Welcome to Blogland for Poets:
So here we are, 2018, and I'm blogging again, make that *we're* blogging again. There's a group of us who have committed to posting on our blogs once a week throughout 2018.
(The full list is to the left on the sidebar and ordered by newest posts first.)
My posts will focus on living and writing creatively, mostly on poetry, though with a mix of art, humor, inspiration, ideas, and things that come up while living the poet's life.
I am trying to remind myself that this is just one post out of many, so not to feel it must be perfect.
But isn't that the humanness in us? Sometimes we don't do something because we feel we won't be able to do it well enough.
A long time ago, a friend said to me, "You know, it's okay if you're 'good enough.'"
And I thought about that and realized all of this grading on "terrible, bad, okay, good, great, super, excellent" is all subjective. My excellent sundae could be your terrible meal. Or my okay day paddleboarding could be your excellent adventure.
I think as humans, we need to try not to be a little easier on ourselves. We should get a few points for trying, for showing up, for being kind, useful, and helpful. We are not perfect and would we even want to achieve perfection?
Sometimes my best stories are because something went wrong.
A few days ago I was sitting in a diner and an older gentleman at another table needed medics. Apparently, the look of anxiety on my face was enough that the owner of the diner walked over to me and asked if *I* was alright. Which lightened the situation for everyone. There is a man feeling dizzy and needing a 911 call, but they ask the poet if she needs help. (Spoiler alert: we all need a little help sometimes.)
And the older gentleman? He ended up just fine (it was an issue with blood pressure medicine), but on a perfect day, none of us would have met, and well, his smile, could melt a thousand sundaes. And it's nice to know that both of us were okay.
___________________
P.S. If you want to subscribe to all the post and not think about it, you can sign up in the sidebar and have each post come directly to your email.
(I'll post my New Year's Resolutions later this week, I'm still thinking what they'll be...)
Thanks for coming along for the rides, dear readers. And thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy this year journey together, wishing you a glorious and inspired 2018!
Cheers and Happy New Year!
~ Kells
________________
www.agodon.com
www.twosylviaspress.com
First: Beaucoup de thanks to you and Donna Vorreyer for organizing this.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. There were several blog posts that I never finished or posted in 2017 because I just didn't feel they were "good enough." They ended up relegated to some half-assed Facebook post, where there seemed less pressure to be important. I vow to get over that in 2018 and obsess about my posts a little less.
Also: feedback is much more common on platforms like facebook and that is one of the factors that undermined blogs. It helps encourage people to keep posting when they occasionally see that someone else did read it. So I will try to participate more often on that end, too.
I agree with Shawnte on all points --- especially about feedback. I'll admit that Facebook offers immediate easy response, and that has sort of "affirmation" has diminished among blog readers. I'm going to be a more active reader/responder in 2018 (that resolution is so much easier than losing 20 pounds!).
DeleteWrite on!
Yes, a plus and minus of Facebook is immediate affirmation--instead of poem, we write the status. I am also going to be more active blog reader as well! Wishing you a lovely 2018! And thanks for your comment! (My 2nd of 2018! that's already double of my comments in 2017!) ;-)
DeleteShawnte-- Yes, I could see how FB would seem a little easier and I am going to make a point to leave comments so people know they are being read and heard.
DeleteOnce when I first started blogging, I blogged, "Hey is anyone out there, is this mic on?" and I shocked that people responded. I thought I was blogging for no one.
Happy 2018!
Kelli, so happy to have the band back together again! Posted my first post of 2018 right here --- and working on another
ReplyDeletehttps://thealchemistskitchen.blogspot.com/2018/01/welcome-to-poets-blogosphere-alchemists.html
I echo the thanks to the organisers. In addition to adding all the participants rss feeds to my reader I have been attempting to comment on peoples posts, even if its just to say hi. FB has trained us to communicate in icons and I'd like to step back from that a little. Also I know what its like to feel like you are typing into the void.
ReplyDeleteYou've inspired me to try to revive my website, which I started 3 years ago (but didn't get very far). For starters, I'm taking the pledge to post once a week. (http://www.antoniaclark.com)
ReplyDelete