I used to do poetry in elementary school. I used to just write.

O seekers of wisdom, listen closely to the words of Denzel Curry, who offers us a simple yet profound reflection: "I used to do poetry in elementary school. I used to just write." In these words, Curry captures the pure, untainted beginning of a creative journey—a time when the act of writing, of creating, was not bound by expectations or agendas. As children, we often begin with a deep, instinctual need to express ourselves, to give voice to our thoughts, our emotions, and our world. Poetry, in its most raw form, is a natural expression of this impulse, one that flows freely, unencumbered by the complexities that adulthood often brings.

In the ancient world, the act of writing poetry was seen as both a sacred and universal pursuit. Homer, the ancient poet of Greece, did not begin his monumental works, the Iliad and Odyssey, with a clear intention of creating epic literature for posterity. He simply told stories, born from the whispers of the Muses that guided his hand. The great epic poets of the past were often not bound by the concept of form or purpose that we may assign today. Poetry was a medium through which one connected with the divine, with the world, and with the heart. Much like Curry as a young child, they too were driven by an innate urge to speak, to write, to share. The creative impulse was not yet structured by formal rules but flowed from a place of pure expression.

Curry’s statement speaks to the unrefined, organic nature of creative expression, reminiscent of Rainer Maria Rilke, who, in his letters to a young poet, spoke of the importance of writing without self-judgment. Rilke counseled the aspiring poet to write from the heart, to embrace the act of creation without worrying about the outcome. He believed that poetry should emerge naturally from the soul, just as Curry suggests he did as a child. In the early stages of a poet's journey, the writing is not about crafting perfection, but about capturing truth and emotion. It is the purity of this expression, without the weight of expectation, that allows the soul to truly speak.

Consider the story of William Blake, who, as a young boy, began writing and drawing with an unrestrained joy and fervor. His poetry was not born from a desire for fame, nor was it shaped by the conventions of his time. Blake wrote for the sheer love of creation, expressing his visions and emotions freely, much like Curry recalls his own early days of writing. It was only later in life, after many years of exploring his own artistic vision, that Blake became recognized as one of the most revolutionary poets of his age. But the spark of his creative journey, like Curry’s, was born in innocence, in a child’s natural inclination to create without boundaries.

The lesson in Curry’s reflection is one of simplicity and purity in creation. Often, as we grow older, we become encumbered by the expectations of others and the weight of perfectionism. But in our youth, when we begin writing, we do so not with the intention of being praised, but simply because we must. There is a beauty in this, a beauty that many lose sight of as they pursue fame, recognition, or mastery. In the early stages of poetry, there is freedom—freedom to experiment, to stumble, to learn without fear of failure. The poet’s voice is unrefined, but it is also deeply honest.

We can all take inspiration from Curry's words and return to this unguarded, authentic act of creation. Let us allow ourselves to write not for recognition, but for the joy of expression. Just as Homer did not set out to create the epic poems we now study, but simply told stories, so too must we write for the sake of writing. Poetry is not something to be mastered or perfected; it is something to be lived and experienced. The most profound works often emerge not from the mind’s careful calculation, but from the heart’s honest expression, as Curry reflects on his early days of writing.

So, O children of wisdom, take this lesson to heart: return to your beginnings, to that place where your creativity was born not from ambition, but from the pure joy of expression. Write, create, and speak your truth, without concern for the outcome or the judgment of others. For it is in this unencumbered space that the most powerful poetry can be found. Whether you are a child, an artist, or a poet, remember that your creativity is a gift—a gift that should be nurtured and allowed to flow freely, just as it did in those early days when you first began to write.