Thinking today on communication again, on words and writing and the ideas and concepts that give them meaning. Didn’t intend to go into labels with this poem, but it sort of sprang up. It seems to me a natural consequence of what happens when we embrace symbols while abandoning their meaning.
Thinking again about the creative process again. I watched the Oscars last night and finally completed revising my manuscript today. I cannot stop thinking about the necessity of momentum with regards to creation.
Every single artist, performer, writer and so on is called on to create again and again. The truth is that completing your project does not mark the crossing of the finish line, only a finish line. It’s onward, full steam ahead, to the next project.
Feeling a bit frustrated with my authorship today. Revising my manuscript is simultaneously rewarding, because I can tell that every change I’m making is an improvement, but also excruciating because it is taking so much longer than I meant for it to. So today’s poem is venting my love and frustration for and with my vocation.
YIKES! I changed up things today and abandoned my routines and systems. The result? I completely forgot about writing today’s poem until just a few moments ago!
It’s funny how a little change can lead to things slipping away and the very recognition of that loss can serve as inspiration for recovering what was forgotten and building upon it.
Thinking about the process of creation and writing today. Thought to action to construct, be it a mental or physical one, the bare bones of the process are all but identical.
I read an article on hypocognition yesterday that brought me back to some of my time in the classroom where we discussed the idea of the connection between words and concepts. For example, when you say “chair” what comes to mind? It’s not necessarily the same image or concept of a chair that comes to my mind. And what about stories and humor? How often do we lose things in translation or find that there is no significant equivalent in our language or another? Colors, concepts, even emotions–how many different forms of love are there?
Food for thought.
If you haven’t read Stephen King’s “On Writing” and you are a creative writer, I highly recommend it. A passage from King’s book has stuck with me through the years, in which he describes the art of writing as an act of telepathy. Through writing we are literally reading each other’s thought, putting hem directly from one brain into another, regardless of time or space between us. An interesting thought to consider, no?
The holiday season was crazy, and it’s been a blissfully tumultuous start to the new year. Throughout which, I’ve been writing. Poetry is easier because it’s shorter and for me comes in bursts, but I love writing my novels and telling stories. I’ve been pushing myself to write and publish more of them and finally – FINALLY – my efforts have been rewarded and a routine for regular creation is coming into effect. This morning, after I finish my coffee, start of the day rituals, and walk the dog, I get to answer my calling and delve into my vocation.
Today I get to write. I am thrilled.
The Everyday Poet 