ODYSSEY, I WILL BECOME AGAIN

BY CHARLOTTE DENISE PAULETTE MARTIN

My unexpected story about creativity

What is the book about?

This book, above all, is a love story, my love story. It is the journey that brings back the lovers together. Amir, my lover, is present all along the poem.

He is the character that comes back the most, but also the one with whom I interact the least. He is always present but in a distant way. He appears to be an active character once, when I encounter the Minotaur and call him for help. He is the only one who can take me away from the primal fear.

‘This experience wasn’t just mine alone.’

This experience wasn’t just mine alone. It brought me face-to-face with the universal questions of humanity. On my first night in the hospital, another patient, gripped by hallucinations, followed me into the bathroom, asking if she was going to die. I answered, “No, you are going to be okay.” I still wonder why I said it.

I recognised the primal fear we carry all. I saw the fear in her eyes. The primal fear of disappearing. I saw the core of her humanity.

ARTISTS

What was your creative process?

The book contains two parts, an epic poem followed by illustrated poems. Often at night, I would sit in the studio, letting the music guiding my emotions.

Chronologically, I went through all my memories. I travelled through my mind to live again every moment invivid detail.

Music played a crucial role in my creative process, leading me through my memories with an almost cinematic quality.

Writing in verse was essential, I felt stopped at every point. It was a physical sensation, an oppression. I felt the need to go to the line to breathe.

The second part of my creative process was visual. Using ink, I illustrated the creatures and gods I encountered. The drawings were fluid, spontaneous, the Minotaur, Polyphemus, Athena, and Poseidon all came to life through my hand.

From these 24 illustrated poems, I selected six to turn into a series of screen prints, printed in an edition of 25 by Jealous Gallery in London. This book, along with the screen prints, are published and sold by CUEMARS.