Why you should write poetry

“What final advice would you give to someone thinking about taking up poetry?

Keep a notebook and pen on you at all times and pay attention — with all your senses — at all times. You can use a cell phone, tablet, iPad, anything to take notes. Don’t be afraid to jot notes down in transit, at a meeting or at the dinner table. Put inspiration first. And once you sit down to write, let yourself write, even if you fall on clichés. Don’t let your internal critic take over too soon. Another key is to write every day, even if just a little. This is how you nurture the emotional and intellectual breakthroughs, the aesthetic highs, which will serve as the foundation of your writing addiction.

— Don Campbell”