(I am a participant in the Amazon Associates Program and any qualifying purchases made through affiliate links I may earn a commission on at no additional cost to you.)
I recently self published an art and poetry collection through Amazon. For the collection I drew a new creature each night and wrote a reaction to it. I’ve always wanted to write a collection of short stories that connected together. For my first attempt I went with poems rather than short stories.
For the collection I didn’t want to over think it. I didn’t set off with any theme in mind instead I just drew an image and wrote a reaction allowing the poems to connect in their own way. When I draw creature art I often take pen to paper and allow my hands to draw away and at the end I add eyes to areas my mind makes sense of it. I use the process as a way to let go and not overthink everything. I am an overthinker and an over analyzer and often times because of that I’ll quit several pages into an idea. For several reasons among the reasons are self doubt, always thinking this could be more more creative, and a lingering feeling of what’s the point. It’s hard for me to break past that and keep going with a story.
To overcome my self doubt, and a deep seeded control for an idea before I even get several pages in I decided to let go and try an experimentation. In which I spent 32 days drawing and writing a reaction and what ever happened, happened. To be honest the entire process was freeing and the creative ideas flooded out and into other projects I have been working on. On day one I drew the first character and wrote a reaction. The next day as I wrote a reaction it felt fitting that the voice behind the reaction belonged to the creature from day one and from there that creature became the narrator.
Here is a brief description of
A collection of poetry and creature art that will take you on a thirty-two day walk through the narrators world. (The narrator is the creature introduced on day one.) As they navigate their way through a path of creatures they come across. Trapped within their own thoughts and left to interpret each creature they pass during their thirty-two day walk without sleep.
Below is a short excerpt from
Day 1: Can we sleep now?
Day 1: Can we sleep now?
Can we sleep now?
We can’t!
Can we sleep now?
We can’t!
I cannot perform
juggling
all the frantic thoughts
the anxiety
I am overwhelmed!
So I ask again can we sleep now
and a part of me replies back,
Is that what you want
to run freely
to think
to scheme?
I think about it
and I scream
no
I want to rest
even in sleep I can’t stop
juggling
I live for our fears
I live for our pain
I live for our goals
never do I rest
endlessly we walk.
Day 2: This thing has an idea.
“I have an idea!” says the creature.
This thing has an idea.
Am I a police officer now
even worst a vigilante?
Another job to juggle.
“Hey let’s talk about this
lets slow it down!
Sir put that down,
that freakishly large gun.
Is that an eye?
Is it looking at me?
Is it living?
I don’t care,
just put it down walk away.
Look I don’t get it either
that’s not a reason to end it
especially not this way
just put the gun down!”
“I’m too tired for this
blinking lightbulb on your head
this is a very bad idea.
I’d rather be asleep right now,
thanks for keeping me awake!”
Now we got to deal with this
because they are hurting
they are going to hurt others
that sounds fair.
“I said put that thing down!
The art and Poetry collection is available for purchase through Amazon.
(I am a participant in the Amazon Associates Program and any qualifying purchases made through affiliate links I may earn a commission on at no additional cost to you.)
Thanks for reading.
-Temperamentally Tina
Temperamentally Tina 