Summary

The website content details the creative process of the author in transforming a found book into various forms of poetry, including blackout poetry and poetry sculpture, and reflects on the value of small completions and the inspiration drawn from fellow poets.

Abstract

The author recounts discovering a book in a car park and repurposing it into artistic expressions through blackout poetry and paper sculpture, emphasizing the importance of small creative achievements. The article showcases the poem 'Transmutation,' which evolved from a photographed page of Elizabeth Gilbert's 'The Signature of All Things,' and was later crafted into a card. Influenced by the concept of 'small completions' introduced by Trisha Traughber, the author advocates for the completion of lingering ideas to prevent them from becoming energy drains. The piece also acknowledges the impact of fellow poets like Lisa Bolin and Adelia Ritchie, PhD, on the author's creative journey, highlighting the collaborative and iterative nature of artistic inspiration.

Opinions

The author values the transformation of found objects into art, as evidenced by the creation of poetry from a discarded book.
There is an appreciation for the aesthetic of simplicity, as the author chose not to create elaborate images for the blackout poetry but instead used a simple sketch and a red heart for focus.
The author finds personal growth and satisfaction in the process of creating and completing artistic projects, even if they are modest in scale.
The concept of 'small completions' is seen as a valuable approach to managing creative energy and preventing the drain caused by unfinished ideas.
The author expresses a change in perspective regarding the poem 'Transmutation,' initially unsure but growing to love it through the act of creation and repetition.
There is a sense of community and mutual influence among poets and artists, as the author pays homage to peers who have inspired their work.
The author encourages readers to engage in their own creative endeavors, such as blackout poetry or poetry sculpture, suggesting an inclusive view of artistic expression.

Crafting ‘Transmutation’

Blackout Poetry, Poetry Sculpture & the Wisdom of Small Completions

Transmutation

Tell, me though What is it that you admire?

Without hesitation silence beauty in elegant reserve

It appeared as though He listened

transmutation.

She felt herself set loose she spilled forth ideas long locked away within her heart

A Poem found hidden on a page, in a book, found in a car park.

I found a book some time ago. A paperback, just lying on the ground, in a car park. I picked it up and wasn't able to find an owner, so I took it home, planning to donate it to charity. It sat instead, on a kitchen chair, for over a month.

Last week, I opened a page of the book at random and took a photo of it. I wanted to try blackout poetry, but couldn’t bring myself to tear up this new-ish looking novel. So I took a photo and used photoshop to ‘blackout’ the poem.

This is the result:

Image by Author. The page is no. 201, from Elizabeth Gilbert’s ‘The Signature of All Things’ (paperback 2013).

The Wisdom of Small Completions

Blackout poetry usually has elaborate or striking images drawn onto the page used. I wasn’t up to that this week. Instead, I scanned a *sketch (for a painting idea) that had been stuck on the fridge since last November and put it over the top. (The big red heart just was a last-minute choice to give the image some focus.)

It is thanks to the wisdom of Trisha Traughber, that I’m now starting to recognize and appreciate these ‘small completions’, which can be found in the messes of the ‘big ideas’ that get brainstormed, journaled, or sketched.

If I have any resolutions this (yes, it’s still ‘new’) year; it is this: To make some ‘small completion’ of any idea that I hold on to for too long — and close that energy drain.

*Note to Amy Marley: This is the ‘with falling petals’ sketch, I mentioned might be a painting one day — I wanted to show you this small completion instead: )

Not up to drawing right now, but it's in the cards

Ok, so I’m not drawing or painting, but we have been card-making round our way. I printed off a couple of copies of the (photographed) page and made the paper sculpture/ popout card that is in the image at the beginning of this article:

This paper sculpture poem/pop-out card experiment and the blackout poetry effort were inspired by Lisa Bolin, who made ‘poetry sculpture’ a thing:

Poetry Sculpture

Mt attempt at another way of creating poetry

medium.com

In the previous photo, the curled and stuck together lines of the poem scattered about my card are my homage to Lisa.

The top right curl in the photo, (which reads ‘beauty in elegant reserve’) is a nod to Adelia Ritchie, PhD, who wrote an Haiku which actually had me making a ‘Mobius strip’:

Let’s Go on A Möbius Trip

Day 5 Prompt: Cell Biology-inspired Haiku

medium.com

The poem itself

‘Transmutation’ isn't a poem I normally would have written myself. When I first picked it out of the page, I wasn't sure if I liked it. But over the time of making things with it, reciting it while cutting it out, shaping it, pasting it, and generally absorbing it; I’ve come to love it.

It appeared as though He listened

transmutation.

I think what happened is that I ‘listened’. It was different to the ‘telling’ that’s usually going on with poetry making.

If there’s any single word I’d change it would be ‘admire’ to ‘desire’, which is how I recited it to myself.

Thank you, beautiful reader.

And if you’re moved to blackout or any poetry sculpture of your own devising, do let us know.