What makes poetry “good?” This was the leading question behind the Carleton Poetics Society’s Make “Bad” Art Writing Social and Workshop, which was held virtually Aug. 16.
The workshop aimed to break writers out of their creative ruts and encourage artistic experimentation. Workshop attendees and hosts raised questions about underlying issues faced by members of the writing community, such as imposter syndrome and fear of rejection.
“When talking to writers or creatives in general, I found that there were some recurring themes in what people would bring up as obstacles to creating or sharing their work,” Maya Chorney, the club’s president, social media manager and workshop host said.
Chorney said understanding the roots of writer’s block is key to overcoming it.
“Writer’s block is an umbrella term for underlying issues. [These include] perfectionism, fear of being vulnerable, lack of motivation, imposter syndrome, and feeling like one’s art is too niche or personal for others to find value in,” she said.
Catherine McDonald*, the club’s event co-ordinator, said she pushes through writer’s block by writing about personal experiences.
“I encounter writer’s block more when I’m not focusing on what’s important to me. Coming back to what I know, what I’ve experienced is a helpful way to get past [writer’s block],” McDonald said.
While student writers were not necessarily expected to create “bad” art during the workshop, the idea was to release ingrained ideas of “good” and “bad,” which are at the root of many creative anxieties and struggles, Chorney said.
“There is no such thing as objectively bad art or art that does not have inherent value or meaning. Good or bad are determined at a commercial level, on how popular a piece of art is or what the standard critical approach is at the time, as well as social location,” she said.
An anonymous poll at the beginning of the workshop gauged whether attendees struggled with these issues. A majority of participants related to not having a judgment-free space to gather feedback on their work.
“The special part of going through creative writing workshops, especially with the same trusted cohort of fellow student writers, is the community,” professor Nadia Bozak of Carleton’s English department said. Bozak teaches a first-year creative writing course and workshop-based courses in fiction.
“As a writer, you cannot exist in a vacuum. Part of the process is sharing your writing and getting feedback, especially if it’s another writer who knows the craft,” Bozak said. “Writing is a collaborative process and a group effort, as seen in the acknowledgments page of a book, even if there’s only one name on the cover.”
During the workshop, student writers shared tips on how to deal with creative work that is not perfect, such as having separate notebooks for publishable work and unfinished projects.
“The goal of this workshop is to give yourself permission to create and be willing to fail in order to make a masterpiece. To have fun with your creativity and be gentle with your work in its early stages, no matter what your inner critic says,” Chorney added.
After initial icebreakers, Chorney led the group through simple five-minute prompts to prevent second guessing of their work. The prompts built off one another, allowing writers to create a poem to share at the end of the workshop.
Finger snaps, used to signify appreciation during poetry reads, encouraged writers to continue reading.
“When writing creatively, we are often told to write for an ideal reader or imagine a certain audience, but writing for yourself and not limiting yourself is a positive thing to do,” Bozak said. “Any piece of art should live on its own terms. Asking, “is it good enough?” at the end counters creativity.”
The Poetics Society will continue hosting monthly open mic nights at Haven Books. Student writers can learn more about the club and upcoming events by visiting its social media page.
*Catherine McDonald has contributed to the Charlatan.
Featured graphic by Alisha Velji/the Charlatan.
