"Make a small book. Start with the cover, taking a drawing or painting or a photograph for your visual material. For the words on the first page, use a grocery list from the last time you went to the market. Let that book grow - one thing leading to another - until the last page, which will contain a few lines of poetic insight (from an anthology of poetry). See how the cover photo (or other graphics) evolved to the final words. Just let it happen.

The material should be filtered through you rather than your filtering yourself through the material. Self-expression is a natural by-product of your work, because you are doing it. If the purpose of the project is to express yourself, there is a danger there will be no surprises. The growth that can happen discovering solutions to specific problems (goals) may be missed if we are too insistent on projecting a personal message.

As you make the book, keep a list of the relationships and connections that happen. Things will come together that you never planned. There will be connections between paper and thread, glue and poetry. Keep lists of things that strike you as funny, improbable, or downright silly. Respect details. Make and move on. Don't wait for
inspiration. Just do it"

(Kent & Steward, 2008,
pg. 102).