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Derek Magill

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blackout poetry

Newspaper + Marker = Poetry.

To create, first collect

My most creative work nearly always emerges, ironically enough, from collections of the creative work of other people.

The new website design for Praxis done by Rafal Tomal began in my head from a collection of dozens of my favorite startup sites around the world. Much of my writing clearly comes from years of reading and saving passages from some of my favorite writers and thinkers.

Though the goal is to be original, I’ve learned that originality does not arise in a vacuum. You cannot simply “will yourself” into creativity in the moment. So what do we do in the absence of creative inspiration? Collect.

Most of the best artists and the best creators are collectors and curators of work from other people. Montaigne famously surrounded himself with quotes from the classics in his tower while he wrote. Many of America’s founders kept commonplace books filled with passages from literature they read. Renaissance painters studied the works of their “competitors” as if they were their own, often repainting them entirely. Today, a startup marketer might keep a swipe file of his favorite marketing emails and develop new and better emails from them.

I’m often asked how to become a better writer and I like to take the standard response “read more,” and add “and save great pieces of writing in a file.” I’ve turned this into a bit of an obsession with the unfortunate consequence that whenever I read, I find myself wanting to write.

Likewise, I have thousands and thousands of online book marks of articles, sites, landing pages, ads, Tweets, images, and art that I can return to if I’m ever starting to feel stale.

And through this process of collecting, and collecting, and collecting, something truly creative emerges,

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: art, blackout poetry, creativity, rafal tomal

Revenge has a long memory

This newspaper blackout poem is inspired by one of my favorite fiction books, The Meaning of Night.

And I think I only realize this fact after making this poem. I was rushing to get something out before the deadline I set for myself every day and my mind pulled from the easiest source of inspiration — fiction that has made a powerful impression on me — without me really knowing.

A good reminder to all in the age of get rich quick and self help nonfiction: read more fiction. It will help you in strange ways.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: blackout poetry, revenge, the meaning of night

Just exciting enough

I showed this to someone and she told me she loved it. I asked her, “do you understand it?”

She said “of course,” and proceeded to describe it entirely differently than how I’d meant it. I’d tell her what it means but it’s about her.

Maybe I could have told her more
but the black dress pants were just exciting enough
“These’ll work,” I said.
Deafening silence.
“I can do this.”
Talk about a narrow path to victory

Make your own.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: 365 day blogging challenge, blackout poetry, blackout poetry month challenge

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About Derek

Derek Magill has been the Director of Marketing at Praxis and has worked with companies like Voice and Exit, Colliers International, The Objective Standard, and FEE.

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