exciting and essential classes for any art major, they are somewhat baseline when compared to schools like RISD. With that being said, Rose State is a 2-year school and not yet a 4-year school, so aspiring art majors, keep that in mind.
The Atmosphere
Painting I with Suzanne Thomas (SP 2020) Student paintings leaned against the wall in the painting room in the Communications Center at Rose State College. Photo by Payton Hayes.
As mentioned, the school is relatively small, compared to the other, much larger schools in the state and the other art schools in the country. However, the atmosphere was much more laid back and provided a space for connection and open discussion. The classrooms were not particularly outstanding, but they served their purpose well. The painting room, for example could seat up to 20 at most, but since there typically aren’t many art majors attending RSC the classrooms never felt cramped. In several art classes, the work is primarily student-driven and advised by the professors. Professors would often outline a general idea and basic requirements for each assignment, but the students had a lot of freedom to execute their visions. Music was often put on in the background and the laid-back vibe of the classroom encouraged students to converse and walk around the room to observe the techniques of other artists in real-time. Some classes had semi-formal critiques, where students would hang their work on a wall, and one-by-one observe and critique each other on the strengths and weaknesses of the work.
Key Differences
Of course, there are always trade-offs when comparing the bigger art schools to the smaller, non-art schools—the latter offers smaller, more connected classes, provides a space for greater, more meaningful discussion, and allows students to form more tight-knit bonds with each other, while the former offers greater diversity and challenges students to rise to higher standards. Which school is best for you will depend on what you want to get out of your art degree.
Second Still Life of Painting I with Suzanne Thomas (SP 2020) in the Painting Room of the Communications Center at Rose State College. Photo by Payton Hayes.
What did an art degree at RSC do for me?
Studying art at Rose State College taught me all the basics—everything I needed to know about different art mediums and techniques, all the different elements and principles of art, and of course, how to identify artist, style, and time period when looking at a piece. However, I also learned some valuable skills in addition to the basics. I learned skills in time management, craftsmanship, and presentation. I also learned how to be expressive and let go of expectations in art—this mindset shift has greatly improved my own craft as well as increased the joy and love I have for observing and creating art. It’s very much like Bob Ross says—happy accidents.
Paint used on the Humanities mural in the upstairs back hallway of the RSC Humanities building. Photo by Payton Hayes.
By attending Rose State, I was also able to participate in a few unique and incredible opportunities, such as getting to paint two different murals in their Humanities building, helping organize and put on a student-led art exhibition, and getting a closer look into how public art is created in the greater OKC area. I have made valuable connections with other art opportunities and mentors across the state, such as Pablo Barrera from Oklahoma Contemporary, Randy Marks from the OKC Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs. I feel confident that I could hold a candle to the students graduating from the top art schools in the country because of what I’ve learned and where studying art in Oklahoma has taken me.
I think, if you are dead set on attending RISD or Parsons, you should totally do that. But they aren’t the only schools to study art from in the country. Likewise, they are incredibly competitive and often hard to get into in the first place. If your heart is not set on attending one of these elite schools, consider attending a community college or art program in the Midwest because there is so much, they can offer that the bigger schools just cannot. Additionally, by attending the smaller art schools/programs, you’re supporting a growing art community—be it in Oklahoma or elsewhere.
Student artwork hung in the glass case in the Rose State College Communication Center, Spring 2020. Photo by Payton Hayes.
Thanks for reading my reflection on attending a smaller (non-)art school in Midwest City, OK, as opposed to going to RISD or one of the bigger, better-known art schools in the country. I just wanted to shed some light on what it was like for me. Of course, I am sure my fellow students may have had slightly (or even vastly) different experiences at Rose State, but these were just my observations. If you liked this article or found it helpful in some way, please consider “liking” it or leaving a comment below!
Thumbnail photo created with Picsart by Payton Hayes.
—Payton
Censorship in 2020: Should Writers Censor Their Books?
When I published my book of poetry and prose from the soul, I considered that some of the passages would be offensive or questionable, especially to my Southern, Christian family members. However, I realized, I had to publish those parts because my story, wouldn’t be true, and it wouldn’t be MY story without them. It got me thinking about censorship in writing, not only because of the reaction family will have to it, but also the public. Should writers still be censoring their books in 2020?
Books are often challenged by concerned parents and family members who desire to protect their children from the themes or content within books. Books can be banned for more than one reason as well. As of the ten years preceding 2016, the top three reasons cited for challenging materials as reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom were:
1. The material was considered to be “sexually explicit”.
2. The material contained “offensive language”.
3. The material was “unsuited to any age group”.
"About Banned & Challenged Books | Banned & Challenged Books". www.ala.org. (Originally found on Wikipedia.org in the article, “Book Censorship in the United States”)
Family Offense
There are often two reasons a writer may chose to censor their work and the first is to avoid offending their loved ones. This might be because their writing touches on or completely exposes a subject the family member is involved in, someone they know, or because the writing paints them in a bad light. Writers should never defame others in their work, but the truth is important to many personal stories. Another reason it may be offensive to family members is if it explores topics or contains subject matter that goes against family values such as sexuality, profanity, and more. While these themes can be controversial in a family setting, they’re most often called out in the public sphere.
Public Offense
Another reason a writer might chose to censor his or her writing is to avoid offending the public. They might do so to avoid public outcry regarding their book and its content and to avoid being banned. Books are still being banned today and even books that have been banned multiple times, in multiple places, are still challenged even in 2019, such as Harper Lee’s to Kill A Mockingbird, or George Orwell’s Animal Farm.
While book banning is a heated and controversial topic among publishers, consumers, and parents, it is important as writer, to consider what is most important: telling your story in the most honest way or preserving someone’s feelings. Should writers censor their work? What will friends and family think of the writing?
Repercussions of Censorship
There are many reasons we censor books, but I think the repercussions far outweigh our reasoning for the censorship to begin with. For one, we are stifling the creativity of writers. A writer should not live in fear that their novel could be taken off shelves because of its subject matter, but they should know that they can’t please everyone and some subject matter does warrant delicacy and grace when addressing it. Another reason we shouldn’t censor out books is because it forces current and future societies to have an inaccurate portrayal of society, issues, politics, trends, and controversies. Imagine if we didn’t have Huckleberry Finn, To Kill A Mockingbird or the Awakening. These are just a few of the most often challenged books of all time and they offer important recounts of what life was like when they were written. Without them, we’d be left without not only some of the greatest American writing, but some important truths and telling portrayals of time during these writings. We must uphold honesty over preservation of feelings if we want to accurately represent society.
When I published my book, I feared I get some criticism for certain poems and passages of prose, but to my surprise the most commentary I got was, “there are so many mushy love poems in here” or something to that effect from my friend Bryan. As a journalist, it was important me to accurately and respectfully recount all the facts. As a writer, it means the world to me that my story is told the way I experience it and that is with all of the pieces to the puzzle. Of course, sensitive topics should be handled with grace and care, but I don’t think hard conversations should be omitted entirely. I think writers should reckon with whether or not honesty is important to their story.
But won’t the truth hurt your loved ones? What if you changed the names—would it be difficult for family members to read?
Of course, but you must tell the truth despite this. Yes, you should use discretion here. Disrespecting someone, even people you aren’t in contact with, in your writing can hurt people. I’m not telling you to hurt your family or friends in your memoir for the sake of truth. But I think the honesty is important, especially in personal recounts. I’m not telling you to forget about what others think, entirely. We should be completely aware of the potential repercussions of our words. I think we should be equally aware of the repercussions of stifling the creativity of writers. Censorship is living in the dark. It’s time to write without fear—to write honestly, boldly.
Honest Writing Versus Censorship
So, how can you be an honest writer? I believe the following method can help you to pour out your soul whilst attempting (whether successfully or not) to prevent any family disagreements
First, rite the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Bleed onto the page, pour out your soul, and write with gleeful abandon. This is your story and you should tell it the way it was meant to be told, so don’t hold back.
Next, let your writing be alone with itself for a while. Give it a break and reflect in the meantime.
Finally, when you return to your manuscript with new eyes, gently edit it. I’m not saying to cut out offensive parts or chop it up. When you’ve revisited the manuscript after a break, you might see the value of the truth and you can better judge whether or not some parts warrant editing when you’ve had some time away from the piece and the pain. Editing sensitive sections shouldn’t be an emotional process; it should be delicate but surgical—what is absolutely necessary and is there any way to reword it so that it doesn’t ruin someone’s life? But when editing, make sure to consider this: If I delete or reword this, am I still telling the truth? Does it hold the same meaning once edited?
Censorship in writing is still a controversial topic, but I think the more we talk about the repercussions of it—stifling creativity, hiding the truth, and living in the dark—we realize how important it is to be truthful in our writing. As the years have passed, I’ve noticed a lax in censorship in movies, TV shows, and music, so I feel books are not far behind. Of course children’s books will be closely scrutinized, but I think middle grade, young adult, and adult novels will slowly but surely decrease in censorship.
“There’s just some magic in truth and honesty and openness.” —Frank Ocean
Take from the blog post what you will but know that you can either bottle up the truth forever, or you can outpour your soul on the page and heal and grow from the honesty. It’s your story, so tell it how it is meant to be told. Telling an incomplete, halfhearted, or dishonest story is almost like not telling it at all.
"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you." —Maya Angelou
I asked—then you asked, and I answered
What are your thoughts on censorship in novels?
You mean like starring out curse/crude words? My opinion is that it's not the best idea. If the word is extremely offensive (N****r or c**t, especially if used in a derogatory manner, for example) then it might be better to substitute for something that's still offensive but not as inflammatory for readers. Otherwise, if it's for an adult audience, use the word. They're adults and can handle it. If it's for a younger audience, then censorship isn't going to make it better, and/or will probably break immersion in the story. Take it out or use something that's not as offensive, like coming up with a unique curse word/phrase that fits the setting. —Lydia Deyes from the Developmental Editors Facebook Group
My response: I am referring to omitting swear words, controversial topics or subjects that might upset friends and family. I agree with what you said about leaving out swear words but what do you think about the other two.
Controversial topics/subjects I think would depend since they're on a spectrum. If it wouldn't offend the *average* person then I wouldn't worry at all. There's plenty of books out there that contain content that *would* offend the average person. If you're going for traditional publishing, you should look into the places you'll be applying to because they may have standards that would prevent your book from being accepted. There's restrictions on what's appropriate for younger audiences up through new adult, but if it's for adult and you're self-publishing, I don't think I can make a blanket statement that would say yes or no. It's important to get messages out about things like rape and mental health, for example. Kite Runner is a classic I had to read in high school that included both rape and suicide. —Lydia Deyes from the Developmental Editors Facebook Group
My thoughts are don't do it. Write the book the way you mean for it to be written. If you hold back, your readers can tell. On the other end, don't add sex, violence or crude words simply because you think your readers expect it. -Gina Salamon from the Developmental Editors Facebook Group
And that’s it for my hot take on censorship in novels in 2020! What do you think about censoring novels? Let me know in the comments below!
—Payton
5 Healthy Habits For Every Writer
It goes without saying that performance in any creative arena can benefit from healthy habits like getting plenty of sleep, regular exercise, and eating healthy, but what many people don’t know is that there are healthy habits for the mind as well! It’s important to practice self-care but it’s kind of hard to tell what information is useful and what isn’t with the rise of Twitter Self-Care posts. It seems like a buzzword that’s flippantly tossed around along with hustle, grind, and burnout. I wonder why. (Not really.) Below are some healthy habits that are known to increase productivity positivity by helping you to establish boundaries and build a healthy relationship with your creative self. These tips and tricks will help you be more productive both in your writing and other aspects of life.
Establish boundaries. Really. Set certain times for working creatively. This not only helps with consistency, but it helps you know you don’t have to procrastinate working on passion projects until creativity strikes. Likewise, make a space for yourself to create, freely. Don’t just work on the bed, and if you already work from home, use a different space. If you have a laptop, go to a local coffee shop or library to change the space, mood, and environment so that creativity can flow. Click here to read more about the Pomodoro Technique and how you can use it to improve your daily writing habits.
Get involved with the writing community. Follow other writers who inspire you. Follow writing prompt pages on Instagram. Join Facebook groups for writers, readers, and editors. Join or put together a local critique group for writers in your area. Being involved in the writing community is incredibly useful since it grants you access to a wider array of resources, feedback, and people who will act as sounding boards. You will find there are tons of people from all different walks of life in the writing community, and there is something to learn from each of them.
Set up creative free time such as leisure reading or journaling. These two are almost passive activities that benefit you immensely as a writer. To specialize in one genre, you must read extensively in that genre to be come familiar with what is out there. To ease the fear of writing and the misguided need for perfection, set special time aside for journaling. Just a few minutes will do—but give yourself permission to write absolute garbage and be okay with it. Click here to read more about how writing everyday helps cure writer’s block!
“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” -Stephen King
Participate in monthly writing challenges. Writing challenges are fun, engaging, and inspiring. Instagram has plenty of daily creative writing prompts for each day of the month and NaNoWriMo is a great kickstart program for writing novels. There are tons of other writing challenges out there so see what you can find and challenge yourself to write in ways you never thought of before!
Set up a rewards system that doesn’t get you in trouble in other areas of your life. When we hear the words “reward system” we often think, oh great, now the writing blogger is contradicting my dietician by saying I should have brownies as a reward for writing… no? Then it’s just me, I guess. But it’s always the same—rewards that are counterproductive for our other goals. Two things can coexist, people! I suggest you set up a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly reward system so that each time you meet your goal you get points which you can put towards something such as spending time watching your favorite series or playing games. See how these three items are all leisure activities. However, if you take time from your Netflix binge, you’re not losing out in other areas of your life. My dad always tells me “What do writers do? They write,” and he’s totally right about that. If you’re a serious writer, you absolutely must make time for it, even if that means sacrificing other leisure activities., because if it’s your passion, it’s worth it. Save the bigger rewards such as the occasional sweet or a night out on the town or even that new handbag, for the bigger milestones in your writing, like the first 50,000 words, your completed rough draft, and the revised, final draft, et cetera.
And there you go! Those are my 5 Healthy Habits for Every Writer. Of course, these tips can be applies to any creative outlet such as film-making or drawing, but the important takeaways are that you’ve got to set boundaries and commit to them, challenge yourself, get involved, make time for leisure activities, and set up a sustainable rewards system.
Comment below if you’ve heard of any of these before and which ones were new to you! Also, if you try this guide out, comment below! I’d love to know how it helped you and what creative outlet you used it for!
Thumbnail photo by Pineapple Supply Co.
—Payton
Making Space With Oklahoma Contemporary: Interview With Pablo Barrera
In light of the COVID-19 public health crisis, Oklahoma Contemporary has postponed the opening of our new arts center.
You can read more about their plans for a delayed opening celebration here.
Hi artsy and writerly friends! Today, I have a very special blog post/ article for you! I got the amazing opportunity to sit down and interview Pablo Barrera, Oklahoma Contemporary’s inaugural curatorial fellow. You can find out more about him here. This is just the interview I conducted with him—if you’d like to read the 6420 article, stay tuned until the end for further reading. In this interview, we discuss their first and second mural series—Making Space, what Oklahoma Contemporary is doing to pair mentoring artists with emerging artists, and how they are helping to shape public art in OKC by showcasing artist’s work along their construction fence line.
Pablo Barrera, Oklahoma Contemporary’s curatorial fellow.
What is Oklahoma Contemporary’s purpose behind the murals decorating the construction area?
Oklahoma Contemporary’s temporary showroom fashioned from four repurposed shipping containers. Photo taken by Payton Hayes.
Oklahoma Contemporary’s temporary showroom fashioned from four repurposed shipping containers. Photo taken by Payton Hayes.
Barrera: Making Space: Summer Mural Series was designed to support emerging artists through mentorship in order to expand the number of artists contributing to Oklahoma City’s visual culture. Making Space reflects a new version of Guerrilla Art Park, an annual exhibition of outdoor public art by Oklahoma artists, held in the summers of 2016, 2017 and 2018. The mural series shares Guerrilla Art Park's goals: to showcase local talent, give artists an opportunity to grow and develop their skills, and offer free public art to enrich downtown Oklahoma City. The mural series had two rotations of three murals in June and September 2019.
What inspired the project?
Barrera: This summer and fall, Oklahoma Contemporary’s former space at the State Fairgrounds was closed in preparation for the move into our new building site in winter. This meant that we would not be able to offer exhibitions or programming during those months. We saw an opportunity to continue our mission to provide the public with free access to art, as well as to support the local art scene, by exhibiting a series of murals along the construction fence of our new location. In this way, our new home was able to provide art experiences for OKC before its doors even open.
What was the artist selection process like? How did you find prospective artists?
Barrera: Each rotation of murals features work from established Oklahoma artists collaborating with up-and-coming artists. Preference was given to those from backgrounds/communities not widely represented in Oklahoma City public art. These murals serve as a mentorship project to introduce new artists to public mural creation. Artists were found through a combination of research, networks, and artist submissions, in which artists themselves introduced us to their portfolio.
How did you know which artists to put together for the project?
Barrera: Artists were selected based on their style: we wanted a range of mediums and techniques, but we also wanted to show styles side-by-side that complemented each other. We researched each artist’s color palette, preferred subject matter, and aesthetic, then we created a short-list of artists that could work well within the scale of the painting surface and share powerful messages. In choosing the mentors, we looked for artists that demonstrated or expressed enthusiasm about helping a new generation of mural artists to gain experience. Finally, we approached these selected artists to see who was available and felt strongly about participating in this project.
How long did each piece take to complete?
Barrera: It depends on the experience of the artist, the medium, and the design. In the first rotation of murals this past June, Tank Ramirez and his mentee, Iliana Barrientos, finished their mural in a matter of hours during our Second Saturday Live Painting event. Tank is an experienced graffiti artist, so he could have probably finished it much faster, but as a mentor, he was making sure to give his mentee, Iliana, many tips and opportunities to develop her skills. Some murals took about a week or two because of family and work obligations. We try to accommodate the various life contexts that artists come from: supporting emerging artists means maintaining enough flexibility to work alongside their lived realities.
Were the artists required to sign VARA waivers? Did they know the artwork would be temporary?
Barrera: Yes, currently, Oklahoma City regulations for mural projects require a VARA waiver in order to obtain the necessary permits. All artists were made aware of this fact before formally agreeing to participate. One of the goals of the Mural Series is to help guide artists on how to better navigate the lengthy proposal process for murals in OKC. Our aim is to demystify the application for getting a mural design approved by the city. We worked with artists to generate drawings and proposal diagrams in accordance with the Arts Commission Mural handbook. We also presented to the Arts Commission on behalf of artists, and revised all materials for the Downtown Design Committee review and permit process. We also let artists know that the lengths we would display artwork are similar to the run-time for a gallery exhibition, which ensures that the contemporary art on display is fresh and more accurately reflecting the art world today. However, since the life of a mural usually doesn’t exist beyond the display period, we provide an online platform where the works can remain visible, and we take professional, high-resolution photographs that artists may use to sell prints. We defend the artists’ rights to owning their artistic ideas, and we do not use the images for commercial purposes. Our goal as an institution is to support artists and address challenges so that they can continue to make work and be recognized for their artistic contributions.
What is the title of each project and the thought process behind them? Please be specific. I know when we met with you, you told us all about the artwork, the meanings behind them, and elements present throughout each piece, so feel free to expand as much as you’d like.
Barrera: The first rotation of murals were on display from June 8 – September 3rd. These murals were painted live during our Second Saturday event on June 8th:
Making Space #1
Rosa, 2019, by Checo "Tank" Ramirez and Iliana Barrientos, for Making Space: Summer Mural Series Part I. Photography by Brandon Seekins.
Rosa, 2019
Mentoring Artists: Checo “Tank” Ramirez
Mentee: Iliana Barrientos
Rosa, 2019, by Checo "Tank" Ramirez and Iliana Barrientos, for Making Space: Summer Mural Series Part I. Photography by Brandon Seekins.
Rosa depicts a woman wearing vaguely traditional clothing, gazing over her shoulder, and surrounded by Monarch butterflies. Tank and Barrientos combine two art styles: the Graffiti “Piece” and the “National” style of Diego Rivera, to create a more “Chicanx” style of painting to celebrate Latinx communities’ contributions toward contemporary visual culture.
Checo “Tank” Ramirez has been painting for over 15 years until finally being discovered by local artist, Dusty Gilpin, who recognized Tank’s contributions to Oklahoma City’s burgeoning mural scene. Some of Tank’s public works can be found in 23rd and N. MacArthur Blvd or in Capitol Hill. You can also find his murals at The Mayan in Paseo, and you may have seen his murals commissioned by the Oklahoma City Thunder during the playoffs throughout April. Tank will also have an upcoming mural at Diamond Dawgs in Norman, OK. Tank thinks that the most meaningful aspect of Oklahoma Contemporary’s Summer Mural Series is the opportunity to mentor the next generation of artists.
Iliana Barrientos is a mixed-media artist, whose paintings tend to use a mix of acrylics, inks, and colored pencils. Making Space: Summer Mural Series was her first big project with the city; previous work has been exhibited for Latino Heritage Month at the University of Oklahoma in 2018. Barrientos plans to continue learning about murals and taking on any projects that will require her acquired skills. As a young artist she feels like there's so much to learn, and is excited to take what she learns from artists more experienced than her so that one day she could do the same for any upcoming artist.
Same Source, 2019 (detail) by Jaiye Farrell, for Making Space: Summer Mural Series Part I. Photography by Brandon Seekins
Same Source, 2019
By Jaiye Farrell
Same Source, 2019 (detail) by Jaiye Farrell, for Making Space: Summer Mural Series Part I. Photography by Brandon Seekins
Same Source uses white lines on a black background to create a rhythm and circulation of marks. The black “void” immerses the viewer, and the white patterns act as moments where light touches this “void” to reveal forms. Same Source explores how in previous works, people from diverse backgrounds have mentioned seeing fragments of patterns that resemble motifs from their particular cultural heritage.
Jaiye Farrell is an Oklahoma-based artist that has cultivated his style of painting from abstract patterns that transcend societal and cultural divides and remember the communal roots of humanity. From his infatuation with archeology emerged a creative and ambitious talent: to craft signature designs that inspire self-reflection. Farrell has exhibited work at Art Hall under Inclusion in Art, as well as various live-painting events. He continues to develop and express his signature style throughout the city.
Resilience, 2019 (detail) by Amanda Zoey Weathers and William Walker Larason, for Making Space: Summer Mural Series Part I. Photography by Brandon Seekins
Resilience, 2019
Mentoring Artist: Amanda Zoey Weathers
Mentee: William Walker Larason
Resilience, 2019 (detail) by Amanda Zoey Weathers and William Walker Larason, for Making Space: Summer Mural Series Part I. Photography by Brandon Seekins
For Resilience, Weathers and Larason painted flowers surrounding a face arranged in Weathers’ geometric, paint-by-numbers style. The larger composition is composed of separate fields of color that never intersect, carefully arranged to form features that feel harmonious and uplifting. Native foliage represents the locality of Oklahoma City.
Amanda Zoey Weathers has been cultivating her art form over the years in a variety of expressions. From painting to jewelry design to her recent works with paper and metal, she incorporates these interests into pieces that depict her personal experience and life philosophies. With a background in art and graphic design, in 2007 she began her full time artist career and launched an artist-made retail store and gallery in Oklahoma City’s Plaza District. For the past few years she has begun expanding her media to large-scale murals and public art projects in Downtown Oklahoma City.
William Walker Larason is an artist living in Oklahoma City, with an emphasis in working with the medium of gum wrapper foil. They also work in painting, printmaking, and photography. After completing a spotlight exhibition in Oklahoma Visual Art Coalition’s Momentum OKC in 2016, Larason began at Factory Obscura. Larason continues to work on their own personal art.
Making Space #2
The second rotation of murals were painted live on Thursday, Sept. 5th, and will be coming down soon as we remove the construction fence:
Voodoo Fairy, 2019 by Kris "GERM" Ermey and Jonathan De Luna, for Making Space: Summer Mural Series Part II. Photography by Brandon Seekins
Voodoo Fairy, 2019
Mentoring artist: Kris “GERM” Ermey
Mentee: Jonathan De Luna
Voodoo Fairy, 2019 by Kris "GERM" Ermey and Jonathan De Luna, for Making Space: Summer Mural Series Part II. Photography by Brandon Seekins
GERM and De Luna’s collaborative mural celebrates women of color entrepreneurs. GERM renders a Zimbabwe model/designer, Manaka Voodoo Fairy, in his gray monochrome portrait style. De Luna completely transforms a quote from renowned artist, Banksy, into a bold, colorful calligraphic pattern.
Kris “GERM” Ermey has been writing graffiti for over 20 years. Known for his clean, crisp lines and detailed illustrations, GERM’s skill and importance in the Oklahoma graffiti scene was recognized in fall of 2017 when he was one of ten featured artists in Oklahoma Contemporary’s exhibition, Not for Sale. His work has been featured in many events/showcases, from the outdoor graffiti exhibition, Made You Look, to the Oklahoma State Fair Mural Demo. He curated the showcase When Letters Collide (2018) and creates private and public commissions, with clients including the Linked Church. He is very involved in educating youth, partnering with both Youth Services of OKC and Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation, most recently helping to teach a 10-week hip-hop workshop for students at John Rex Elementary.
Jonathan DeLuna has been developing his style for the past 12 years inspired by west coast artists. He works on large-scale murals and small panels, and has become known for his unique calligraphic style. DeLuna’s work has been featured in the Inclusion in Art exhibition at Art Hall (December 2018 to March 2019) and in Oklahoma Contemporary’s Dia de los Muertos exhibition during their Celebration of Latino Culture (2018). His work is part of several private collections. In addition to his artwork, Jonathan is inspired by his role as a father. His 3-year-old daughter is already painting, and carrying the family skills on to the next generation.
Invisible No More, 2019 (detail) by J. NiCole Hatfield, for Making Space: Summer Mural Series Part II. Photography by Brandon Seekins
Invisible No More, 2019
J. NiCole Hatfield (Nahmi-A-Piah; Comanche/Kiowa)
Invisible No More, 2019 (detail) by J. NiCole Hatfield, for Making Space: Summer Mural Series Part II. Photography by Brandon Seekins
Hatfield’s mural raises awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (#MMIW), a movement to bring an end to violence against Indigenous women. Dancer, Kayla Marie (Kiowa/Comanche/Omaha), is painted in Hatfield’s signature colorful, expressionistic style. Four figures standing in a sun represent the four directions. A red handprint over the mouth has become a symbol of #MMIW, and handprints on the dresses are from an interactive painting session with the Oklahoma Contemporary Teen Council.
J. NiCole Hatfield (Nahmi-A-Piah) draws inspiration from archival images of her proud tribal women, painting them to acknowledge and honor their voice within a contemporary world. Her art frequently incorporates Indigenous language to teach it as well as keep it alive. J.NiCole uses her preferred medium of acrylic to translate bold colors to canvas; after attending the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, J. NiCole explored other mediums and was launched into a successful art market career, winning numerous awards and becoming part of many exhibitions, private collections, live-painting events, lectures, and workshops throughout the region. Born and raised in the Southern Plains of Oklahoma, J. NiCole, of the Penetukah band of Comanche’s and the Kiowa Nation, has a profound understanding of the unique paradox in which Native American artists find themselves, challenged with Art’s demand to “make new” while still honoring and appreciating the unchanging spirit in all things, as well as traditional tribal values.
Blooming, 2019 (detail) by Brooke Rowlands and Shakurah Maynard, for Making Space: Summer Mural Series Part II. Photography by Brandon Seekins.
Blooming, 2019
Mentoring artist: Brooke Rowlands
Mentee: Shakurah Maynard
Blooming, 2019 (detail) by Brooke Rowlands and Shakurah Maynard, for Making Space: Summer Mural Series Part II. Photography by Brandon Seekins.
Rowlands and Maynard's collaborative mural uses blocks of intense color and delicate line drawings to create a whimsical painting. Rowlands is known for her flowers within fields of paint, but experiments with Maynard to contribute a different style for the jellyfish and vivid color combinations.
Brooke Rowlands comes from central New Jersey, and has been a proud resident of Oklahoma since 2002. Brooke is inspired by artist Franz Kline and illustrator Clare Leighton, experimenting with ideas/methods to develop a homogenous blend of both contemporary art and still life, often incorporating flowers, birds, trees and fish into abstract backgrounds. Color is a driving force behind Brooke’s art, whether it be acrylic painting or paper collage, and her strong contrast and sense of complimentary hues and patterns command attention toward their simple beauty. Her work has been featured nationally from Texas to Times Square including features in national television series like The Vampire Diaries and Houzz project with Actress Olivia Munn.
Shakurah Maynard is a fine artist and graphic designer. Born in the historic West End neighborhood in Atlanta, Shakurah is currently a student at Oklahoma City University School of Visual Arts. Her work is whimsical, colorful, and dynamic, interested in the ever-changing way we express identity on the internet. In 2017, she was selected to participate in Symbiotic, a collaborative show between working and student artists on the importance of art in communities, organized by the OVAC. Recently, she worked with local muralists to paint and distribute homes for the feral cat population in OKC.
Support for Making Space: Summer Mural Series provided by Downtown Oklahoma City Initiatives.
Is this a project you will continue with a spring series? Would OKC Contemporary be interested in continuing this project after construction has completed and the new location is official open in March?
Barrera: In light of the success of the mural project and excitement from the artistic community, we have decided to continue the mentor/mentee pairing for a new rotation of murals throughout the year. We are in the process of setting up a mural wall near our new art studio buildings hopefully before the closing of the inaugural exhibitions, Bright Golden Haze and Shadow on the Glare. Oklahoma has a growing and thriving mural art scene, and we hope to support this exciting part of our city’s artistic landscape.
How likely is it that OKC Contemporary would collaborate with other construction projects to integrate more artwork throughout the OKC area?
Barrera: We will always help Oklahoma City celebrate and support art in all its forms, and we are happy to lend our experience and expertise in realizing such projects across our communities. Our Curatorial and Exhibitions Director, Jennifer Scanlan, is involved in the Oklahoma Public Art Network (OPAN), which helps both artists and organizations work through the public art process. (You can find more information on the OPAN website and Facebook page). Additionally, stay tuned for exciting information about projects connected to Oklahoma Contemporary that will bring art to many different spaces across the city!
What have you learned from this project?
Barrera: I have seen that Oklahoma City and our neighboring towns have a wealth of artists waiting for an opportunity to showcase their artistic abilities. I have also come to admire Oklahoma City’s spirit of collaboration, and I have learned that we are ready for the types of conversations these underrepresented voices carry. We are giving artists a chance to share incredible perspectives, but we are also giving the city a chance to appreciate the complex, wonderful diversity that makes Oklahoma City’s visual culture so special. These artists are making OKC beautiful, both literally and as a community.
How can artists benefit from collaborating with each other?
Barrera: Every rotation of murals saw artists trading tips and networking for future collaborations. Emerging artists were able to witness the power of mentoring, and experienced artists were able to see their art as part of an inter-generational process. I imagine that if artists continue to harness this spirit of collaboration, the projects will become more ambitious and far-reaching. Also, on a practical level, mural arts becomes sustainable as more artists share their experiences.
Do you have any closing comments for the article?
Barrera: In March, 2020, Oklahoma Contemporary will open its new downtown on 11th and Broadway. This is a rare moment in the history of the city, and we want everyone to be a part of this major achievement. You may find more information on our website here. As our mission statement says: “Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center encourages artistic expression in all its forms through education, exhibitions, and performance.” Our 30 year history of activates and exhibitions are too numerous to list, but you can read more about what we do here.
Further Reading:
Part 1 Exploring Oklahoma Murals Where Public Art Is More Than Paint
Part 2 Breathing New Life Into Humanities At Rose State College
Is there an official opening date? Will there be a special opening ceremony or event for the public?
COVID-19 Delays Oklahoma Contemporary’s New Location Opening Ceremony
Thank you so much to Pablo Barrera for sitting down and chatting with me about Making Space and thank you to Oklahoma Contemporary for making Oklahoma City beautiful.
And thank you for reading my article on Making Space. If you enjoyed it or found it useful in some way, please consider sharing it or leaving a comment below. I would love to get a discussion going down in the comments on public art in the OKC area.