The Revival of My Poem Project

On returning to a project after being inspired by the artist David Shrigley.

After watching conversations with the artist David Shrigley on YouTube and admiring his work combining text and image, I felt inspired to pick up my 100 days of haiku-style poems project again. I started this project in 2024 but abandoned it after fifty-something poems, because I became too focused on delivering something good each time—while the whole point of the project was to experiment and explore.

One tip David shared, and that I clearly needed to be reminded of, was to focus on the project and the process rather than on the end pieces. The artworks are simply the residue of the project.

Another takeaway for me was learning that he makes a lot of pieces and then selects for himself which ones he shows to others, destroying the rest. He is aware that he may be discarding work that people might have liked—but that doesn’t matter. He explains that without making those choices himself, his process of working freely wouldn’t function.

All of this reignited my excitement for my poem project and it made me reconsider my use of Instagram.

From my Haiku-style poem project, non-dominant hand, 2024

The poem was inspired by my super oversized, hand-knitted, cozy sweater

As some of you may have noticed, I’ve hardly been on Instagram lately. What started as a break from posting—and very limited scrolling—turned into the realization that this is the way forward for me. I won’t disappear from Instagram completely, but my presence there will be limited. 

What helps you make freely?

Echo in, Echo out
— Marianne H.