The University of the Self #5

Asemic Writing Exploration

‘Journey’ by Jane Burn, 2024

Image description: An abstract monoprint made from uneven lines of colour (browns, oranges and black) to represent land, with white uneven spaces between them. On the white space is lines of asemic writing in black, brown, grey and orange, following the lines of the ‘land’.

I have been fascinated and enthralled by asemic writing for a long time now, and have had a number of interesting, informative experiences in both research around the subject and in the production of examples of my own. I have long been convinced that polymathy is a great means of challenging and developing the creative self. Such explorations engender a genre-busting, unpredictable, chaotic, subconscious approach to work. I have leanred to welcome the unexpected, to remain open to serendipitous inspiration. I recently wrote an essay (Paint and Poems: The Aggregate Life) upon the subject of polymathy (including a prompt from me involving asemic wiritng), which can be found in the book Poetry Projects to Make and Do, available from Nine Arches Press, alongside many other craft essays by a wonderful variety of poets. Here is a brief quote from mine:

”I’ve already lived many creative lives. How could I cling to one discipline,
when there are so many to be interested in?           I’m hybrid, in art and making,
                                                                         hybrid in writing,
                                                                   hybrid in everything.”

Some of you might be wondering, what is asemic writing? As soon as I began to share a little of what I was working on in this area on social media, I was asked this question a number of times. All you need to do is type ‘asemic writing’ into your internet search engine and wow! There is a deluge of information, such as here, here, here and here, to name just a few examples (I must add the usual disclaimer here: I am not paid by any of these websites and may or may not agree/disagree with any/some of the content - sharing does not immediately equal endorsment). That’s exactly what I did when I first encountered the term.

Many people seem fearful of research - please don’t be. Give yourself the permission to do so - research belongs to anyone who wishes to perform it, not just dusty professors in academic realms. The more you do, the more these fascinating rabbit holes of interlocking information reveal themselves to you, and the more likely you are to formulate your own unique and brilliant opinions. They way you interpret what you learn will be wonderfully different from the way someone else interprets it, and that is what keeps creativity so fresh and vital. I also bought myself a second-hand book, Asemic: The Art of Writing, by Peter Schwenger (University of Minnesota Press, 2019), which I learned a whole lot from.

For a long time, I kept my asemic writing to myself. I worried. Was I doing it right? Was my work laughable? Ridiculous? The more you do something, the more you improve, and the more faith you begin to have in yourself. I reminded myself that one of the greatest benefits of attending The University of the Self is that there is no marking, no grading, no pass or fail, no request that you justify what you do beyond the fact that you simply wanted to do it.

‘The Colour of the Voices’ by Jane Burn, 2024

Image description: An abstract monoprint made from lines of indistinct red and white. On top of this, are impressions of houses on streets, as seen from above, drawn in black pen and grey pencil, with islands of space between them. Between the ‘streets’ are lines of asemic writing in black, brown, grey, blue, green and orange, which represent communication in various ‘tones of voice’ between the streets.

Don’t misunderstand me however - doing lots of research into a subject, attempting subsequent practical creative practice and then examiming how the results have developed and ditected both your confidence and yourself as an artist is a vital part of your course here. The difference is, you won’t be marked out of 100 for it - your current passion project won’t be valued according to someone else’s subjectivity. This can be most liberating. Fear of failure or rejection can squash the life out of what you love, almost before you begin to love it. Maybe you will progress from this onto another university, and you might undertake a BA, MA, MPhil, or PhD (and that’s brilliant) - if you do, I hope that the time you spent at The University of the Self will have been excellent preparation, and will have helped you hone in on an interest, or helped you become more confident with research, creative practice and the evaluation of your results. Maybe you will attend the two universities at the same time, and one will continue to support and inform the other.

Another thing I always make sure I say when I facilitate a workshop is this: there is no right or wrong. There is only writing. I say it to help people feel at ease, to level the playing field, to make them smile, so remember it if you feel a little wobbly about attempting something new.

‘Song of the River Stones’ by Jane Burn, 2024

Image description: An abstract monoprint made from representations of river cobbles in black pen and grey, blue and brown pencil, on a light blue background. Upon each cobble are lines of asemic writing in black, brown, grey, brown and blue.


So I progressed with my experiments. In late, 2023, I took a brave step and sent out my first submission of asemic writing. I honestly did not know what to expect, or how the pieces would be received. I was so happy that they were accepted in December of that year, and were published online at Modron Magazine. The editors also asked if I would provide some writing to explain my process, which I happily did (any excuse to ‘talk’ art or poetry, or indeed artpoetry) and that can be read at the above link also. Here is a quote from my essay:

”Humans are not the only entity on this planet capable of language. Often, I think the assumption our mode of communication is the means by which all else must be translated, will be humanity’s downfall.”

‘Fate’ by Jane Burn, 2023

Image description: An abstract monoprint made in black paint in fern-like patterns, on white paper. The image losely speaks the word ‘fate’.

‘Landslide’ by Jane Burn, 2023

Image description: An abstract monoprint made in black paint in fern-like patterns, on white paper. The image losely speaks about a landslide.

‘Lichen’s Ghost’ by Jane Burn, 2023

Image description: An abstract monoprint made in black paint in fern-like patterns, on white paper. The image losely speaks about lichen.

‘The Bones of the Forest’ by Jane Burn, 2023

Image description: An abstract monoprint made in black paint in fern-like patterns, on white paper. The image losely speaks about a trees and branches.

‘Trace Elements’ by Jane Burn, 2023

Image description: An abstract monoprint made in black paint in fern-like patterns, on white paper. The image losely speaks about cells, amoebas and beginnings.

Emboldened by my first asemic publication, I carried on with the work and in March, 2024, I made another submission to a blog in the US, which was again accepted, and can be read on The New Post-Literate: A Gallery of Asemic Writing. You can scroll back and view many other examples from other asemic writers here too, and discover how varied each individual’s work is.

‘I Saw the Shape of Love’ by Jane Burn, 2024

Image description: An abstract monoprint made from a background of red lines slightly obscured by white paint, with assorted thicknesses of lines in black paint and grey lencil. They form an eyeball-like shape in the centre. The circular lines are followed with asemic writing.

I have continued making my asemic writing, which has been combined with my love of printing - I have found much creative nourishment in the intersections between the two forms. I will finish this article (which I hope you have enjoyed) by mentioning more images of these pieces, which can be seen on a different page here. Thank you so much for spending time with me here.

I have currently left my Substack free, but if anyone should feel like sending me a tip (although there is no pressure to do so) in exchange for my tips, you can ‘buy me a coffee’ here . Many thanks.