Short Poems Before Dawn

Often I write haiku and tanka because I can. I also do variations on the forms. I explained both of them in earlier posts here. Haiku are counted syllable poems with three lines of 5-7-5 syllables respectively. Tanka are also counted syllable poems with five lines of 5-7-5-7-7 syllables. The variations I do are the addition of more syllabic lines.

In my view, forms are guidelines. They are not chiseled in stone never to be bent to the creative will, so I play. Creativity is the play that makes an art of living in a world that needs more beauty and grace.

I.
Church is given us
A safety, love, gathering
To make us stronger
In body, spirit, belief,
So we may navigate life
Surrounded by such great grace
Our lives prove the Gospel truth.

II.
Failing along our
Way to the success for which
We live, are destined,
Lessons of immense value
Are bestowed with each heartbreak.

III.
So, you have come here
Prepared to plunder what is
Left after collapse;
Instead, sit you down just here,
Tell the story of the wounds
You carry hidden within
Depths of your half-mended soul;
Perhaps together we can
Align our lives with wholeness.

IV.
The wings, those feathers,
Cover the heart, the creature,
Flying to heaven,
For mere flesh could not ever
Go near the bright face of God.

When we create we have no obligation to be the best, our job is to show up, make an effort, and produce the best work we are capable of making in the moment. This does not mean we should not strive for near-perfection, but it allows us the freedom to make mistakes, make progress without the goal of perfection keeping us boxed in so we do not generate any art at all.

Every time we exercise our creativity we grow. We become more ourselves and more capable of illuminating our soul’s message for the world. If we are writing, each line, each page, helps us clarify our message. If taking pictures, each shot teaches and refines our technique. In art, each drawing, painting hones our skills. We were not born with all the knowledge and expertise we need, but continual practice equips us to accomplish more challenging tasks that lead to the possibility of widely successful work.

I am grateful:

Some issues I was having are being resolved.
Despite the cold weather we have retained power.
I found some great library books on Tuesday.
I am getting new contacts.
Hope is still here despite the growth on her flank which is getting larger.
Living, although a challenge, is worth the effort.
It is not over until it is over.

For a prompt, think of something that vexes you and explore the issue through an artwork or writing exercise. Be as precise or vague as you wish, but capture your audience’s attention.

Thank you for visiting Haphazard Creative. I hope you found something to inspire or encourage you here. Please feel free to press the follow button, or if you rather not, do come back as you can. If you have thoughts or suggestions, those are always welcome and may be written in the comment area. Thank you for coming. See you soon.

Always,
Jo Ann

Mission Statement

#1 Creative Statement - Typewriter

If we want to accomplish more, we must do the remarkable. We cannot settle for a lukewarm approach, our desire for excellence must be like wildfire. We hold in our minds, hearts, souls the creativity to institute change at a cosmic level, but we cannot defer our work. The world needs out production in the present moment. We are not allowed to be placid and let time to rush by us without our contribution to its meaning.

Every word, thought, image, line, page, all we do, are, create, is integral to the shaping of the next minute. We may sometimes feel we have nothing to express, share, but this is mistaken, our gifts, talents, abilities were conferred upon us to light lives now. Ours is the foundation that will cement these days in history.

We create alone
But the work reaches further
Than we imagine;
We are each a world changing
Force with power to excel.

As a prompt: Devote a few minutes, or more, to mapping out a plan for this week. Find a resource that inspires you and dedicate yourself to exploring it. You have so much that needs sharing with others. You can inspire and encourage greatness. Realize your creativity was given to bless those who encounter your art.

Goals Anyone?

On the first day of a new year, many people make resolutions. Some creatives are not great at adhering to something strict. The recommendation to make an effort, maybe not daily, but regularly, to express creativity seems doable. There is a multitude of tools to help motivate us and increase our skills. Some of these are like Creative Bug offered as a subscription on Amazon, or the numerous books that cover almost anything creative one wishes to do. Magazines, YouTube, blogs like this one, Udemy courses, Coursera, all afford opportunities to become more adept. The most effective method of increasing abilities is frequent practice. The more skill is used, the more it evolves into expertise.

A 365 project can be beneficial. Taking a photo, making a journal entry, completing a gratitude list, doing a doodle or drawing, working on a painting, writing a poem, flash fiction, working on a story or novel, or anything every day can increase proficiency prodigiously. A year and a half of one such project can be found on Chronicles. There is a trove of information there.

This is an open invitation to make the use of your creative talent an intrinsic part of your life. Please share your journey here if you like.

Today, I am grateful:

I have a warm shelter to protect me from the frigid cold.
There is plenty of food to nourish the puppy dogs and me.
I have the tools I need to be productive.
My grief over losing Mom is beginning to lessen.
I have clothes I like.
My son is doing well in his position at the GigaFactory.
There is reason to believe 2018 will be much better than 2017.

Life does not force us
To become who we should be;
Creativity
Causes us to grow, evolve,
Fulfilling all our promise.

As a prompt: Set a goal, easily met, write it out and hang it in the workspace, so it is visible daily.

Thank you so much for visiting Haphazard Creative. I hope you found something that inspired or encouraged you. There is a follow button if you wish to click it, or please return often. Happy New Year and may you grow your creativity in coming days.

Creativity fuels Democracy

We are permitted one life
In which to create the greatness
That will live beyond our years.
Creativity is the precursor
To the liberty, we seek
To experience in all we do,
For freedom is hindered
Where the imagination
Is shackled and held hostage
To unreasonable obedience
And overbearing oppression.
Industry, good fortune,
Can only exist in environments
Where creativity is allowed its due.
Any government, enterprise, establishment,
Seeking to restrict the imagination,
Creativity, of the persons which abide
Within its jurisdiction will soon
Fall prey to inescapable failure
For creativity is the source
Of innovation, leading competition,
And the bringer of success.
No one wins when creativity
Is stifled by domination
Enacted by those lacking insight
And the blessings of ingenuity.

As a prompt think of how you feel when your ideas or creations are disparaged. Create something that expresses your need to have creative freedom and what losing it might cost.

I am thankful I live in a place where I am free to create, but sometimes I fear this right could be limited or completely abolished if we are not careful to guard it. I am grateful that in the night, my muse comes out to play. I do not always allow the sprite its way during daytime hours. What makes you feel grateful? If you explore this, it might help you find peace, if you lack it.

Thank you so much for visiting Haphazard Creative. I hope you found something to your liking. There is a follow button to click should you wish to avail yourself of that option, if not please come back soon.

Be safe, be aware, be well, keep creating, and believe you have a purpose to fulfill. You are an essential part of life in our world, make use of your creativity and your power. You can accomplish great things and make a significant difference in history.

Discussion

One of my friends wrote this statement:

Human beings are the only species that is marching willingly to our own extinction. The cadence to which we march is religion.

My rebuttal follows:

The cadence driving humans to demise is selfishness, jealousy, and disrespect and disregard of the rights and responsibilities each of us has in caring for one another. Love is the lack.

Religion can, I admit become a tool of destruction, but the average practitioner of most belief systems is dedicated to doing good and improving the state of his or her fellow human beings.

We were made for freedom and love. These have been cast away by the majority of the figureheads who lead us toward oblivion.

If the people, the others like us, do not reach out in informed consent and alleviate the suffering of those who are less fortunate or otherwise in need of aid, destruction will by all means arrive. We, each of us, who are willing to act as instruments of change within ourselves and our societies can effect lasting good which has the power to turn the tide of human affairs in a positive direction. I am convinced that a person dedicated to love can light the world, and I stand with those who wish to bring more love to anyone impacted by their lives.

End of rebuttal.

There is for me an element that plays into the discussion above, that some might not find relative. I believe that creativity drives us in our loves, our magnificent obsessions. I think that much of our lives is determined by our imaginations. We are drawn to certain beliefs, people, objects, careers, experiences by our creative impulses. All we love is compelled by creativity. We express it throughout our daily lives in ways which we are scarcely aware.

As children, we begin to fantasize who we will become, this is a creative enterprise, and it continues unabated through all our days. We create what we love and desire through effort and purpose. Creativity, our most personal gift, also drives the love we make and share with others. If one wishes to do good in the world, it is likely an inventive way to share love and care will be created to accomplish the benevolence.

My rebuttal deals with a problematic issue. How does one defend a faith in the storms of opposition raging in our world? Also, how does one reframe the discussion, so it deals with love and being a helper to humanity and reality? Those two questions are your prompt if you choose to explore them. You may be of the group that denies the need for belief, if so, frame an argument presenting your thoughts.

Sunday was quiet here, the snow still blankets the acreage, and so silence persists. I am thankful for a day of peace. I finished a book and began a new one. I am always grateful for writers who entertain and enlighten me. I think later this month I shall share the list of titles I completed this year. I am delighted it has been a good year for great books. See if you might come up with a few things for which you are grateful. Gratitude increases satisfaction in the lives of even those who are most discontent.

I hope you found something that challenged you, or encouraged you, on your visit to Haphazard Creative. There is a follow button should you want to click it, if not please come back again soon.

Love is your life, your purpose, your destiny. Claim it and share it widely. Be safe. Remember you can only become so extraordinary as you believe yourself worthy of being. You may set out to slay the dragon, just to find you face the dragon in the mirror. Make a friend of yourself, and you will better prepare to be friends with others.