Distance Between: Blackout Poetry and Art

"The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time."

So said Betrand Russell, and I agree. Creating blackout poems, the process of choosing words from a page of text and restructuring them into poetry, is a great way to turn those forced idle moments--wasted time--into instances of creativity.

After a summer of travel, where delays weren't uncommon, I made a habit of bringing my blackout poetry kit along. Selecting the right words, adding playful illustrations, and coloring became therapeutic and...