Looking Under the Hood (Poetically Speaking)
This is an exercise … maybe even an adventure. I thought I’d invite you along with me as I make a blog post … and, hopefully, a poem. Continue reading
Poetic Process
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Category Archives: Writing
Cue the Queue
Using My Noodle
What do you do with the unrelenting procession of thoughts that traipses through your mind? I scan the queue and select the most intriguing candidates for interview and audition.
Tonight’s quick-dinner preps attracted a quirky refrain and, when I cocked an inner ear to listen, it turned into silly lyrics: Continue reading
Perspectives of Seeing
Viewpoints, Literally
I saw as a child, I spoke as a child …
Why I was recalling childhood memories last night, I don’t know. But when I refreshed myself on how it was to be a child, I fondly remembered lying under tables and hiding under beds.
When lying beneath furniture and looking up, I would marvel at Continue reading
Lost in Love
Love, Writing and Love of Writing
Some poems come instantly.
Others come as a spark that has to be instantly kindled. Still others are like sand-castles-in-the-making on a shore; the vision must be held and refined intensely all the while the tide recedes.
Artists (and others) who love their work understand the meditative suspension of time and distraction that occurs in “the zone.” Whole days can be absorbed in that state. Of the two poems that follow, the first came quickly (though not instantly) and the second took a good bit of post-construction. Continue reading
Writing and Writing Tools
Pens, Pencils, Computers
When the U.S. first planned to send its astronauts up into realms of zero-gravity (I’ve heard), they spent mounds of money designing special pens that would operate there. The Russians, sensibly, sent their cosmonauts up with pencils.
Pencils are my favorite writing tools, especially when I write in bed at night with legs drawn up and tablet propped against them. Ballpoint ink doesn’t flow at the near-horizontal angle this arrangement requires. Years ago, I kept a journal in a hand-made book that was made of a luscious high-grade soft archival paper. I used a porous fiber tipped LePen, which I considered equally luscious. That writing experience was sensually and emotionally satisfying, in part because I recorded so many dreams (literal) and aspirations.
If you’ve ever begun to pay close attention to your dreams, you know that you soon have enormous quantities of material. One memorable night’s dream transported me to an art gallery on a foreign planet. Items on display there were wildly unusual, exquisitely beautiful, and ingeniously made.
Computers are good tools … when you have them. Ethan’s notebook was in the shop last week; mine is there now. This is being written at a computer station in a local wellness center. I figure if I don’t find ways to keep involved with this blog, it will lapse. (My poems have, on occasion.)
Regretfully, Ethan’s notebook doesn’t accommodate my camera’s flash drive, so if I add photos to this post they will come from another source. In that case, I may just pick ones that are eye-catching rather than topical; I think everyone knows what a pencil looks like.
Penciling You In
Basically, I’m just touching base with friends of this blog. I think I have one reader so far … an immensely valued one. Wait—make that two, plus Kate who’s made the only non-spam comment so far. Bless you all, and future readers as well. ~ ♥Jo
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Favorable Weather for Lettering
The Poet Writes Large
For over a week, the weather here has been extra cool and wet. Today started off rainy and the high was in the mid-90’s. That worked in my favor as I labored outdoors applying vinyl letters and graphics to a storefront. I don’t have photos of the process but can share the proposed design I gave to the owner:
My husband’s mechanic friend is starting a shop of his own. When I first visited, the only signage was a small banner, barely visible from the highway. I expressed concern about James’s business being overlooked for that reason, and Ethan said, “If you can come up with something better, why don’t you make a proposal.” Long story short, James agreed to my design suggestion and even invited me to do the work.
I wasn’t going to turn down an opportunity like that, even though I’m not a professional signmaker. I bought the vinyl, made the patterns, cut the letters, and planned the installation. Today the installation took almost six hours. I was learning on the job … and I loved every minute.
Solving craftsmanship issues was the most satisfying … how best to clean glass, make measurements, position graphics, use tools, etc. After a few ruined letters, I learned to wet the surfaces and properly use a squeegee. Another important lesson was that the orange vinyl, being translucent, lost brightness when removed from its white backing and placed on a dark window. Also, letters that looked enormous at close range seemed smaller than expected at a distance.
How appreciative I am to James for entrusting me with the work and for showing his delight when it was done. I got a big thumbs up … and a big hug too.
DREAMING ON
If I had my druthers,
I’d play at work all day,
designing entertaining things,
for those who’d want to pay.
And, to find these others,
I wouldn’t have to shout,
or pay for ads, or dance and sing,
for they would seek me out.
I had a red-letter day awhile back when I started this blog. Today was an orange-letter day. I took advantage of fun opportunities to write both large (the signage) and small (this blog). Very satisfying. ♥~Jo
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Writing, Spirituality, and Marketing
Starting to Get Ready to Begin.
Last night I listened to a webinar about ebook writing and promotion. Is it intimidation, sour grapes, or what that I feel so alien toward speedwriting, keyword orienting, list building, joint venture partnering, upselling, and similar concepts? The overarching concept of the presentation was marketing … with emphasis on ecommerce.
As I search for my own resonance in this arena, it helps to recall this favorite analysis:
Selling is getting rid of what you have.
Marketing is having what you can get rid of.
As for poetry and spiritual musings … are there people who want that? And is it counter-productive (for lack of a better word) to combine those two things with marketing?
I’m grateful to authors who did that combining. I also sometimes wonder if their books, articles, videos, workshops, and counselling are—”bottom line”—spiritually positive, negative, or neutral. If the real orientation of spirituality is to go within, do these methods spur or stall?
My assumption is that it ultimately doesn’t matter … and that Life is operating through me to do what it wants. Yesterday’s poem seems apropos:
DEAR SELF,
I see that you’re in trouble,
mostly because you think
you’re a special case.
I have remedies.
But even I hope
you can pull this off.
—Your Inner Guide
I also pondered yesterday about a God who pondered creating the universe. Why? What would be the enticement? I decided it wouldn’t be for worshippers or passive companions. It would be for playmates, as in a great cosmic game of hide-and-seek.
Go! ...You’re IT! ♥ ~Jo
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[Photo by Wallyir of morgueFile]
Red-Letter Day
Ten Poems Today!
That’s a record, I do believe. Malcolm Gladwell (the author) might say such productivity derives from the ten thousand I already wrote. It certainly doesn’t hurt to ask a higher power for help … with anything … or everything.
At any rate, here is number ten. After posting its text, I retire for the day. The sharing is the culmination of the whole endeavor and I’m glad you’re here to receive it, whenever.
OVERWHELMING RESPONSE
Let me, please, attest:
the thing that you do best
because you make request
of muse or other such—
that very spark or touch
sets up creative flow.
At first, you feel so blessed!
But that’s before you know
the stream has undertow . . .
quite soon it takes you down
and you begin to drown
by being blessed so much.
I affirm that this is so—
because, with poetry, I know.
Good night, and may your creativity be exactly as abundant as you desire. ♥ ~Jo
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[Photo by Alvimann of morgueFile]
Learning by Doing
“The work will teach you how to do it.”
This Estonian proverb is my motto. In the case of this blog, I’m learning how to produce one by doing it. … I got my first viagara comment today. Since comments are integral to having a blog, that was a good piece of learning.
I’m off to a slow start today but, actually, that is pretty typical. By the time I do what I call my “dailies”—planning, journaling, and everyday chores—the morning is often half gone. The dailies usually include a poem and the time to complete one is always unpredictable … some have taken the whole day.
My daily planning includes a lengthy gratitude list and a fresh affrimation accompanied by a photo. This creative time is my delight and dearest luxury. Of course, if a time comes when this indulgence must be dropped, it will be surrendered. I’m convinced that necessity of letting go (or going beyond) is true of all egoic traits and activities. This was my thinking as I wrote today’s poem.
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FINAL FRONTIER
If I want to be
completely free,
that even means
free from me.
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Someday, I expect, my blog posts will be read. You may even be the first reader! First or last, I’m thinking of you today and hoping we will connect with good things to share. ♥ Jo
Poems or About-Poems?
I used to have a separate blog (which I may revive) where I entered my daily poems. They are not works of high art, so I call them “pomes” and I call myself an everyday poet. To give you a flavor of the range, though, here are samples from yesterday and today:
SCRIBE
As I write
these poems
each day,
I wish I knew
what I were
trying to say.
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MIDSUMMER METAPHOR
On this side darkly are we caught,
but for the winking coded messages
we emit.
Here, through flimsy body-masks
and near-unbearable yearning,
we incessantly scan for matched pulsations—
for the homing signals of our
love-mates, life-mates, playmates.
Flying or not,
we all have wings.
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In this blog or journal, I will probably write more about the writing process than post the actual writing. I hope you are enjoying your own and making progress with it. Today I met a young man, Adam Bolander, who already has a half dozen books up on Amazon at the age of 21. Inspiring that he is so creative so young and so eager to share his work.