What Is #365poems?

I have embarked on a new 365-day online project: I will be blogging one poem every day in 2013 at Schmoetry, and I will be hashtagging it #365poems on Twitter. I posted the first poem, 1/365: New Year's Day, yesterday.

This is an ambitious project for me to even think about, because I have only published 87 poems since October 2003, which amounts to an average of eight poems a year, which means that I plan on increasing my poem production by 45 times in 2013. This is no small order.

I love writing poetry, at least when I don't hate it, but it's always been hard work for me, so I'm using the next year as a push to give that end of my creativity a more regular stretch. I'm curious to see what words will come out, how they will come out, and what will happen with the rest of my writing and communication work once I get into a rhythm.

Without language, we are locked away from even ourselves.

I didn't realize what a junkie I am for 365-day projects until I decided to start this one and looked back over the life of this website:

1. I began x365 in 2007/2008, in which I wrote about 366 people I have known using exactly 50 words each.
2. In November 2008, I started Grace in Small Things, during which I listed five positive things every day for the first year, and I began a gratitude community to support my habit.
3. During the first full year of Schmutzie's Phoneography, starting in November 2010, I posted an iPhone photo every day.
4. There was another year, and I can't remember which one specifically, during which I blogged every day without an overarching theme.
5. So, #365poems is my fifth 365-day online project, and I believe it is the most difficult yet.

I feel trepidatious. It will be both good and terrible, I'm sure. There is potential for some fairly bad poetry here, but you're an understanding lot, right? I think you can take it.

Want to join me? You can! Do it however you wish. Blog it, keep it in a paper journal under your bed, tweet your poems, or do whatever you choose, and declare your project with this button:

Copy and paste the following code:

<a href="http://www.schmutzie.com/schmoetry/2013/1/2/what-is-365poems.html" title="#365poems at Schmutzie.com"><img src="http://tinyurl.com/schmutzie-365poems" alt="#365poems at Schmutzie.com" /></a>

If you're joining in, let me know in the comments!

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PS. Credit for my impetus to start the #365poems project goes to Amy Turn Sharp, who just completed her year of poetry on December 31st. One phone call with her, and I was sold.

Comments

[Mod Mom Beyond IndieDom]

I did OctPoWriMo and loved it. I was sorry to see it end and I've submitted some poetry to the Speakeasy at Yeah Write to keep it going. I love this idea. I'm in!

[schmutzie]

Mod Mom Beyond Indiedom, yay!

[Laura]

Good luck to you, my dear! I have some ambitious writing plans for this year, too. I intend to write one poem a day for January. I've got short stories and novels to work on this year. Unfortunately, the Office of Letters and Light is no longer sponsoring Script Frenzy in April, but a script was on my list of things to write this year so I'll do it anyway.

If you don't mind, I'd like post some of your poems to my Poetry Wednesday posts. Let me know!

Good luck and have fun! Poetry totally rocks. Check out your spoken word community in Regina (Word Up Wednesdays)!

[schmutzie]

Laura, good luck with all your writing. You're busy.

And I wouldn't mind at all if you want to post some of my stuff on Poetry Wednesdays. Just let me know what and when!

[Jen Taylor]

I'm doing it as an exercise, an outlet, an impulse and more. But in private, for now.
; ) I'll be reading!

[Morgan Dragonwillow]

I hosted the OctPoWriMo and Mod Mom let me know about this challenge. I will do my best but I seem to find it difficult to do anything consecutively. I will work on catching up later today. You can find some of my previous poems on my blog. May your poems fly onto the page.

[Meg]

Mod Mom steered me over here. I too am going to give to a try, both for myself, and for my composer husband who keeps asking for lyrics to work on. Thank you for the inspiration.

[schmutzie]

Meg, excellent!

[Ben]

I'm doing it.

[bettielee]

Hello! I am going to try and do this. I love poetry and used to write a lot more than I do. Wrote a blog post 'bout it. Wanna hear it? Here it go! http://farseeingfairytales.blogspot.com/2013/01/363-poems-challenge.html

[Cheryl Crockett]

Oh, Julie!
Now I get it! Thanks for noticing I was doing this too. You tweeted me one of your poems and I read it but I did not realize you were doing the same thing until now! I guess I will have to combine my #1aday2013 with #365poems
Cheryl
@poetatete
http://poetatete.wordpress.com/