Why I Write a Poem Every Day

I’ve spoken on here and elsewhere about the artist as a vessel—art ideally coming through an artist and not from them. That’s the ideal situation, at least—that’s us at our optimal. We should be stenographers for our muse—we should listen, not think, and write down what we hear. I believe it is important for us to strengthen the muscles that requires, keep ourselves sharp for the quite psychic task at hand. I can think of no better way to do this than by writing a poem every day.

Of course, it’s not just simply writing a poem every day—you need to receive. That means not thinking about what you’re going to write beforehand, and not thinking about what you’re writing during, and not thinking about what you wrote afterward. That is how you hone your ability as a vessel—how you enable yourself to let the words come through you without you getting in your head about it all and breaking the connection. If you think, you’re dead—you lose your place and must center yourself again in order to resume.

The first time you do this, you will be all over the place. It will feel unnatural—you will be unable to clear your head for it to happen. It’s like starting a daily practice of meditation—and just as beneficial, I’ve found. Before I started writing a poem every single day, I was someone who created ‘when inspiration struck’, which is to say I created quite sporadically. Only after committing to this daily practice did I become the prolific artist you know and love today. Comfort in yourself as a vessel, and diligent practice of being one, is the single most important thing you can do for yourself as an artist.

Your muse does not want a booty call relationship with you—it doesn’t want to see you only when you randomly want to create. It wants a serious, committed relationship where you connect every single day. She deserves that—she is the most important person in your life. Without her, everything you do lacks soul—your creations are at all good because you listen to her ever at all.

You can start writing a poem every day today—pick a time that would be convenient for a 15-minute daily practice and write a poem. I write one right before I go to sleep each night. I have kept to this religiously since September 2014. I have written and published thousands of poems as a result, not to mention all my other creative pursuits. The practice works, and it will work for you too.

Thank you for reading, and if you enjoyed this piece and enjoy my creations, consider contributing $2 per month to my film studio, Kill The Lion Films.