All Poets Should Create a Handmade Poetry Chapbook

It will become one of your most treasured possessions

When I was in college, I took every writing course that my school had to offer. Although I was working on a science degree I wanted to double major in writing. I ended up getting a minor in English with a concentration in writing because there was not a “writing” major or minor available at my school.

There was one technical writing class and two creative writing classes, one of which focused on poetry. Of course I took all three classes and even had them design a class on environmental writing, in which I was the only student.

If you haven’t had the fortune or ability to go to college I encourage you to enroll in some type of class. Community colleges offer poetry classes oftentimes and just being with community while working through poetry is very rewarding.

The final exam for my creative writing poetry class was to create a handmade chapbook with at least 10 poems in it of a consistent theme. We were to meet and present are chapbooks together and do a poetry reading from our chapbooks to the class.

We met at my professors apartment for our final exam get together. It was a lovely atmosphere with finger foods and lit candles. We each took a turn to present our chapbook to the class and read a few selections from it.

Reading poems from my chapbook was a beautiful experience for me and the chapbook that I created for that final exam grade has become one of my most prized possessions.

So I thought I’d share with you a few pictures of my chapbook and to just encourage you to follow your creativity and create one of your own. Mine is all kinds of artsy and craftsy but yours could be simplistic, minimalist, industrial or urban. Mine has a whimsical-forest flare but yours could be more science fiction…whatever creative direction you take is your decision.

You just choose a theme that you have enough poems about, collect them together and start rearranging them into an order that makes sense. And then create your book in whatever fashion you choose. Don’t be afraid to take chances. Don’t be afraid to completely honor your poetic voice.

This isn’t necessarily for your readers — this is for you. There are all kinds of videos online about how to create a handmade book. I’m not even sure YouTube was even around when I made my chapbook!

I hope that you have enjoyed taking a peek inside my personal chapbook — I’d do a self-published version of this book but we used artwork out of fantasy-style books to sketch from so I think there are copyright issues there. I do not have access to those books or artists to reference them, only that we drew our own versions while looking at other artists work.

I do think it would be great fun to do another — with all of my own artwork in it, but carpal tunnel makes sketching difficult. But what a wonder that would be to design, create, then reproduce for others to enjoy?

Just some thoughts from this little poet’s heart today as I reminisce about my whimsical chapbook. You should make one too!

Christina Ward 🌼 is a poet, crafter, and creative spirit from rural North Carolina — where fireflies lit her childhood into a magical, playful experience she loves to relive through poetry. Stay in touch! ~*~ Fiddleheads & Floss Poetry ~*~ Follow me on Twitter!