I know. I’ve been there as well, flipping the pages of the old dusty books and going through grey webpages of the internet to find a write-up that can match my poetry aesthetic. All I was seeking for basic guidance to aid me in getting started writing a poem that I always wanted to write. Despite spending golden sands of hours from dusk to dawn I return empty handed and ended up banging my head on the laptop screen. Suddenly the world seems dull and unpleasant and there’s a halt to exert and push my imagination. Drowsiness and fatigue prevailed and eventually, I ended up scrolling reels on social media.
Poetry is not everyone’s cup of tea. It requires limitless imagination, a plethora of creativity, a superfluity of sentiments flowing in your veins, dedication to cultivating discipline towards daily practice, constant motivation, and consistency to refine your poetic skills. Always remember, we write poems to feel our magical existence in this world. That’s why you are in this profession in the first place. We know the taste of the art of writing.
There were times when I felt my love for poetry was gone. The days when I didn’t win a contest or when I received a dozen of rejected emails floating in my Inbox. It was difficult for me to grasp that my heart-poured poems don’t have the potential to get published in journals. I wonder, does that make me a loser? This further resulted in shaking my confidence, unstoppable overthinking, and unnecessarily self-doubting my capabilities. Guess how I found my lost inspiration?
One evening while I was dusting off my old school stuff, I stumbled across my mathematics notebook. I remember how much I hated Math in school back then. A wave of nostalgia swept over me when I curled a few pages of the notebook and I found my first poem, “Wingless Dreamer.” A smile spread across my face. The poem was full of grammatical errors and irregular rhyming schemes. It made me giggle to see such an imperfect poem. Still, it remains my favorite write-up since it was about my first love who passed away a few days before I wrote it. This is where my love towards poetry grew fonder and deeper. Poetry has the power to support people when there is no one with them.
Later that evening, I walked to the beach and sat on the sandy seashore watching the pink sunset. With the ebb and flow between the golden shore and moon, I was a numskull who didn’t realize it sooner.
Poetry is not about perfection but the art of channelling your inner emotions in words.
To sustain myself in this commercialised world, I forgot that poetry comes from within. How foolish I was to chase contest deadlines and rage to finish off writing my poems. Always remember writing can’t be forced. That’s when I bridged hope in my mind and went back to my studies to begin working on my poem once again. The rest is history.
Well, there are a few things I learnt before I embarked on a journey of transforming myself from an amateur poet to the founder and chief editor of the Wingless Dreamer Publisher. Through this article, I would like to share my knowledge with you. I hope it will prove fruitful to you.
4 Lessons From Grooming My Love for Poetry
#1 Control your mind
The first step to eliminate the inner voice that says, “I am not a good poet,” is to indulge in control over every thought occurring in your subconscious mind. As a writer, naturally, you have an incredible energy reserve in your heart that is simply waiting to be tapped. You don’t need a college degree to become a poet laureate. Your self-doubts and negativity about your writing skills are your biggest enemy. Unknowingly to sustain in this commercialized world writers are chasing after deadlines and cash prizes forgetting the true essence of poetry. Being hard on yourself and self-criticizing your work negatively is responsible for disempowering your pursuit towards excellence. To become an extraordinary poet, you need to learn to become a “hopefulist” first. Control your thoughts and learn to channel your emotions such as grief, anger, frustration, happiness, love, kindness, and helplessness. The day when you’ll learn to run your thoughts like an almighty poet is the day when you’ll achieve personal mastery in the art of poetry.
#2 Always set your priorities straight
Our mind and body need a constant reminder to prioritize our dreams above all. When you intensify your energy toward a single purpose, a dormant force you were never aware of kicks in. That’s what is going to make you a genius in the field of creative writing. Stop wasting your precious time on mobile phones or indicting the ‘It-feels-good’ principle.
The it-feels-good principle is basically the process of becoming a sloth by enjoying sleeping or eating too much, among other useless activities. Making a plethora of excuses and deviating yourself by prioritizing things that won’t add to achieving your goals is a complete waste of time. There’s nobody to blame. It’s all on you. You’ll end up becoming super unproductive for the whole day and ultimately losing motivation. Henceforth, it is vital to keep your motivational spirit in check. You can visit historical places or listen to other people’s stories to gain inspiration. Personally, I love it. Often spend time in nature away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Always set gentle reminders for yourself from time to time. Why do you love writing poems? What poetry means in your life? You can visit places where you’ve harvested the best of your poems or read your old works from time to time and see how gradually you’ve improved. Be proud of yourself that you’re among those responsible writers who tend to change the world. A writer is a character, rich with self-integrity, a brave-hearted soul, and an avid curator.
#3 Correct use of technology and resources
Think about how to use technology and resources to advance your poetry skill set instead of de-escalating your progress. To become a proficient poet, you need to sacrifice the superficial world we live in today and forge granularity in your work. You need to step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself to update your portfolio with time. Watch interviews of beloved authors and learn the ways how they established a concrete plan to become a profound writer. You’re lucky that you can find answers to all your questions by pressing a few buttons on your laptop. Place your mind on a regime that writing poems is your top-most priority and you’re going to create history by making the most use of technology. You’re privileged that you can gain access to read any book by sitting in a coffee shop from any corner of the world. Additionally, you can enroll yourselves in online resources or courses such as creative writing or poetry. You can practice writing daily prompts or listen to your favorite author’s podcast, watching movies, or practice online tests to improve your vocabulary or grammar among other services the internet has to offer.
#4 Finding true sources of inspiration
Another piece of advice is to join a writing group or an online community. Trust me, it helps. You learn a lot by participating in a writing group. Different mindsets yield vivid perspectives that astoundingly will help you to produce results which you truly are capable of achieving. Listen to your peers and respect their perspectives. This will teach you to see things from different angles and based on your viewpoints you can develop your characters and shape your stories accordingly, just the way you want them to be.
The second piece of advice would be to read books. Read about characters that you can relate to, twisted and mind-boggling plots, and heart-warming poems to intrigue your hidden talent and generate ideas for your write-ups. Try to read books in different genres. Do not stick to the ones that you find yourself comfortable in. Welcome all the new possibilities by keeping an open mindset. You may never know what’s waiting ahead for you. Personally, I find reading to be like a meditation where you can let yourself go and liberate your mind limitlessly.
The third piece of advice would be to listen to soft music and light a candle while writing. I know it sounds irrelevant but trust me, the environment you surround yourself in subconsciously plays an integral role. To access your higher self, you need to build a peaceful atmosphere away from worldly disturbances. Surround yourself with positive thought-awakening posters. Please welcome people who can give you constructive criticism of your literary works. Utilize technology to answer your doubts. Place your phone in the ‘Do not Disturb’ mode while writing. We cannot afford any distractions. With a healthy reservoir of a better body and mind you can achieve incredible momentum of self-mastery which will eventually lead you to become a successful writer.
Chop-chop. What are you waiting for? You better start working. Remember, tomorrow never comes.
COUP OF LOVE by Ruchi Acharya
The moon grows half-naked tonight The colour of the rain is turning black and lilies in the pond are all dying while I am talking to your ghost by staying up in the shadows of moonlight.
I was drowning in my dark crimson blood beyond the universe reach waiting for you to come and lift me up to keep me afloat, teach me how to breathe in the buoyant force.
Little owlets are sombering deep Poets are using golden threads to weave their dreams. I am burning my poison ivy not my desires till morning comes. I’d love you more and outgrown you Reverse the clock to go where we’re originally from.
I wonder, How do I love again? When will my life begin?
This article was first published by Parisian Phoenix Publisher in October 2022. Please click the button below to visit their website.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ruchi Acharya, hailing from India, is a distinguished English Laureate. Over the past two years, she has gained immense recognition for her remarkable publications, with her works appearing in more than 100 renowned platforms. Ruchi's true passion lies in supporting fellow writers and artists, evident through her establishment of Wingless Dreamer Publisher, a company dedicated to empowering and promoting creative individuals.
With a profound interest in Poetry, Ruchi delves deep into the intricacies of these literary realms. Among her cherished literary treasures, works by Jane Austen hold a special place in her heart.
Ruchi Acharya has become a prominent figure in the literary world, having made appearances in numerous interviews spanning the globe. During these engagements, she passionately advocates for the appreciation of poetry, emphasizing that human emotions are at the core of our existence. She urges others not to take this profound aspect of life for granted
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