Observing our own surroundings may be overwhelming as we often have so many choices, so I want to introduce my process of graphic poetry technique to manage this habit.
I had the chance to ask college students at Oakton Community College, “If you are creating a graphic love poem, which washi paper would you choose? And why?”
This is a quick exercise for them, so I pre-selected two papers; however, this process will work for any paper and materials because the materials are just for priming the brain, like how a cogwheel starts running better after being lubricated.
This is an important point for awareness, as we will eventually notice more from our surroundings in order to create graphic poems; and perhaps, for other creative activities as well.
I also ask students to finish a simple sentence, like “Love is…”. The open-ended answers will help to understand what they are finding to be the core of these materials.
Students who pick up the blue origami responded:
• Love is like the ocean. It has its ups and downs.
• Love is like fish. It is sometimes cold.
Students who pick up the red origami responded:
• Love makes me happy, like spring flowers.
• Love is a floating feeling.
I am so happy that the students observe details despite the patterns on the origami paper being foreign to them. And then I asked for the reason for their responses.
• Love is like the ocean. It has its ups and downs.
.................Because the design looks like waves. And love is not stable.
• Love is like fish. It is sometimes cold.
.................After twisting the origami ninety degrees, it looks like fish scales. I like that fish have freedom (except farmed fish, and my pet goldfish), but also cold.
• Love makes me happy, like spring flowers.
................White and pink flowers, and green leaves remind me of spring. The red background is like a flaming love.
• Love is a floating feeling.
................The golden Asian fans remind me of the floating feeling of love.
Even though this was such a short process, students understood this concept very quickly. They selected a paper and described their choices well.
The next step is to find and select your own “two origami papers” for each graphic poem. The more advance the scope of the project, the more options can be presented. But keep it limited, or it will defeat the point of the exercise.
(You may be interested in reading: Then why did I use toilet paper?)
To be continued.