When you’re lost for words, play

What do you do when you’re lost for words? Play with materials that contain lots of sentences and catchy phrases.

A few years ago, I discovered blackout poetry thanks to Austin Kleon. At first, I thought it was just a fun hobby of his, but turns out he made an entire book out of them.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about writer’s block. There comes a time when you have to face a blank page with zero ideas in your head. It’s normal. Sooner or later, it happens to the best of writers in any field.

I believe a playful approach is a good idea to get rid of that block. After all, our brains are constantly looking to play. As I’ve been thinking about what “playfulness” means to me, I decided to make my own blackout poems to clear my head and giggle at the result.

Later on, I return to my writing project with a different mindset, and I’m able to put one word after another again. Sometimes, all it takes is a few minutes of your time to relax and do something fun. It doesn’t have to make sense.

So here’s my most recent poems:

Questionable Choices

Snowbirds

Visitors

What do you do when you’re lost for words?

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