Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts

Thursday, April 9, 2015

#A to Z Challenge: I is for Inspiration!


Today's 'heart things, heart strings' theme for the letter I in the A to Z challenge was going to be Intuition; however, Inspiration felt like it needed to be heard today! ;)

As per google, "inspiration" means "the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative." It also means "the drawing in of breath; inhalation" as in "inspire." The etymological root of the word on the other hand means "divine guidance."

Inspiration, I believe, is a gift from God or Spirit or whatever you call that. And a loving gift it is indeed, isn't it?

HOW are you inspired and/or what inspires you?

"Inspired Elly" by Roberto-Michael Kaplan

Monday, July 28, 2014

Poetry: Healing AND Delicious!


WOW! An explosion of monolithic proportions!

Those are the exact words I got intuitively as I took my first bite out of a creamy (ganache?) brownie that a work colleague made and brought in last week.

As soon as I received those words, I thought that it was a great line for a poem. I very often only get snippets, literally a line or two, sometimes even a few words that I sense is a poem or is the beginning (line) of a poem.

For example, after drafting this posting and washing my three-or-four-day pile of dishes (due to this daily blog challenge, ahem), I got these lines out of the blue: "disdain of dishes" while washing them, and "elixir of life." (And I wouldn't normally use the words "disdain" nor "elixir." By the way, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elixir_of_life as you may find it a rather interesting read.

And synchronistically amusing to me, a day or two later, someone used those exact words, "elixir of life." I forget the conversation, but it was like a "doo doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo..."" moment! Think of that in terms of the opening theme music from Twilight Zone by Rod Serling:



Hey, wait a minute?! Who said a poem can't be one line, I mean one verse? I've read a few poems by Rumi and Hafiz for instance that were one-liners if I understand correctly: "O wondrous creatures, by what strange miracle do you so often not smile?" Supposedly this is considered a quote by Hafiz. I say, why can't it be a poem: a one-liner poem?

There are types of poems that are only a few lines in length. And besides, I read a few blog posts recently where a story is told in only five sentences, imagine that! So why not a poem that is only one verse? I am a 'rebel' after all preferring to colour outside the lines. No, not in a rebelliously, angry, war-like, disastrous kind of way. That is not me at all, well, except for certain issues in the world that push my buttons.

Oh wait, that's another story or rather blog post! Ah, see where inspiration can come from? It can come as I think and/or type words on this page, I mean computer.

So here goes everything or nothing ... sometimes I like to challenge myself as I prefer to write poems when they come to me, not 'forced' out of me (similar to how I feel about writing by the way!)
WOW! An explosion of monolithic proportions
this orgasmic sensation on my tongue
delights my lips, my mouth, my throat, my tummy
hmmmmmmmm, yum, yum, yum
Ok, that was a short poem of whatever kind. My on-the-spot version.

Then a little later, I changed it slightly to read as follows:
WOW! An explosion of monolithic proportions
this orgasmic sensation on my tongue,
my lips, my mouth, my throat, my tummy
delights me
hmmmmmmmm, yum, yum, yum
Do you like to read and/or write poetry? What do you like to read and/or write about? Do you have a favourite poem and/or a favourite poet? If you write them, do you have a particular style? How do you get inspired or where do you get your inspiration from? I know, I know...so many questions! I'm a curious lot, what can I say. I like to learn, even from you the reader! ;)

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Half the Battle with Ultimate Blog Challenge


Photo of me a few years ago by Roberto Kaplan (those were my signature earrings!)

I realize posting every day this month, thus far, that half 'the battle' is deciding what topic to write about. And speaking of 'half' I am glad that this Ultimate Blog Challenge (UBC) is more than half over!

Please understand, I do enjoy writing, love to 'write' actually - I type 99.99% of the time - and blog. However, at this time, due to full-time work and other responsibilities including community volunteer work, it is a challenge for me to blog on a daily basis. (I'm sure I'm not the only one!)

And besides, I truly wish to be different and stand out, not be like everyone else (ok, maybe not everybody) in posting daily or almost daily.

Really, who has the time nowadays to read all these blog postings, in addition to books and other writings (magazines, articles, etc.) anyway? That is why my preference is to write, usually, biweekly. Depending on the number of weeks per month, that entails two postings, sometimes three. I throw in an extra posting occasionally on a whim, when the urge and/or inspiration strikes me to do so.

Even though my posts have varied extremely, bouncing around topics like a striked ping pong ball, I am still on track, at least in my mind. More often than not, I do my best to keep with the themes as stated on my blog home page that weave through my writing and questions: our essence (beingness), authenticity, self-expression, and gifts (talents) in the hopes of inspiring and/or empowering some of you from time to time.

Originally my blog's intent was to inform people, the general public (particularly in my community) about me as to who I am and what my alternative youth choir (what I used to term "co-creative children's and youth choir") was about. Read http://www.xpressyouressence.blogspot.ca/2010/07/call-to-action.html (Call to Action) and Why Me? Why this Choir? http://xpressyouressence.blogspot.ca/2010/07/why-me-why-this-choir.html.

The choir is an ongoing project for now. I expect to relaunch next year if all goes well, that is, according to 'plan.' Time will tell...

For those of you who blog or write (or type) daily, what challenges do you face? What do you do when you are blocked with your writing? What techniques/tools/tips do you use to ensure you have an abundance of material/ideas/inspiration/creativity to fuel you?