recycled poetry

positive reminder!

you are more than these likes, i remind myself as i compare them from each chapter.

you are meticulous and picky with your work. you express yourself the best that you can and then you edit and delete and perfect your creations. you love everything you write, regardless of the ratios of views to likes to comments. you take pride in word choice and imagery and the way that you convey your ideas!

these poems are pieces of your mind, and your mind is amazing. how many likes did poets receive before poetry could be posted online? how did they know how many people read their work but were too shy to remark on it?

why base your worth and ability off of feedback that famous poets did not receive? why base your own worth off of others?

i want to remind you all of this, too.

you may look at your selfies or your stories or your posts and get upset, but you are artwork. your stories and your photos and your writing... everything that you create is artwork. some people gaze but do not comment. some people don't take a long enough look.

did van gogh know how many people would like his work? how many likes did shakespeare receive?

your work is important to you, and you are important. do not second guess yourself because of numbers on a website.

if you're happy with your work, then it's great. don't pay attention to likes and comments and views and follows. pay attention to how it makes you feel. how you intend to make others feel. the way it takes a weight off your shoulder. the way it feels to articulate your feelings and see them written out. how it feels to paint each stroke, to blend colors. to take the perfect picture. to create. pay attention to how it feels to impress yourself, to feel proud of yourself.

your art is worth more than statistics and ratios. you are worth more than numbers.