How to Craft a Poem with Found Art & Words
When you want to write a poem but don't know where to begin
There’s more than one way to write a poem.
Poiema--from which we get the word ‘poem’--is Greek for “a thing that is made,” (which is the inspiration for naming this Substack, by the way).
“Made things” can be creations with pens or paint or paper, offering a reflection of what’s in our heads and on our hearts and showing up on the page.
For a number of years I’ve been practicing a way of poetry-making that has become a welcome outlet for my creativity. Using cut out words and pictures from old books and magazines, glitter glue, watercolors, stamps and more, I began a new way of crafting my thoughts on the blank page.
This practice has produced the following work—shared in photos below. Not necessarily ‘poetry,’ but various expressions of a made thing.
Poems & Prayers on Paper
Folks often feel intimidated about how to write a poem—I get it; I’ve been there—and they don’t know where to begin. Art journaling is a way to venture into expressing oneself with words (and pictures) both and thus create a poem, a made thing.
The Apostle Paul encourages us to pray without ceasing, yes? Prayer is a place of listening, being tuned into God at all times in our “walking around life,” as Eugene Peterson coined it. I’ve often looked at art journaling as “poems and prayers on paper.”
Playing with paper, pictures and paint is a practice that engenders a different kind of listening to create something with written, visual or artistic materials then respond and capture what God is speaking. Sometimes, most times, we don’t know what God is saying until we take time to listen, moving things around with pictures, glue, paint or pen. Many of us can say, “I didn’t know what I thought until I saw it written on the page?”
Because sometimes we don't know what God is saying until we see it.
How To ‘Write” a Poem with Found words and pictures
To Begin, if you can, take 15 minutes to make a mess. Like this one.
MATERIALS:
A blank journal or page, at least 8 x 5 ish in size
Old magazines and books. Maps, menus, calendars, church bulletins, junk mail--all are a good source for print and pictures.
Scissors, glue sticks
Felt markers or pens (I use the Art-n-Fly fine line drawing pens that write over watercolor)
Glitter glue
Rubber letter stamps and ink pad
Stencils
Watercolors or acrylics
Any other 'arty' material you can think of
BEGIN
Trust that God will begin to speak to you, helping you to pray on paper.
Look through the flotsam and jetsam you’ve assembled; cut out (or tear) pictures and words.
Sort through your piles and move things around. Certain things will speak to you; WORDS will come to the surface.
Glue words or phrases in place. Sit back.
What do you see? What did God say?
I love this practice, and your examples. I've been trying to do one art journal page a day. I don't always do it, but I've been more consistent with it over the last several months. It is the best way for me to transition from day to evening.
I think my heart beat a little faster as I viewed your photos, Jody. I've collected collage materials to experiment with, but haven't done a whole lot with them. You've inspired me! Perhaps Sunday afternoons could become my art-journaling time. . .