Are You a Poet? (A suggestion for Poetry Month: say "yes")

Do you use words in creating your content for kids and teens? (Many illustrators do, so this is not just for writers and translators...)

Do you select those words carefully?

Do you use space, like line breaks and negative space on the page?

Are you thoughtful about punctation?

Poets do. And are. 

April, which here in the US is National Poetry Month, is a celebration of poetry, and I have two suggestions: 

1) For the month of April, read a poem a day. They don't have to rhyme. They don't have to be for kids. Just enjoy the power of words.

2) For the month of April, write a poem a day. They don't have to rhyme. They don't have to be for kids. They don't have to be crafted with the intention of being published. Just enjoy the power of words—your words.

Allow yourself to play. Allow yourself to be poetic...

See if that practice helps you with the art you're creating. It's possible you'll find creating poems is worth it in and of itself. And then maybe you'll allow yourself to say, "yes, I'm a poet."

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee