Poetry challenge 2018

Last year I had the obvious realization that if I wasn't creating something, I was likely consuming. Food, tv, social media, goods, services, were all sucking me in to a vortex of consumerism and pulling me away from creating the myriad of ideas I have in my head. So in 2017, I resolved to create more often and was, ultimately, successful. I wrote more, crafted more, made more art than many of the previous years. And then I went to a Creative Mornings MPLS talk featuring Mary Jo Hoffman, a native Minnesotan who took her minimalism philosophy, her creative spirit, her love of nature, and her gift for photography and gave herself a photography challenge to take one photo a day and post it where others could see it. Her urge to other creatives at the talk was to do just that, find one thing, anything you like to create, do it, and share it where others can see. And in 2018, I've resolved to do just that - my creative venture is poetry and my goal is to write just one poem a day, about anything, and share it where people can see it. Here. On my blog. 

I've loved writing poems since grade school when we were given an assignment to write a book of poetry. I was particularly proud of one eloquent piece titled "Fall" that went: leaves fall, fall leaves. Ha! I still love that poem from my adolescent brain. I also see many parallels between poetry and the other creative adventure I've been on, my yoga instructor training. Writing poems gives me space for reflection and an outlet for experiences. I chose poetry as my creative challenge because that joy from penning a good line is still there. I still get that satisfaction when I synthesize an experience or feeling with all the words that feel right. And like Mary Jo's choice of photography, I am choosing something that brings me joy.

I don't know what I'm going to learn yet, and I don't know where it will take me. Mary Jo admitted that some days were harder than others, that some photos turned out better than most, and I've no doubt it will be the same with my endeavor. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy the reading of them for the most part, as I'm sure I will enjoy the writing.

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