Many of you know I am a bit of a poet. Actually, several of you stand in awe of my poetry. I'm not going to get off on my spiel about it being a gift I do not understand, but I am going to prelude this theorum that in mind.

Have confidence in yourself.

If you have ever created a map you are an artist. You're all writers, for crying out loud, you can do this. Essence is a beautiful thing, and this is an idea that's been rattling in my brain for a while. Don't sigh and say, "You can do that, but I can't," because it's not true. You can. It's just metaphors.

Christiana

Hair like sunshine
reflected off of water

eyes the color of a cloudless sky
a still lake
deep as midnight

A smile as bright as light glinting off a mirror
as sudden as sunshine in a prison cell
or the rain coming out from behind a cloud

soul as young as a sapling tree
as complex as a many colored tapestry
a weaving

laughter like the chapel bells
a bird song
a brook

spirit
as free as an eagle flying far above the ground
a dove above the castle spires

purity
innocence like a white petaled flower
a wild thing seeing humans for the first time

untouched as morning glories not yet picked
a beach with no footprints

Love as simple as a child greeting its father
a hound dog

fierce as a mother hen

loyal as a river on course
birds flying north
sunrise

Desire intensity as a prisoner waiting for release
a seed waiting for sunlight
a desert wanting for rain

***

Does it work? You tell me. It was a map first, with traditional syntax. But there's something incredibly poetic about a simple list of metaphors. Sir Emeth will tell you that you can't communicate enough with simple words. But I want to encourage you all to try it. Don't understand the syntax? That's fine. Essence and essence mapping are two different things. You don't have to understand one to grasp the other.

I write poetry that is, in a way, essence. Most notably one of my recent poems, Whisper. It's literally a list of images. I haven't yet actually sat down and wrote a poem as an essence, but someday I will, because the two forms lend themselves to each other.

Essence is poetry. Essence mapping is simply a structured form of writing it. Either way, it's art, and as such, it is beautiful.

It's totally amazing, Vanya! I shivered when I read it! Brilliant! I love your poem Whisper, I love poetry and I'd like to try my hand at something like this but I don't get essence yet. I'll have to look into it more. It confuses me.

The poetry queen strikes again!! I think it's great! Jay wants more syntax, I'm sure...

That. was. amazing. I hadn't thought of doing that before, but I think it would work.

That was beautiful.

Poetry is not one of my talents, but I think I could do this. And then I get to ignore all that syntax stuff! Though I would have to make the essence map before I made it into poetry, I think.

*stands in awe*

A very good illustration of the ubiquitous existence of essence. I have actually recruited White Raven to create essence images based off of essence maps, in the same way you made this poem, for my essence mapping course to illustrate exactly that fact.

I just might want to recruit you to do the same with poetry.

(And yes, I do say that there are things that X+ can articulate that no other art form can.)

Like create a mixture of intricate symbols and numbers which no one else could understand, Sir Emeth? (I still need to get back to you on the Naiad's essence . . . I couldn't understand a lot of it, but it made me appreciate essence more.)
I like this poetic way, because I'm not worried about getting my symbols and such mixed up and it's more relaxed. This is something I could spend a few minutes on when I get stuck on a character, as compared to spending hours on a Xbasic map. (though I'm still trying to master that one as well)

Brilliant work, Jaynin. It's quick, simple, and a great way to compile a list of metaphors when you really need them in a hurry.

* chuckles *

There are several people who understand X+.

When you don't understand something, you can't be relaxed about it. Once you understand it, you can. Of course you don't understand X+, because no one has taught it to you. So of course you aren't relaxed when you try to use it.

I understand Xbasic, but I'm still not relaxed about it.

I'm pretty sure that X+ isn't entirely confusing to some people, but my mind is less technically inclined. That doesn't mean I'm going to sever ties with X+ but learning it isn't going to be easy.

Right now, when I have a whole bunch of characters needing development, I think I'm going to be using the poetic way until I get better at the other methods of essence.