The language we use to create meaning is fundamental to our humanity. Daily, we curate our words to interact with others. Language can understand, uplift, hurt, forgive, calm, nurture, incite, seduce, propagandise, pacify, and engender violence. And yet, when it comes to the types of media we consume, we are conditioned to treat the words and the storytelling as secondary. This may also be a sign of the times: we are stuck in a late-stage capitalistic era where it is almost impossible to survive on one job alone, and even full-time, salaried employees are turning to hustle culture to afford basic living needs. People are searching for quick and easy ways to scrounge extra money. This is one reason tools like artificial intelligence become more popular for content creation.
This depressing picture is particularly apparent when we scrutinise the music industry, since it has become so tethered to what people like on social media. Mainstream artists prioritise the infectiousness of the beat rather than the power of the words. Words get compromised to achieve a music structure that sells. Sure, an exciting hook draws us in, but the words often determine a song’s staying power. The emphasis on writing meaningful poetry in creating music is left out of the equation, and we need to make a commitment to return to it.
Think about the lyrics to a beloved song. Would this song have the same impact on You if it were instrumental? The verses could probably stand on their own in a rhyming meter or a kind of postmodernist form of poetry. This is not to say that instrumentation should be secondary when crafting music; rather, crafting lyrics should form a basis for the other elements. It’s the words and the phrasing that should take precedence when constructing a piece of spoken (and sung) art. The artistry of the lyrics can then be enhanced with the cascades and turns of the notes and tempos to make a song memorable.
Now, when it comes to creating meaningful words, it’s easy to think that the best way to appeal to audiences is to come from a place of misery. Many default to it. While heartbreak and airing out dirty laundry does well, there are many pathways to creating meaning. Meaning can come from any emotion. It can come from how You phrase something. It can come from the way You combine Your words with the notes. It can come from a book, a journal, what You ate this morning. Hell, it can come from a bumper sticker. The important thing is that it is true to You.
The authenticity of the words comes from the artistic truth and the originality of the artist. As long as something is “true”, it will resonate with audiences. Copying a theme or a story because it has worked for another artist doesn’t guarantee success. The themes they use and the structures that work for them won’t work as well for another artist. Trying to find a formula, or a quick way of emulating success only leads You to play at a façade. People can usually figure out whether what You say or do is authentic.
The next time You are about to put pen to paper, consider a new tactic: to break through the noise of the ever-growing, saturated monster that is hastily-written pop trash, AI-generated content, predictable books, and formulaic film, make a conscious decision to be real. Speak a truth that resonates with You. Challenge Yourself to be flexible and try out new ideas. Get inspired by delving into other genres and mediums. While the prospect of a paycheck is exciting, try focus Your efforts beyond what You can gain monetarily the moment You hit publish.
Attempt new things with the words You use, flip them on their head. A lecturer on a creative writing course may ask You to rearrange Your story paragraphs and challenge You to make them flow in a new order. Often this results in a much more exciting story for the reader, who is accustomed to a predetermined structure they have seen done so many times before. Take inspiration from other artists, but avoid replicating their brand. And above all, move past the need for perfectionism.
Placing emphasis on the words You use is a sure-fire way of becoming a poet. Maybe the title of poet seems a little old-fashioned or elitist; maybe You don’t consider it a sexy term. However, it is a title artists should be striving to reclaim. Perhaps poetry is the antithesis to how we live fast-paced lives reliant on technology and globalisation, and so we have relegated it as a niche interest. This is unsurprising considering the state of the world, and how detached and passive we have become.
But poetry as an artform has graduated past restrictions and multipage epics. Writing interesting verse as a basis for any art qualifies You as a poet. And as a poet, Your job is to find a topic, or a theme, or an emotion, and write about it the best way You know how, the truest way You know how. Think further than aesthetics or what sells. Focus on write something that You know only You knowhow to do. This is how we make a massive industry like music become exciting and interesting once more. View Your effort to prioritise the words as the boon modern art needs.
At DNA. Art Club, we consider words the most important part of our art. As the biggest collective of underground writers and artists in Berlin, poetry is our priority. We care about authenticity, and place value on community. Our mission is to cultivate a dynamic environment where our member artists can connect, create, and grow together. Our aim is to be there for people, to foster connections and celebrate individual expression. We strive to elevate our artistic community to inspire each member to explore their full potential.
Drop us a message if You believe in our mission to make poetry sexy again, and want to grow as an artist within our community.
Words by Julia Gessner