All About You FRIDAY – Blackout Poetry (The Power of Omission)

I recently attended TEDx Detroit, a gathering of great and curious minds in the city sharing ideas worth spreading. I was drawn to a booth by Alcott’s Attic where they were handing out pages torn from old books. As I approached, I was handed a black marker and a clipboard along with a page.

Blackout poetry involves reading a page and selectively blacking out words to create a new composition. My page was from a chapter titled Rocky Mountain Toad. What am I going to do with this?!

As I settled into the assignment, I was surprised at how certain words jumped off the page. I found it creatively liberating in that I felt I was writing poetry without actually having to conjure up the words myself. And my poem ended with one of my favorite words of all time: curiosity.

As the day progressed, more people added their “poetry” to the big board. It was interesting to see the different creations and try to relate to what was going on in someone else’s head. Here is one of my favorites:

Now I just might consider guinea pig waste.

Why does this matter?

Blackout poetry is a great way to get kids or aspiring poets to combine the written word and visual processing. It is a way to be creative without having to start from a blank page. And it’s a way better alternative than tossing out an old book. I’ve already decided it’s going to be a part of the next game night we host at our house. Give it a try. You just may unleash your inner poet and realize what you really needed to say was buried in the pages of a book.

It’s Friday and it’s been a long week. Don’t forget to celebrate.

Until next time…