Creative Writing Prompt: Poet Trading Cards

Poet Trading Cards


You may have heard of an art form called “Artist Trading Cards.” To make this type of trading card, you create a small piece of art on a 2 1/2” by 3 1/2” card, and share it with your friends. The object is not to create art for yourself, but to share it with others. Today, we will be modifying that idea to make a “Poet Trading Card.” The object will be to create some beautiful words or phrases or word images that you would like to share with others. At the end of class, we will encourage you to trade your Poet Trading Card with some of your classmates, or take some home to share with friends and family. Here is the trick about these trading cards:

1. You can only exchange them for another card, so if your family wants a piece of your beautiful writing, they must also create a card for you.
   
2. You may not ask for or accept money for the cards; the purpose of these trading cards to share your ideas with other people, to get ideas from other people, and to create a community of writers.
   

These are the steps:

1. Write at least six different phrases, ideas, or short poems. These can be anything you think is creative and beautiful. For example:
   

Images:
a) “I tear nervous shreds of paper in my hands, let them fall and float away, but they gather at my feet like shameful crumbs of memory. The call out to me, You are alone. You are alone.”

b) “The ladybug crawls across the ground, unaware of my presence. I am struck by the thought – what towering creature looms above me, watching my movements, wondering about my thoughts? I am dumbfounded by the bigness of my littleness.”

                               


Short poems:
a) Sunshine crawls across the floor
like fingers feeling the carpet
What is it reaching for?
I watch the flickering light
Stretching. Extending.
What is the sunray's plight?
Then it touches my face;
Sunshine's radiant hand
warms my cheek,
And then I understand.
And then, I understand.

2. Copy your collection of words and poems onto separate pre-cut cards. These are small pieces of card stock paper; make sure you plan out your poem or words so that they fit.
   
3. Once you have written your poems on the cards, you may decorate them using the supplies provided. Don't spend a lot of time on each card; remember that you are making them so that you can give them away. (That is to say, don't be careless or reckless with your work; make it something pleasant to look at, but try not to get so attached that you wouldn't be willing to give it away). Make sure you sign your card with your name, so everyone will know who it belongs to!
   
4. Once you have completed each of your cards, sit down in the sharing space of our room. When we are all seated, we can share one or more of our cards, and then trade them with one another.
   

Here is an excerpt of a website that explains how to trade Artist Trading Cards. You might use these ideas to create a network of poet trading cards with your friends and family!


The whole point of ATCs is to trade with other artists, so once you have a selection of cards, trade them.

• Find artists or groups in your area that trade cards.
  
• Attend gatherings of artists in your area, and remind them to bring ATCs to share.
  
• Carry them with you as you would business cards, so that if you find an occasion to trade or give away a card, they are with you.
  
• Spread the word. If your local artist community is unfamiliar with artist trading cards, you may have to give away a few cards or offer them with a request for one in return before you get many back.
  
• Organize a gathering to swap ATCs. Let people know what ATCs are about, and get together to try trading some.
  

Collect others' ATCs. Because they are the size of other standard trading cards, most will fit in trading card sleeves. ATCs should be as unique as the artists who create them, so enjoy the selection. Start a collection of atc's and try to get as many as you can.