Gotta Be Quick

Day 16 – 2020 Creativity Project

Today is one of the days I work as a Copy Editor. It is a limited engagement with a few hours, but when I am on, it is demanding. So this is rushed.

I finished the poem in the wee hours to read at the memorial service, and it was approved without change. Got the awe-inspiring stamp!

I have thought for a while that I could do poems on demand, and this proved my hypothesis. There is this raw idea I have been noodling – but I am a coward.

I have been faulted as not living up to my potential, if I could believe I had any, maybe I could achieve it.

I need to color my hair, pick out clothes, finish proofing the magazine, so this is a done deal. If the person who requested the poem approves, I will post it sometime soon.

I just hope while I am reading tomorrow at the service that I do not stumble over my own words too severely. The other poets who will be read are superstars from times ago.

Yeah, you all take care. God Bless.

Eleven Haiku and Other…

Today is a day where I tried to catch up reading some periodicals. I cleaned part of the cupboard and wrote several haiku as well.

I write a lot of haiku, it is like singers singing scales, a warm-up. Although often it turns out haiku are the full product.

I have been thinking of working some other forms, but forms are complicated at times. I like what I know. Most of us are not incredibly fond of change, even though it is a constant.

Anyway, here are some haiku from my journal, I decided not to inflict my handwriting on others today.

The village remains
Empty, all humans are fled
The owl sings who songs.
______________________________
Pleasure greater than
Life’s intermittent agony
Is the goal we seek.
______________________________
The rain leaves imprints
On all the drabbest fallen,
For Winter prevails.
______________________________
We are here awhile
Our time fast slipping away,
Swift moments, hours, days.
_______________________________
Not today will you
See that fragile hurting face,
My smile is in place.
________________________________
Why can we not be
Happy with the small pleasures
But have to chase more?
__________________________________
Feeling guilty when
There exists no right reason,
Always in the thoughts.
_________________________________
No, I will not go
On my own so far from home,
I’m meant for this place.
__________________________________
The smile lit his eyes
A brighter glittery hue,
Inhibition flew.
__________________________________
Fear like crocodiles
Can tear into everyone
Without fair warning.
___________________________________
When love gives a nod
Calling you out for its own,
Never run away.

If you are not writing haiku, you should. The form is excellent for expressing an emotion or image. Questions, leave a comment.

A lot of the pictures I use I take on the property. It is mostly fallow now and somewhat overgrown. This field often used to contain wild turkeys. I have seen none recently, but they probably still visit.

I am still exploring art in the hope of regaining my former skill. The piece below is based on a dog toy, but I took a bit of poetic license, so it lacks reality. I never was fond of still-life. I am a bit of a fantasist.

A Prompt: Write some haiku, draw a picture, take photos, bead, dance, do anything creative. Let your muse run loose.

All the best to everyone. God Bless. Remember happiness is a state of mind, you can choose more of it in your life if you are lacking.

2020-01-14_Dragon Toy

Motivation, My Brand

This rock fascinates me; well, most big rocks make me wonder. I like small stones too, but I use to watch large rocks moving around because of workers on tractors and in dump trucks. There were also the boulders we set dynamite in, after drilling, and a lever push made them blow. Georgia is full of rock and red clay. LOL.

Anyway, I took this yesterday with the Sony camera, and I thought which I always do. I wanted to draw, but I think you know creating art intimidates me. I am a perfectionist, and there is desire, but there is fear. The fear I am not good enough at it. This morning I got a sketchbook, drawing pencils, and colored pencils out. I created something. It really has little relationship to the photo, I did not look at the picture except a glance at the file last night. The photo was what drew me to try.

Creativity is not an easy thing, though it is inherent. We all have abilities, we can all do creative things. Maybe you cook, dance, play music or sing, organize items, create presentations, graphs, pie charts, lesson plans, a wardrobe, furnish a house, anything. Liberal arts are not the only home of creativity, life is creative. The thing is to create positive outcomes for yourself and others.

Perfection is a lie, read that again. Perfection can clog the creative flow, it is as close as we get to block. When we want perfect results, we can stop ourselves from doing what we can do. If we do not do, we can never become better. We lockdown and fail to grow or produce.

Maybe we want a tremendous experience, and we devalue ourselves, our lives. Life, creativity, love, accomplishment is in the little mundane things. It is great to do something outstanding, but we have a lot of ordinary moments, and we can choose to recognize that those are precious too. We may find joy, gratitude, in relationships, in the wonderful taste of what is eaten even if it is often eaten, in the fact we can reach others around the world, the songs played, the soft touch of the fabric on the body, writing with an ink pen, the smell of pencils, a warm shower, a safe environment, our pets, the families God gave us, any gift.

Ah, I guess you should see the creation before you go.

I hope you find the courage to recognize the beauty of your life.

2020-01-12_Moonrise with Rock and Trees

Day 10 – 2020 Creativity Project

Post Three for Today

It always seems days like the tenth are incredibly productive for me. I never understand why the muse, inspiration, whatever you may call the force that pours creativity forth has days when it is like an uncorked fire hydrant spewing everywhere. Actually, if I allow, it is present a lot.

I took the cameras out for a few minutes. I meant to use the Sony, but the battery blacked, and the extra battery was also dead. I took the Nikon out with a telephoto lens on it, and I had been away a while, so I was thrown by it, not taking pictures. The light was poor, my distance was too near. I finally got a few shots. It is terrible that I have been relying on my cellphone’s camera so much.

The above shot is with the Sony, unedited. It is not quite as I would like, but the device went dark, so there I had it.

By Design

I went in search of
Happiness, but came to find
It is not a thing
Hidden beyond me, oh no,
I contain it in my mind.
I choose attitudes
Every moment, every day,
If I am down-hearted
I must make it otherwise
And exuberance I can try.
The clouds and thunder,
Rain – does not determine how
I come to think, feel,
I make a designation to
Positive or negative,
So just now, I pick my joy with love.

This is not to discount depression, because that struggle is real, but we do have some power over our feelings, at least at times. I have Schizo-Affective Disorder, so depression is a home place too. It takes a lot to fight, but fight we must because if we let loose our control, we can be driven deep in areas hard with dark to escape.

I wonder why I am doing this, cause it has been bad days for the site, but I have words, so…

I think maybe learning one of my favorite musicians died of brain cancer made me trot something out. RUSH is a top band in my estimation. I saw them twice in that magical 1979 to 1981 period when I was at a concert or the movies every week. Neil Peart, Rest In Peace. See ya.

Find something, create. Build something beyond yourself, because you are real.

Do well, be active, keep going, you are loved.

2020/365 – The Reasons Why

Why do I do Creativity Projects? This is not my first one and probably will not be my last. Why do I crazily decide to commit a year to come out in public with some work every day? Most know I regularly work, create most days without posting. Like now, I soon enough decide I should give up because there is a lack of engagement.

The thing is, I believe in LOVE, and believe in creativity as LOVE’s most actionable visible expression. If I do this – if I make myself produce something original each day of the year, maybe one person stumbles across what I am doing and is emboldened to create. If I inspire one to do something gorgeous and lasting out of LOVE, overcoming fear, that he or she would have left undone, it is worth my 365 efforts. The expression of ideas fuels changes in our lives – if we want a better world, we best be busy creating a platform from which it can be built and launched. The basis of a brighter day is LOVE.

I am not here only to make my things, to promote myself, I am here to move, encourage others to have fortitude enough to share their truth, their reality, in freedom and boldness. Together, perhaps, we may all move this populated globe toward an understanding of why we exist. Loving, supporting, helping, encouraging, accepting, inspiring, teaching, nurturing, building, nourishing, protecting, listening, cherishing, being friends, and companions together with every one of us – this is our individual and joint reason and purpose as human beings. We belong, all of us, we are precious.

We have what it takes to LOVE, and we should be busy about making it our business.

I hope that clarifies my mission and why it is important to me. It is no easy thing. The quit dogs me often, but I have never been one to give up.

Join me, do this thing yourself or just come back here when you feel the notion. I hope 2020 has taken off as a blessed year in your life. All the best in all you do.

This time do not let
It flow past you and away,
Capture it with LOVE!

I never know what will be until it comes, and I am grateful that this came in my journal. I like what it has to say. Have a great weekend. Fill it with moments to treasure and make what you dream happen.