If I’ve learned anything, it is that poetry has so much potential – to heal, to empower, to incite widespread change and to power movements. It is a process of self-discovery and empowerment that can change lives, even if it’s just your own.
Here, I’m inviting you to take a deep dive into the world of poetry (and writing in general). We will explore poetry’s power, potential, and purpose, showing a world that doesn’t always believe in it that it has a well-deserved place in our past, present, and future.
But it is more than poetry.
It is showing the world that we all have voices that we should be using, for ourselves and for others. It is proving to ourselves that we have power inherent inside of us. It is rediscovering confidence, self-worth, and every little trait that we need to succeed.
And if I inspire at least one person to use that voice, that power — my work is worth it.
– Amanda
- Where Did Poetic Potential Go?
Maybe you’ve been looking for it in my Etsy shop, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or your local indie shop. You’re probably confused why you can’t find her! TLDR: Poetic Potential: Sparking Change & Empowerment Through Poetry is unavailable for purchase currently but for good reason! There are plans and ideas inContinue reading “Where Did Poetic Potential Go?” - A Note from the Author
Dear readers, I am eternally grateful for all of the support you have shown me over the last year and a half. First, it was my poetry Instagram and debut collection of love poems, Her Favorite Color Was Sunshine Yellow. Then it was my passion project – my nonfiction debutContinue reading “A Note from the Author” - Spotlight: Amanda Gorman
Inaugural poet. National Youth Poet Laureate. Harvard graduate. It is an impressive list for a 24-year-old, but Amanda Gorman’s accolades do not begin or end there. She is one of my favorite role models and a source of inspiration for poets and girls everywhere. Plus, we share the same name!Continue reading “Spotlight: Amanda Gorman” - Breaking Stigmas with Poetry
While not all of us want to admit it to the world, we as humans struggle with things every day. This can include mental health, trauma, relationships, self-love, and so much more. Part of why we refrain from sharing these struggles is because we fear judgment. Stigmas are imposed uponContinue reading “Breaking Stigmas with Poetry” - Teaching Kids to Embrace Poetry
I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them, Sam-I-am. Recognize this rhyme? You can find it in Dr. Seuss’s classic Green Eggs and Ham, bound in colorful picture books like the rest of his work. But did you know you can classify the children’s bookContinue reading “Teaching Kids to Embrace Poetry” - Yes, I Have a Favorite Chapter in My Book
Poetic Potential was one of the biggest passion projects I have ever undertaken. There was something about the mix of science and anecdotes, fact and opinion, that made this book so meaningful to me. Through three sections of healing, empowerment, and activism, I wove my own stories together with others’Continue reading “Yes, I Have a Favorite Chapter in My Book” - How Poetry Helped Me Gain Confidence
Like I said in my most recent blog post, it’s important to be honest, so I will be: I originally started posting my poetry online because, as a business student, I knew I had to build an audience for my debut poetry book before it was published, in order toContinue reading “How Poetry Helped Me Gain Confidence” - The Truth in Poetry: My Story
To describe myself in a nutshell, I am your classic Type-A overthinker. I like things to be just-so, bordering on the line of perfectionism (okay, oftentimes crossing very far over that line). My biggest fear is the unknown – starting as large-scale as the future and as morbid as whatContinue reading “The Truth in Poetry: My Story” - Spotlight: Writers in the Schools (Houston)
In chapter 5 of Poetic Potential: Sparking Change & Empowerment Through Poetry, I touch briefly upon the work that poet Robin Reagler accomplished with a Houston-based nonprofit organization, Writers in the Schools (WITS). Because of the power of their mission and vision, it is more than necessary to highlight whatContinue reading “Spotlight: Writers in the Schools (Houston)” - Escaping Reality: Thoughts on Poetry & Mental Health
I first started writing poetry to express my emotions about a relationship, my tongue tying in knots every time those words were to be said out loud. This was a trend for many years (and still is!), but once I hit college, I began to branch out more, especially afterContinue reading “Escaping Reality: Thoughts on Poetry & Mental Health” - Healing Powers of Poetry
When I was younger, teachers and parents used to emphasize the power of words. “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all” was a common saying. “Words can hurt” was another simpler version. As kids, we were taught that words were powerful, yes, but inContinue reading “Healing Powers of Poetry” - Spotlight: Poetry Out Loud
In tandem with the Instagram spotlight series, I wanted to take the time to introduce a few other notable organizations and people within the literary world that I came across in my research for Poetic Potential. This week, we focus on Poetry Out Loud. Poetry Out Loud: A Mission toContinue reading “Spotlight: Poetry Out Loud” - Poetry’s Unexpected Savior: Social Media
Books and social media – the two seem antithetical, an unlikely pairing. Whereas I spent my entire childhood devouring books like candy, kids nowadays grow up on iPads and phone apps. It seems like a myth to say that social media contributed to the revival of poetry’s popularity and readership,Continue reading “Poetry’s Unexpected Savior: Social Media” - My Self-Publishing Journey as a Poet
Before the coronavirus pandemic hit in the spring of 2020, I didn’t even know that self-publishing existed. I lived in a world where authors had agents, where traditional publishing was borderline impossible unless you were famous or you had a brilliant, new idea, and where rejection after rejection after rejectionContinue reading “My Self-Publishing Journey as a Poet” - 3 Life Lessons Learned From Publishing Two Books
One year ago, I published her favorite color was sunshine yellow, my debut poetry book. This was the day I finally fulfilled my dream of becoming an author, years in the making. One day ago, I received an email from my proofreader, letting me know that my debut nonfiction book,Continue reading “3 Life Lessons Learned From Publishing Two Books” - The Story of Poetic Potential
The one piece of writing advice that I have heard repeated over and over again is simple. “Write what you know.” It was usually a dismissive thought because, of course, it’s easy to write about topics you are familiar with. But I never realized how important that simple writing couldContinue reading “The Story of Poetic Potential” - Importance of Poetry
Being a poet isn’t seen as a glamorous title – more of a struggle-to-pay-the-bills, get-a-real-job kind of title. In the face of global crises, however, it is very obvious that poetry has been resurfacing as an important part of people’s lives. For myself, I’ve realized that poetry has four mainContinue reading “Importance of Poetry” - Self Doubt in Writing
Do you ever get the feeling when you look at a word and you know it’s spelled right, and that it’s a word, but it just doesn’t look right to you after staring at it a million times? That’s like the self doubt that creeps in when I start toContinue reading “Self Doubt in Writing” - Words For Change
Something that I have always loved about words is how they have the power to create these powerful images that you can see almost as clearly as if they are right in front of you. That’s something that drew me to poetry – having the ability to string words togetherContinue reading “Words For Change” - How I Stopped Being Afraid
Writing has consumed my life for its entirety. I can’t even begin to tell you how many different notebooks I have gone through – a new one for each story idea, of course. I fell in love with world-building and meeting characters that appeared to me out of thin air.Continue reading “How I Stopped Being Afraid”
Amanda Karch 