Last year, I kept a poetics diary which I scribbled in every time I researched, wrote or edited any piece of work. The premise was simple – write something every time you write something.
I was (and still am) shocked when I reread it – it’s helped me learn so much about myself and what I’m drawn to (and sometimes what I’d written ended up being better than the poem itself).
It’s definitely a bit awkward at first, and requires being completely vulnerable with yourself and your process, but it’s created space for me to be a more flexible and critical reader of my own work.
For the rest of January, every time you think about writing, keep a little diary. Look back on it in a month’s time – see what you find.
