Emoji Poetry may initially sound like a “post-ironic gimmick,” but PSNY’s Emoji Poetry Workshop remains one of our most beloved offerings—and not just for the charm of those adorable hieroglyphs! Emojis are a unique cultural touchstone, acting as a global language designed to convey emotion. They serve as fantastic icebreakers, even between team members from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Emojis also provide a light-hearted, low-pressure entry point into writing poetry, an art form that many find intimidating.

In our Emoji Poetry Workshop, participants write collaborative emoji poems, translate those poems into English individually, and share their translations with the group. Cooperating to write emoji poems as a team fosters creativity, spontaneity, and compromise—the ultimate group bonding exercise. Translating those emoji poems on one’s own creates a space for vulnerability and personal expression. Sharing individual translations sparks thoughtful conversations about language, culture, friends, family, process, bias, choice, and values.