Pensively Pondering

Backstory:

While creating this haiku for the 6th Annual February Poem Project started by Laura Shovan, I had pen in hand for quit a long time. The ideas swirled in my head like the colors of the unknown artist's artwork. As I pondered, thoughts flowed and spilled onto the page. My first thoughts were weak so I scratched them out. I wrote again; read the words aloud; promptly crossed them out. A draft emerged. It begged me to stay. I acquiesced and did not scratch it out. Instead, I shelved it as a rhymed draft, just in case I wanted to see my early thoughts at another time. 

Playing with words, experimenting with design, and sitting back to view the image poem is all part of my process. Sometimes, I just wait and let the piece sit while I ponder its content. 

"Ready? Not quite, should I click the send button? Whoosh, off it goes!" 

Being vulnerable is part of living the writerly life. I grow as a writer when I send out my post across social media and wait patiently for critiques to come back to me. 

Since hope is my 2018 one word, I am embracing it on this year's writing journey.  In the meantime, I will continue to pensively ponder, write, and proudly announce that my blog post, The Writer Inside, will air at #TeachWrite tomorrow, February 20, 2018. 

I offer this post to Two Writing Teachers for the Tuesday Slice of Life.

Creativity and Vulnerability

Creativity sprouted throughout social media during National Poetry Month reminding me of the power of voice. With May upon us, colleagues continue to write so when Irene Latham suggested that the Spiritual Journey Thursday blogging community post on Creativity and Vulnerability, I thought what an interesting combination. I drafted a few ideas, then this morning read Irene's piece at Live Your Poem. I found a phrase that resonated with me, "creativity as abundance" and began revising my thoughts.

Words choose us.

We are filled with abundance.

We let our voice rise in a collective chorus.

©CVarsalona, 2016 

Each day, we are faced with an exciting prospect to notice, wonder, and create. Our writing space becomes our sanctuary of thought. We write, hopefully without doubt in our hearts, believing that our words will be received but the world is an open range where our voices are vulnerable. Connected colleagues seek the company of colleagues who support, nurture, and critique honestly with good faith. With this backing, we can take the leap of faith and toss our words into the open range of life.

When we share our writing space and the yearnings of our hearts with colleagues we no longer "live in the spin" as Irene Latham said in her post. We become risk-takers who create, share, and grow as writers alongside others. 

Cat Stevens' Morning Has Broken is one of my favorite songs from the past. Please listen to be inspired to open each morning to a new day of creativity. 

Reflect upon not only the beauty of the earth but the Maker who provides eternal creativity.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them ~Ephesians 2:10