Feeling like you’re in a poetic slump? Or maybe you just want to give your creativity a boost? Then take our 7-day poetry challenge! Try each of the creative poetry activities below (or make up your own). The important thing is to commit to doing something completely new and out of the ordinary once a day for the next week. It’s a fun way to motivate yourself and reinvigorate your poems. After all, poetry is a lifestyle choice.
Seven days. Seven games. Your one-week commitment to challenge yourself. Are you in? Let’s go!
Our One-Week Challenge For Poets: 7 Poetry Pick-Me-Ups To Refresh Your Muse
Monday: Draw new lines. Take one of your poems, print it, and cut it with scissors so that each line of the poem is on a separate piece of paper. Then, reorder the lines as you please. Or, pick them up and let them fall. What do you see in your own lines when the order is different? Is the message the same, changed, improved, or ruined? With some unexpected arrangements, your original poem might become (or inspire) a completely new work!
Tuesday: Tackle a new poetic form. Maybe you write primarily in free verse. Or maybe you like prose poems. This week, mix things up by learning about a form of poetry that you’ve never written in before. Then, try your hand at this new poetry form. You might not like the results, but poetry is a genre that easily lends itself to experimentation. So have a little fun!
Wednesday: Get visually inspired. You’ve heard of poems that are written based on visual prompts such as paintings and still photos from films. But this week, consider making a word collage. Print or cut out words that are meaningful to you. Then, arrange them as artistically as you please. Poetry doesn’t have to be about standard lines of text running across a page. Open your mind to new interpretations of what it means to create a poem.
Thursday: Dance your poems. Close the curtains, shut the door, put the phone on silent. Nobody’s watching—so why not explore the relationship between your poetry and dancing? (Yes, dancing!) Read your poem aloud or memorize it, and see how the words you’ve written move you—is it a jitterbug or a waltz? Don’t get in the way of your own movement poem; let the words carry you along.
Friday: Jot down your dreams. Have paper and pen at the ready beside your bed, and as soon as you wake up, write down your dreams. Then, write a poem based on those images. Here’s how to explore your creativity in your sleep.
Saturday: Play a word association game. Walk around your house with a notepad and a clear head, and write down any words that come to you as you look at the objects around you. You might discover a poem hiding between the toaster and the teacups! You can also play this game in parks, malls, and museums.
Sunday: Read, read, read. Okay, reading poetry isn’t a game. But it’s one of the most important things you can do if you want to be a better poet. Plus, when you buy books of poetry or literary journals that publish poetry, you’re supporting a great cause. Make time to remind yourself why you love poetry by reading and supporting today’s poets.
QUESTION: What do you do to keep your poems fresh? If you take our challenge, let us know how it goes!
This is a brilliant idea!
And I am most definitely going to follow through.
Thank you!