Category: Publications

#poetsofinstagram

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I can remember when my sister-in-law told me about Instagram. Quinn and I were sitting in a nice restaurant The Baton Rouge, back when it was not a big issue to do these things. We were debating calling the little green veggies scallions or just green onions when she “Instagrammed” something.

“What’s Instagram?” I asked back when I was not cool, (still not cool.)

“It’s like FaceBook only just with pictures.” Interesting, I thought that could be fun, I did like to use my iPhone to take a bazillion pictures, especially of food, love to cook and make a plate pretty.

I never knew what a huge part it would play for me as an artist, cook and writer. Back in May of 2021 I had already transitioned to full time day care for the kids and much of the household meals so my Instagramming was on a rolling boil! However as I spent more time there I found myself drawn to poets using Instagram to create an online body of work like Blake Auden, r.c. elliot, Rupi Kaur, lonely penguin and all the other amazing #poetsofinstagram. Their short verses were like inspiring bursts of brilliant beauty and I thought, why am I not doing this? I love photos, I love poetry, I love putting text on pictures, this was how my personal 30 Day Poetry Challenge commenced.

A part of the challenge was to stop on the sidewalk somewhere, or in a park after taking a picture of something that inspired me with its colour, texture or theme and doing a brief but deep dive into why exactly it struck me, what I was feeling and what needed to be said. It was so satisfactory that these little gems that I loved would find a place on this visual platform. I loved it so much that I made it through all 30 wonderful days and I haven’t totally stopped. I am proud to contribute to this online community of poets and share little parts of myself.

To read more of my work go to my Instagram!

#Rejection100

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Rejection is just part of it. You cannot please everyone. Write for yourself first.

Not everyone has to like you.

All very true but slightly brutal platitudes that are a part of life as an artist. It is really hard to brush them aside and just create when you are so worried about assigning a value to your work, accepting money for your work or creating something that someone else will want to pay for. Better yet will it ever be enough to expect it to support you?

In Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert she said she never wanted to put the pressure on her creativity to be the breadwinner and I can completely respect her commitment to that ideal. She viewed her creative life to be a mystical, sacred thing, like the equivalent of a snail requiring protection and love to come out of its shell. However when you need to win some bread your sacred snail can become escargot. 

About a year ago I was preparing to abandon my search for a publisher and change gears to search for a Literary Agent. Changing from writing query letters and submissions for publishers to letters to agents was not so tough. It was trying to inspire the motivation to do something new and restart the whole process.

I can’t remember but I think #rejection100 was suggested to me by an author I had a coaching call with. The purpose behind it was to reframe rejection as a natural and desirable phase of creation. It is akin to not believing in failure because each attempt is a pathway to your goal. So, if this is true then in theory rejections are a good thing.

Not just for the feedback but because if getting more rejections naturally leads you to success then why not celebrate them along the way? What if you had a goal of collecting one hundred of them and being excited as to where it might lead? I subscribed to that theory in spades. After all I got some fantastic feedback from publishers so why not expect the same thing? So I started on my mission to collect rejection and I am so glad I did! 

I think at last count with all of my query letter writing I must have only been at around five! I may not have accomplished much failure but boy I had fun doing it, especially when it led to some amazing feedback and success! I need to get excited about rejection again. To play the game of knowing it is in the cards so I may as well have a good time with it. It means I have to be active, to create towards the purpose of just creating, even if it’s at a snail’s pace. 

 

Follow me here on Instagram at @brave.creative.me to see my creative journey.

Poetry Publication and Florida Blizzards!

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I love writing contests. Well, I love them when I win. Otherwise I try to be pretty neutral about them, given that writers everywhere have submitted to countless contests for eons, it’s just part of the landscape. You look down the road and hope for good weather but try not to be too disappointed when it rains, because after all we need that too. However, every once in a while it happens. You get the answer “yes” instead of a “try again” or flat out “no.” I found Her Heart Poetry when I introduced myself to Instagram where they were doing something cool at instagram.com/herheartpoetry I loved the idea of taking  poetry and joining it with an image like this…

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I followed them at once and was soon oohing and awwing over the lovey words and imagery and then made some of my own. So when they announced their contest to select poems for their Annual Her Heart Poetry Anthology I submitted three poems and what do you know they picked two out of the three. It’s a nice little pick me up for a poet. One to to be picked 🙂 and two, to see your work in print (or digital copy.) Purchase here.

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There are also two ways that this publication is topical in my life. The first poem picked is titled Let It Go, which I wrote on the occasion of watching Frozen with my son and he asked what felt like a burning question. As the Snow Queen spins singing this song, and constructing her castle of ice he said, “mom, why is she doing that?” To find out what I said you can read the poem. It’s also topical as I am in Disney World for Halloween with him, wearing an Olaf t-shirt, having just ridden the Frozen Everafter ride. Before you ask, yes, it was wicked!

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And so was the depiction of Pandora from Avatar, but that’s just a bonus. And yes, see those tiny little people on the ground, they are tiny little regular sized people next to this mammoth structure. No wonder it took them five years to build this thing. Anyways…

Poem number two is also topical. Entitled Still With Me, this one is about my late wife who on November 11th will have been gone for five years. Everyone who loves her continues to grieve of course but I am greatful to be among those people she was closest to on this anniversary. Experiencing the magic together, so much joy, wonder and Frozen sing-alongs in a theatre that manufactured a blizzard!

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And so if you would like to purchase a digital or paper copy to read these poems and support this organization that has made me very happy go to the Her Heart Poetry Bookstore and Bob’s your Uncle.