"Poiesis🪶": New Poetry Page and Blog Makeover
Over a year later we have our first update to the website and blog! "For what is dead may never die," (George RR Martin, A Feast For Crows).
I have added a poetry page. It will contain a record of my published work. Many of the places I have published have been limited runs, or discontinued unfortunately. I have however added a link to the publication where possible. The blog has also received a makeover! We have gone from yellow to green. There is also snazzy pink entering our design. The reasoning for the change is due to our new poetry section. It required more colours on our platte to contrast it's new buttons.
Recently I have been interested in different of methodologies of creation. These philosophies of action have had a large impact on my poetry and computer science projects. The foundation of my interest in these methodologies comes from The Agile Manifesto. In 2001 a document came out from the Wasatch mountains of Utah, that would change software engineering forever. Promising to get to the core of interaction and the point of the problem, this inspiring manifesto values people over the traditional corporate structure. It elevates the priority and fun of problem solving. Even if you are not an software engineer there is much to gained from this manifesto. If you are an engineer and hate "Agile", I would like to propose to you a question. Do you hate the manifesto and it's principals, or do you hate the process your firm calls "Agile"? Anyhoo, I highly recommend reading it.
Another methodology that has had a major impact on my poetry and code is The Cult of Done Manifesto. I originally came across the principals in a great video, "The Cult of Done: How To Get Started" by the Youtuber No Boiler Plate. I was originally against the third principal, "there is no editing stage," when I read it. I agree with how Mr.Plate relates the third principal to publicly released works though. There is no editing your book once published. There is no changing live a performance. In this he is relating the third principal (maybe unbeknownst to himself) to the literary philosophy of critic outlined in Roland Barthes essay "The Death of the Author". You must be okay with your work and mistakes taking new life once released to others. People will interpret the work differently and you must enjoy the complexity of that.
I would like to present a case for the no-editing-principal before release/interaction with others. Oft times I have opened up a word document and spent three hours editing. I end up with less words for my novel and even less motivation to write. The second principal, "accept that everything is a draft," has given me the confidence to abolish my editing stage. I still rewrite lines and paragraphs, but it is with current purpose for the project. Review and feedback are needed in every project, but this does not mean you are editing. Every iteration can be considered a new work, especially when using version control. Instead of editing I ask you to consume, reinterpret and iterate on your art. As Roland has implored critics to do once it is released.
Poiesis is the stem of the word poem. It is a greek word to refer to act of creating. It is to bring the conceptual into existence. Poiesis is the goal of all our methodologies. Wether it is code, poetry or both we must not lose sight of Poiesis. We must value the arrogance of interpretation as that is Poiesis. Here I merely iterate on the words of the great giants, that have spoken before me.
Poiesis over diffidence,
For Poiesis is conscientization.
Poiesis over hesitation,
For Poiesis is the driver of more.