[Nick McRae]

Originally Posted by Sarah-Jane Crowson

Hi,

I am a visual poet, so my work is hybrid (and most of my income from creative practice is through illustration/commissions which don't always reflect my personal interests, although that world is converging a little at the moment).

In terms of commercial poetry/art, there's a whole business angle to it (promotion, intellectual property law, freelancing culture) that I have learned.

Sometimes I forget that this side of it exists, as I've never been serious about selling my work. By profession I'm a software developer, and I can't justify taking my eyes off of the field long enough. The financial return of writing just doesn't seem to be there (at least for me).

In terms of craft - technical expertise - my involvement with poetry has taught me to listen, to be able to 'read' poetry through lenses/technical perspectives and to unpick them (although I am still not the best at this).

This was one of my main takeaways from the project I mentioned (although not the exact angle). I figured out that poetry is fundamentally words and expression. And that everybody, regardless of writing or linguistic skill, uses words and wants to be heard.

More than writing, I love language and hearing people tell their stories, no matter who, no matter what the story. Some of my favorite writing comes from amateurs as there is an unfiltered rawness that you just don't get in a major bookstore.

So I learned to listen. To be the person I wanted for myself as a poet, but for others.