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Beautiful thought food. My poems just arrive and ask to be transcribed. Sometimes I wonder if learning more about poetic forms would be a good thing or a bad thing. What do you think?

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I think that ideas always work with the tools you have. It never hurts to learn more about different poetic forms. You may find that as you get more comfortable with different forms, you start to have more ideas that are perfect for different forms.

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Loved everything you wrote here! The idea of being bad at something but also enjoying that something has been a huge internal struggle for me recently. I think especially in the age of social media, it's hard not to compare and not get discouraged. And it makes it feel like I can't fully share any of my artistic endeavors until they're "good" but that's also not true. Anyway I'm done with my ramble haha. Super appreciated this post! ☺️

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Thank you! I agree it's so hard to share creative stuff online when everyone is just a click away from a Georgia O'keeffe painting. I think the key is we need to develop communities instead of social networks, we need to real and virtual spaces where we allow each other and ourselves to be vulnerable.

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Ohhh that's such a lovely way of putting it! Communities over networks. I agree so much!

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Excellent post, Jason! Without art and poetry we're just mean little monkeys slugging it out on a ball of dirt in space. Special points for the nods to Lynda Barry! Huzzah!

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Thanks! Lynda Barry fundamentally changed the way I think about pretty much everything I do when I first encountered her several years ago.

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This was wonderful!!!!! And I'm convinced now Jason that you must be my twin brother that I've never met in person because I was writing on this exact same topic today too!!

Creativity is indeed part of being human.

https://sueclancy.com/writing-and-drawing-while-being-human-and-using-a-thumb/

Anyhoo, hugs of solidarity!!

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Thanks! There must be something in the air in the PNW! I love your post. In my notebook, I've been making your thumb birds and trying my own variation, finger monsters! I'll have to share some pictures later this week.

You are one of the best humans!

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Finger monsters???!!! Oh I can't wait to see them!!! Thank you in advance!!!! I loved your post too and restacked it!!! Thank you for your kind words!!! And in the spirit of sibling discussions: no, YOU are one of the best humans!!! Really!! Uhh huh!!! Are too!!! 💙💙💙💙

Affectionately with crayons and cookies 🍪🖍😘

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I love this, Jason, and it’s so true. We must write and sketch and paint for the sheer joy it brings us, first and foremost. My children remind me of this all the time. Thank you for the inspiring words!

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Thanks, Justin! Kids are the best examples of how to live the best life

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