Let it pour from your soul

Image courtesy of Marja Flick-Buijs,
rgbstock.com

Happy Thursday!

I've been rereading one of my favorite books—Ted Kooser's The Poetry Home Repair Manual—and this week I came across a passage that I think will resonate with all creative people. Kooser talks about how the form a poem takes doesn't matter as much as what it says, and he quotes a passage from Anton Chekhov's The Seagull to illustrate his point:

"I'm coming more and more to the conclusion that it's a matter not of old forms and not of new forms, but that a man writes, not thinking at all of what form to choose, writes because it comes pouring out from his soul."

I find this liberating. Just think: It doesn't matter what form our creativity takes; we don't need to shoehorn ourselves into a particular style. We should write (or sing or paint or draw or act or knit...) simply because we love to do it. We should unleash our creativity in whatever form it takes—whatever rules we choose to follow or break. Our work will speak for itself.

What do you think of Chekhov's quote? What's your creaitve outlet, and what are you doing today to follow your passion?

Wishing you all a creative—and wonderful—Thursday. ☺

Stepping outside my comfort zone

Happy Tuesday, friends. I hope you're all having a good week. ☺

Last Tuesday I wrote a post about some graffiti that urged people to dare to create. Ever since then, I've been feeling inspired not only to do more of what I love—writing poetry—but also to step outside my comfort zone and look to other forms of poetry that I haven't yet explored.

One of the forms I've found inspiration in is spoken word poetry. YouTube is replete with videos featuring wonderful poets working in this form. One of the most talented (in my opinion) is Sarah Kay, a spoken word poet from New York City who teaches others how to perfect the craft. I watched several videos of her performances—all excellent—before I came across the video I posted here, an animation of Kay's poem "Hands," which was created by artist/designer Sachin Limbachia. In many ways, "Hands" shows how small things—in this case, holding hands—can tell so much about a relationship.

I'm curious about what you think of the video and Kay's words. Have you ever listened to spoken word poetry? Do you like it?

.

Wishing you all a wonderful Tuesday. ☺

UPDATE: My friend Madeline commented below that she found that the animation distracted her from Kay's words. Although I think Limbachia did a wonderful job with the artwork in this video, I agree with Madeline's assessment. Spoken word poetry is meant to be performed; there's a lot of value in seeing the poet as he or she speaks. Here's a video in which Kay is performing "Hands." What do you think? Which version do you prefer?

Do you dare?

Happy Tuesday, friends. ☺

A couple of nights ago, my family and I took a walk out onto one of the local piers. As we neared the beacon at the end, I saw this graffiti and felt compelled to take a photo.

I don't know who penned these words, but I feel as though they were meant for me. They make me think about my own creative passion, writing, and remind me that if I'm not willing to take a risk—if I refuse to tackle that difficult subject or submit that poem or write about that thing that's been haunting me or try a different style of writing—then I can't expect to get far on my writing path. Creating is about being brave. It's about daring to take risks and daring to step out of our comfort zones.

I think this quote by community activist Mary Lou Cook says it all: "Creating is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun." (Emphasis mine.)

How about you? Do you dare to be creative?

Wishing you all an adventurous Tuesday. ☺

A is for Art

Happy Monday, and for those of you who are also participating, Happy Blogging from A to Z!

Those of you who are regular readers of my blog know that every Sunday I post what I call Sunday inspiration—short posts and videos about the creative people and things that inspire me. I always have a great time discovering amazing artists and creative people of all genres, so I decided that I would do the same for the A to Z. My theme: Things That Inspire Me. ☺

Today's inspiration really sets the stage for my A to Z posts. It's a music video created by Andrea Dorfman and written and performed by poet/musician Tanya Davis. In it, Davis "ponders the point of art in this life," finally deciding (in my opinion) that following her creative ambitions is certainly worth it. I have to say that I agree. I think this is a great video for all of us who have a dream—whatever it is! Enjoy. ☺



Lyrics here.

An Announcement: Some of you know that this month I'm also participating in the Pulitzer Remix, where I will join eighty-four other poets in writing thirty found poems in thirty days. I've chosen to write thirty haiku. You can find out more information at the Pulitzer Remix site or read my post about the project here. Every day I'll be posting the link to my poem, and I'd appreciate it if you would click it and visit me at the site. Thanks so much!

My haiku for today can be found here.
Also, if you're interested, you can find my interview about poetry and the project here.


Wishing you all a beautiful and inspirational Monday. ☺

What's inspiring me today

I'm feeling creative today and inspired by so many things.

♥ This song—a reminder to seize the day.


Lyrics here.

♥ Poet Ted Kooser. I try to write every day, whether it's fiction or memoir or just a vignette about something I've seen or done. Today feels like a poetry day. One of my biggest inspirations is Ted Kooser, a poet who has the ability to see so much in the simple things in life. I adore "Tattoo." The poem he reads in this video, "Daddy Longlegs," is also one of my favorites.




♥ Today's sunrise. I wish I would have thought to take a picture. The sky was gorgeous this morning, all pink and blue stripes—absolutely beautiful and inspiring!


Image courtesy of Ronald Carlson, publicdomainpictures.net

What's inspiring you today?

A is for Art

Since I wrote yesterday's post, I've been giving a lot of thought to the theme I'd like to explore during this year's Blogging from A to Z Challenge. This morning I finally chose one: A Few of My Favorite Things. I decided on this theme because one of my interests is family history, and in the family history memoir I'm currently working on, I've been striving to include not only the big elements that make up a person's life but the small details as well. I want to know what kind of people my ancestors were, not just what job they did or who they married. Did they love peanut butter and eat it three times a day? I want to know that. Did they always buy red cars? Tell me why. These are the kinds of details I seek, these everyday anecdotes that give a true impression of a person's life.

Similarly, during this year's blogging challenge--my first ever!--I want to preserve some of the details of my own life for my children. They know me as Mommy, but I'm a lot more than that. Do they know my favorite number and the story behind it? Do they know I'm claustrophobic? There's a story there, too. Each day of this challenge, I'll share a little about myself so that my two-year-old and five-year-old children can someday read these entries and learn a little bit more about who Mommy really is.

Most of my entries will be written in 100 words, which is the style I've adopted for The Daily Dose. My hope as I begin this challenge is that readers will find something in these words that they can relate to and enjoy.

So without further ado:

A is for Art:

I'm intrigued by the way Monet and other impressionist artists like Renoir and Bazille used angles and light to show common, everyday objects in new ways. Their creativity inspires me, though I am a writer and not a painter (although I often wish I were). In fact, I think there is much to learn from all creative people, and I find it fascinating how artists of any medium can take an emotion--fear, for example, or anger--and express it in so many different ways: through paintings, poetry, sculpture, photography... Art--no matter the type--is born in the soul.

Muse! Muse!

Today's 100 words:

I wonder if speaking of the muse can bring her back, if merely uttering her name will call creativity to an uninspired mind. I did this yesterday--spoke about her here, talked of how she'd gone silent, killed by the inner critic who does everything in his power to keep my pen from the page and my hands from the keyboard. I called her, and mere hours later she was back, bestowing upon me ideas for a new poem, word pictures appearing out of the air. If speaking of her can bring her near, I'll call her daily: Muse! Muse!

When I'm not writing

Today's 100 words:

When I'm not writing--those days, weeks, and months when words won't grace my page--I feel lost, left out, alone. I have many writer friends, creative people who scribble each day, painting word pictures in their chosen genres, and I love talking with them, hearing about their successes, lending an ear as they (sometimes) grouse about editing or the maddening existence of plot holes. Meanwhile, my own pages are blank, my muse silent, my inner critic on duty full-time now with no vacations planned, and although I try to call creativity into my corner, it has been KO'd.

This moment

Today's 100 words:

Yesterday's "track" entry must have jogged something loose in my creative mind, as last night I found myself beginning a new poem for the first time in months. The poem has nothing at all to do with yesterday's words, which were part of a brainstorming session, yet isn't it true that it's the act of writing--no matter what words are penned--that exercises the creative mind, making it more willing to bring out new ideas and find new inspirations? Somehow the word "track" put my writing back on track, at least for now, and I'm savoring the moment.

Feeling creative!

I hope I don't jinx myself by putting this in black and white, but the last three or four days have been some of my most productive writing days ever. After last month's NaNo marathon, I decided to focus my writing efforts on poetry rather than prose, and that decision really seems to have had a positive effect on my creativity. Aside from an occasional poem or two, it's been years since I've put all of my attention on poetry. Most importantly, I'm having fun--the muse is giving me her undivided attention, and all is well in my writing world.

How has your writing been going lately? What projects are you working on?

Obeying the Muse

Today's 100 words:

I should have gone to bed earlier last night--and I tried to--but just as I was getting ready to say my Twitter and writing chat room good-byes, just as I was beginning to shut down my computer, I was hit by a sudden wave of inspiration for a poem I'd been working on, and so I stayed up later, much later than I had intended, because as all writers know, when the muse calls, she must be answered and tended to and babied and cajoled, for it's never certain when she'll grace us again, and we must seize every opportunity.

Free

Today's 100 words:

 

I've written before about my admiration for creative people like writers, artists, and musicians, those who aren't afraid to push boundaries with their work. I found such an artist online last night, a painter whose work is so inspiring to me--or maybe it's her endless creativity and passion I find most inspiring, the way she "does her thing" her way and for her reasons. With my own craft, my writing, I unwillingly hold myself back. I don't know where to find the freedom that others seem to come to so easily.

 

I want to be free.

The one where it all catches up with me.

I wrote 50,115 words on my writing project in the past two weeks. I was on a roll. My fingers were flying across the keyboard. My creative mind was out of control. I even had a few 5,000-word days last week.

All of that changed today. As of 4 p.m., I've written...*drumroll*... around 300 words.

I've lost my oomph. My creativity. My mojo. Whatever it is, I think that the adrenaline I was running on to complete the NaNoWriMo requirements so quickly is gone now, replaced by fatigue and the inability to pull ideas from my addled brain.

I'll try for more words later tonight after the kids go to sleep and the house is quiet once again. And if that doesn't work, I'm hoping I can just sleep it off.

This too shall pass.

Right? 

:)

Art

This morning's 100 words:

There's a show on Bravo right now, Work of Art, that chronicles the search for "the next great artist." I believe it's in its second season. I've watched several of the episodes and have enjoyed them, as even though I'm not an artist myself, I admire the creativity that these people possess. They have a true vision and can see beauty and possibility in everything they look at, turning a lump of clay or a sheet of paper or even a piece of plastic into something beautiful and meaningful. I hope to do the same with my writing.

NaNoWriMo Update: So far today I've added 1,092 words to my novel, bringing my total to 7,095. I hope to get in a few more before midnight.