Nan’s Notebook
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“More Babies!” — video with short rhyming poem, artwork
by New York poet NG Swett
Just a quick video post today, including a couple of extra pieces of material:
notes about the substance of the poem
when and how I wrote it
creating and posting the video
The substance of the poem
The billionaires, plutocrats, oligarchs — some are calling for more babies.
Women should have more babies, some say. Women shouldn’t be able to end a pregnancy under any circumstances, some say. Life is too… precious!
Over a lifetime, families can easily shell out hundreds of thousands of dollars per person for taxes, health care, child care, education, shelter, food, transportation, weddings, and finally assisted living. The willingness to pay is only limited by our means. The value of a statistical life was estimated at $7.5 million in 2020 according to FEMA. Oh how the shareholders must drool at a number like that!
Other happy civilized countries don’t have things set up this way. Every heartstring we have is tapped for all it’s worth. Every fear stoked for our last dime.
There’s pushback on social media to this idea of women as livestock, especially among women. But the good news for the owner class is that they can mute ‘em with algorithms. (Studies show that social media is terrible for women’s mental health, especially secular liberals.)
Scientists proved that the human race is stripping the planet of resources, causing mass extinction, and polluting it to the brink of extinction. So do we really need more people? Or should we get our house in order first?
Writing the poem
So this all tickled my funny bone a little, so I jotted down this little rhyming poem, “More Babies!” just this week in a big black journal that I’ve been using lately for sketching and writing.
To illustrate the poem, I pulled up a painting I did some time ago of a made-up plutocrat, “One.” It’s from a series of a couple dozen mini acrylic paintings I made as art therapy to get me through writing and editing my first novel — a very, very challenging project! The paintings are all illustrations from scenes of the novel.
In the painting, One lounges god-like across a royal-looking chair in front of a glass window at night. You can see a bridge lit up behind him. The rug under his shiny black boots is a rough map of the Outer Lands Archipelago.
Making the videos
With the poem, the painting, and some branding basics for 4seasonshelf, I then made a short video in two formats, wide and vertical mobile. I added two audio tracks, one with the sound of a typewriter and another with the sound of an eerie lullaby…
I’m placing the wide format video here on 4seasonshelf.com first.
Then they will go on the billionaires’ platforms…
Pair of Haikus for our modern times
Earthquake, Solar Eclipse, Apocalypse, oh my!
You just never know what the day will bring...
Today we had a 4.8 earthquake in the region -- New Jersey to be exact. Everyone in the NY metro region felt it, up and down the East Coast.
Nothing was damaged, it seems. Close call?
Do you know where your friends and loved ones are? Everyone seems ok, but are we?
Life goes on. Get back to work?
I mean, it's absurd how much the world has to process on a daily basis. Today an earthquake, on Monday a total solar eclipse will slash darkness across the country. And always lurking in the background is the possibility of a large apocalypse, which is a reality for too many people in too many places around the globe these days.
Altogether the words earthquake, eclipse and apocalypse tickled my funny bone a little, even though the situation’s not really that funny. A haiku is quick, something we can all use to dash off an idea in a pinch, 5-7-5 syllables for three lines, and the last line is supposed to land a little flat or funny. This short ancient poem format is just the thing for a pair of poetic dispatches for today.
Here are a pair I wrote in my notebook then set up in Canva and posted on YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
While it may be wrong to ride a trending wave about a natural disaster, I can assure you that I’m not above it. And I feel it’s right to share an experience with the wider public, and an idea about something big that’s happened, so that we can all share in it.
Turn on sound!
~ Nan
Download Love Poem: “Thoughts Upside Down” by NY Poet NG Swett
Download love poem about love, loss and grief “Thoughts Upside Down” from poetry book HOLD ME TIGHT by NY poet NG Swett. The short rhyming poem is also shown on short mobile video with comments about how people respond to poetry in these busy and stressful times. Poetry can be a weird thing that isn’t seen or talked about every day, and it can be funny to get your friends and family to read and even help with a few.
People really like this short rhyming poem from Hold Me Tight, my book of love poems
“Thoughts Upside Down” from HOLD ME TIGHT poetry book by New York poet NG Swett. On 4x6 adhesive shipping label printed on a thermal printer.
4YOU! Click image for free DOWNLOAD of png for personal use.
Here is a short video I made of the same poem:
I’ve posted online a few poems from Hold Me Tight. I’ve tried different ones in different ways (e.g., videos, images, audio, etc.). This short vertical video has done the best so far.
As you can see, it types out the poem, and there’s a black and white image behind it of an upside down crystal ball. It shows the minimalist modern aesthetic of the book overall.
Thermal poetry?
I printed the poem above on a thermal printer and I’ll tell you why.
Printing a poem on an adhesive thermal label is an idea I got by two accidents.
One accident was in the original printing of the paperback poetry book. A poem accidentally sucked. So I made a label with a better poem and covered my shame. (And updated and uploaded my files to Ingram Spark and Draft2Digital for the revised hard cover and ebook editions.)
The other accident was printing out a dozen of the same shipping label for an eBay sale. A waste of precious labels, for sure! But printing a dozen poems on purpose and then sticking them up around town might be fun.
When I’ve got some thermal poems in my bag, I keep my eye open for a good spot. What’s a good spot? Visible, public, out of the elements a bit, smooth surface, and possibly used by other sticker people…
Can you see my thermal poem?
In recent years I’ve been selling a few things online, such as eBay, Poshmark and Amazon. I’ve become aware of a huge number of creative, entrepreneurial and community-minded people doing ecommerce, and many of us have thermal printers because of the time, money and paper they save in shipping. The cost of ink these days, am I right?!
People might like to print out a little poem and stick it up somewhere it can be seen. Maybe it will inspire others to write their own poems and paper the world with poetry.
Poetry — the readers, lovers and writers
The angelic people who have taken time out of their busy lives to flip through a few of my short poems have told me that they really like the shortest ones. Haha! But this one titled “Thoughts Upside Down” is one of my shortest though.
Seriously, short poems are easier to share online with the people because they can fit on one visual and in a short period of time.
And what could be simpler than a poem? Especially short rhyming poems, they’re just fun and easy to read.
Poetry is a weird thing
Poetry is a weird thing for most people, and no one really talks about it. You’d have to go to a local poetry jam or writers club to find anyone talking about this sort of thing. In fact, it’s not uncommon for people to be stone cold stunned quiet with nothing to say when called upon to read and comment on a poem or a book of poetry. Although I’ve seen that poetry is enjoying a new popularity which I’m happy to see and even happier to join in on.
So that’s why I like to be on my poetry bullshit right in plain view. It was over a casual lunch at the dining room table one day that I toyed with the title of a new poem in my notebook. I asked my husband to get involved, and “Thoughts Upside Down” is what we came up with. It was a pleasant lunchtime puzzle, and I’m quite pleased with the result.
“The Best Season?” a small talkin’ one-minute love poem
What is YOUR favorite season -- winter, spring, summer or fall? Here's a nice and easy one-minute short poem about a great small talk topic that everyone cares about, the seasons and the weather. Illustrated with black and white photo of a spring daffodil flower for a contemporary minimalist aesthetic. The short rhyming poem, "The Best Season?", is one of a collection of 36 poems in the poetry book, HOLD ME TIGHT by NY/Outer Lands Archipelago poet, blogger and painter NG Swett. The book is available in hard cover and ebook internationally. Nan is experimenting with short mobile videos like this for sharing poems, blog posts and new paintings online.
Three slides of a short 1-minute mobile video for the poem “The Best Season?” by NG Swett, Outer Lands Archipelago / NY poet
This is the 1:09sec video for posting “The Best Season?” love poem from HOLD ME TIGHT poetry book.
The video and the individual slides (pngs) are for posting on social media platforms with links back here to this website at 4seasonshelf.com.
Audio is added on each platform to avoid copyright issues.
What is YOUR favorite season
-- winter, spring, summer or fall?
Here's a nice and easy one-minute short poem about a great small talk topic. Everyone cares about the seasons and the weather!
Small talk is a lost art, isn’t it? People are so shy and wary of talking to strangers. When you’re at the front desk, as I’ve been from time to time over the years, small talk is perfect for engaging with people. It’s friendly but not nosy.
People feel nostalgic for the seasons and what special things each season brings to life. Changes, cycles and transitions are in our human nature.
About this poem
The short rhyming poem, "The Best Season?", is one from my new collection of 36 poems, HOLD ME TIGHT (link to buy internationally). The book is available in hard cover and ebook formats. It’s gorgeous if I do say so myself. I love it!
Have you ever made a book? Or would you like to? It’s quite a journey, and I share it on this blog and in my enewsletter.
Minimalist aesthetic photo illustration
The poem is Illustrated here and in the book with a black and white photo of a flowering spring daffodil for a contemporary minimalist aesthetic.
In the book, each of the 36 poems shares a two-page spread with its own minimalist black and white photo collage illustration.
How did I make the book? People have been asking me, and I share all the details here in a blog post all about making and publishing the love poetry book. Here is the cover:
I’m experimenting with short mobile videos like the one above for sharing poems, blog posts and new paintings online.
Thanks for checking out my blog!
~ Nan
P.S. I invite you to keep in touch by subscribing to my email list.
~ Headquarters of 4seasonshelf and home to the New York poet NG Swett ~
The Outer Lands Archipelago is made up of all of the ancient islands along the East Coast created 30,000 years ago during the last Ice Age when the Labrador Glacier was halted by the mighty Atlantic Ocean.
The islands of the archipelago include New York’s Long Island, Block Island, Nantucket, Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and many other stunning islands.
Love in the air in New York
A lucky convergence of trends as New York poet publishes book of love poetry. According to new studies, New York ranks tops in romance and smart growth walkability. Poetry is also having a moment. Nan gives example of how trends can help with searchability, discoverability.
Love, walking & poetry trending as New York poet publishes book of love poetry
Did you know? Brand new studies say New York is now a top LOVE capitol of America? And most walkable too!
And poetry is red hot in 2024.
Lucky accident! Serendipity! What better time for a New York poet to release a brand new collection of love poetry than during a national love fest for New York?
Oh yes indeed, here are some great trends to hop on for getting the word out about my new book of love poems, HOLD ME TIGHT: 36 stories in short poetic rhymes about love and loss in modern times (blog post about writing and making the book).
More below about how to jump on a trend.
(What about you? Are you working on a project that’s related to any current trends?)
Walkability, Romance Trending in New York
According to one study, New York City is the #1 most walkable city in America, and according to another one New York is the second most romantic state in America.
Walkability
At first, I was surprised to see the Big Apple ranked #1 most walkable city in America*. But think about it. You don't need a car to get around town. There are sidewalks, parks and bike paths everywhere. The walking grid of streets is easy and always interesting. Lovers can easily stroll up and down the town. And what a big, big town it is.
Walkability is a growing smart trend connecting some key groups of people including families, young adults, Gen Z, price-conscious people, millennials, seniors, visitors, tourists, workers, and New York locals — basically for everyone. Walking can help keep us healthy and fit. Owning cars has become too expensive and too much of a hassle. Even public transportation can be too expensive. Walking and biking are better for the environment. A nice stroll is a good activity for getting out of the house for our mental health.
Here are the top 10 walkable metro areas according to the study:
Most walkable cities in America are:
New York City
Boston
Washington, D.C.
Seattle
Portland
San Francisco
Chicago
Los Angeles
Pittsburgh
Philadelphia
* Study by Smart Growth America
I Love NY — the Romance
According to another new study**, New York is the second (2nd) most romantic state in the nation as measured by Valentine's enthusiasm (and spending) data. Wow! Gotta love New York.
Only second place? We try harder! LOL.
From the study here are America's top 10 most romantic states:
Most romantic states
Massachusetts
New York
New Jersey
Virginia
North Carolina
Maryland
Florida
Georgia
Connecticut
Colorado
**Study by JeffBett
But hey, no need to spend the most. The moon and the stars are free. Go for a romantic stroll.
Enter new book of love poems by New York poet
Love is in the air in New York!
I caught wind of it last summer when the sky was yellow and out of the blue wrote a book of 36 love poems. I self published the collection, and I'm slowly getting it out into the big old world. (Blog post about making the book.)
(Thanks so much for your encouragement. You know who you are! XO)
Poetry is trending, too.
All kinds of poetry — the good, the bad, and everything in between. I’ve done some market research, and poetry is hot right now. I don’t know how long it will last, but hopefully forever. It is also all over social media.
Poetry is a powerful, elegant, fun and expressive way to describe the world. This first book of poetry was fun to write, edit, format and self publish.
In Hold Me Tight, I tried many kinds of poetry formats from traditional rhyming poems to limerick and haiku, rap to free verse. The nature of the poem’s message and tone was a key piece of which kind of poem I used.
In the poems, I talk about the blind elation of falling in love, the wedding, the lovers spat, the love for children, the courtship dates, the building of a life together, the love of neighbors, artificial intelligence and good friends — and more. And toward the end, I indulge in some strident poetic justice type of topics which may or may not have anything to do with love.
Each of the 26 poems is formatted in a two-page spread with a black and white photo collage illustration. The style is minimalist and modern.
The type is large, and the poems are short. Brevity is a superpower IMHO.
Example of Using Trends
It's good to always be looking for trends to latch onto for key words and searchability and relevance. These NY headlines could be a godsend. It’s worth a try at least.
How to use all this lovely New York news about romance and walking in an announcement about the release of HOLD ME TIGHT (global bookstore links)? Maybe something like:
"As New York strolls in as the smart new cosmopolitan capital of romance and walkability, contemporary New York poet NG Swett gives voice to the moment with a collection of fresh new love poems."
(Too long; needs editing, I know.)
"Love is in the air as New York poet releases collection of new poems..."
or
"New York poet captures a moment with love poetry collection..."
I'll sleep on it.
Maybe I’ll make a blog post about it and make some social media posts... Haha
February 1st*** Update:
Sample New York love video with love poem
Doing my own stunts over here haha! Sharing with you in case it helps.
In an attempt to pull the above trends together and tie them to my new book of love poems, I made the vertical mobile video below.
I made it in Canva and uploaded it to the 4seasonshelf YouTube channel.
And I’m uploading the video as a pin on Pinterest.
So far, all this is done on my desktop.
Uploading to social media next, I’ll use my phone. First I’ll get the video onto my phone and upload it to other social media channels: Instagram, Threads, TikTok. That shouldn’t take more than an hour. I’ll compose the description starting with what I used on YouTube, adapting for each platform, and adding hashtags and audio soundtrack of some kind, like city sounds.
This video runs for a minute. In the next one, I’ll probably add in an analogue
clock showing one minute elapsing along with the hashtag #newyorkminute which might give people a sense of time being more spacious than we think and also to highlight the fact that the poems in HOLD ME TIGHT are short and accessible. I have at least three more similar designs lined up and ready to roll.
*** February 1 is too late to try to start ranking on search engines for anything. On the other hand, maybe we’ll show up in searches as we get closer to St. Valentine’s Day, spring romance, weddings, anniversaries, and who knows maybe even more good news about New York!
Book of love poetry as a gift?
HOLD ME TIGHT is available internationally in hard cover and ebook. Each of the 36 love poems in this new collection of love poetry by New York poet NG Swett is short and is illustrated with a black and white photo collage in a modern minimalist aesthetic.
A book of love poetry is a romantic gift for any occasion — a lovers stroll, Valentine’s Day, springtime romance, birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and engagements.
Treat yourself to some poetic inspiration! It’s perfect reading for coffee cafe lounging and people watching.
The poems are about love, relationships, falling in love, everyday love, long term love, love of children, self love, reflections on the world at large, declarations, city life and country life.