Inspiration all around

Tonight was an eclectic mix of inspiration and knowledge.  A creative dance of the senses.

New members arrived and joined with familiar faces, we came together with a synergy of purpose.  Not really sure of my place - conductor and Lord of Misrule? 

We have very few rules as a group - but there are one or two very firm ones no negative self-doubting words allowed and the edit fairy is firmly banished the door, having no place in this room of reason. 

The initial prompt was "What would a Spinster's Almanack Contain? - that brought forward discussion as we attempted to divine the definition resorting to memory and logic when fact was absent.

"Planting by the Moon" - Lesley declared and we were off.  (Sonia was absent awaiting her God in Overalls - more about that later in the Blog). 

Coloured pencils were shared and doodles adorned our assortment of pages - and this took us down another writerly route - ranging from dripping ice cream cones - hill ranges - doilies and sunsets.  No word was a bad word, every word had a place on each person's page - an expression of interpretation borne out of personal experience.

We discussed Morning Pages Magic of Morning Pages a device recommended by Julia Cameron - The Artists Way Website

Then wrote some more...

The focus of the evening was around revisiting Tracey's installation of the previous week with notebook, worksheet and pen in hand.  So much energy and inspiration - tangible in the quietness of the experience. 

We have taken away notes on the experience to work at home this evening - bringing back to the group our personal interpretations next week.

On a personal note this week - I learned that the planet Mercury is retrograde !! causing problems with communication - well that could certainly explain a lot of what has happened this week. 

Tracey's Inspiration Time

This week Tracey put together an inspiring installation - combining music, light, colour and movement (with the use of a fan and spotlight).

I have been working with combining differing elements to inspire writing and waking up creativity for some time, and Tracey was able to encapsulate the concept very movingly.

Please listen to the recording to give yourself and idea of the experience - if you are as inspired as we are - please write something and post it in the comments.

You can find further information about Tracey's work by following the link in the Title

Sonia and Camping

Sonia makes me laugh - in a truly rip-roaring belly laugh sort of way. You can't be in her company for five minutes without the cares of your day disappearing as you journey into her past. It is also extremely contagious !!

It was so good this week, I pulled a muscle with my laughter - and so - in our quest to improve you, the reader's experience, I have investigated ways that we can share Sonia and some other's inspirational tales with you.

I won't bore you with the details - which involved a lot of head-scratching and frustration over IT equipment... but all this was overcome - so hot of the press - may I introduce SONIA....

Please listen to our talented lady (one of many to be featured here over forthcoming weeks...) and her tale of the rat, brownie camping and a ghost at a quaker wedding !! You couldn't make this stuff up...no wonder she is a brilliant storyteller...


We are also pleased to share one she did earlier !! so you can see our good lady in action.

Take Three Words

An exercise that I have merely plaguarised from Facebook is writing a story soley by writing three words, then passing the sheet of paper on for the next person to do likewise.

This often ends up with, quite amazingly, a paragraph or two which would easily transfer to a story or a poem.

This week we undertook the exercise, and Lesley has very kindly read the most repeatable of submissions (the opening writing prompt had been "write about a crash course in pole dancing" - so what really had I expected ?!!)

A good piece of advice

New Year Resolutions and starting afresh - creating false starts and setting yourself up for failure of self-imposed goals.

The advice from those in the "know", well those who make a lot of money out of selling advice  is to replace them with decisions followed by actions.

Resolutions happen “off in the future… "  - in some indeterminable time, place and plan which it is not possible to really pin down and because it moves off like the horizon line, or end of the rainbow - there are lots of readymade excuses for not knuckling down and getting on with what you need to do to MAKE things happen.

If you want to change – start your journey from where you ARE - now, this minute - workout where you want to be and then – make a plan – set a goal and act on it…. Start where and how you mean to go on.

Saying out loud what you want to happen is the first step to making things happen.  Writing it down the second step - there you go that is two steps, now it is up to you to take the next ones...

Building on Success

The group started back again last week, sleeves rolled up and ready for action.  We have two new members full of ideas and energy, along with the founder members who want to build on their new found skills and take their writing to the next level - producing something !!

The projects are all very different and have a broad remit - from childhood memories, a book of stories, an illustrated notebook through to a project I have never "quite" got around to.  We spent a lot of time on planning and exploring thoughts/ideas and concepts - so from next week until the end of the month, we will build on these initial fragments to form clear ideas of what needs to be done so that each person can achieve their individual (and often personal, very private) ambitions. 

We talked about having a weekend away in the Spring - campfire tales appeals, along with collating an anthology of the best works for public enjoyment.  We also talked about having a craft afternoon one weekend, to inspire, energise and look at how two disciplines can interact.  Everything is possible in as our written words guide us on our paths of discovery...

So onwards and ever forwards...

Quotation

Your positive attitude quote for today is:

Be fiercely protective of your time and defend your right to spend it in the way that is most beneficial to you, your family, and your work. Remember that your personal legacy will be determined by how you spend your time today, and tomorrow and the next day.

Lucy MacDonald - quote from Learn to Manage Your Time.

 

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The Quiet Moment

One of the elements of our meetings is the "Quiet Contemplation" which Tracey Pool (recently licenced as a lay minister) leads for us.

She brings her expertise as a craft women, knowledge of the locality, spirituality along with wisdom to the group and this spot which she has made her own.

It is a combination which challenges us to put aside the thoughts of the day, and change our focus from external chatter to listen to our quiet, often over-ridden internal thoughts.

What we have found that this does not challenge but enhances our individual belief structures, and strengthens our belief and confidence in ourselves. Exploration of spirit and soul, sometimes can be in the simplest of places and often the least expected.

Cedar Writers

Every time I attempt to write something on this blog, I find words fail me. Which might amaze those who know me well, and also myself I must admit. We have just completed our first 10 weeks as a group and I count myself blessed to have met and have the chance to work with such a talented group of people.

When Tracey and I discussed this project a few months back, we thought we might have trouble drumming up interest in the local area. I have lived in Knowle for 25 years and have found it frustrating to say the least that there seems to be an assumption by the City Fathers and the great and the good (whoever they might think they are !!) that families living here are devoid of talent, intelligence or indeed hope. Our secondary schools were removed, shops vandalised, recreational playing fields built on. We were not worthy... but....

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Our indigenous cultures - the Irish and old Bristolian connections make us the most convincing of story tellers (which any Judge in Bristol would testify too if asked !!). Combine this with fresh insight and talent of people moving to the area for economic reasons - our houses are still amongst the cheapest and most affordable in the city - and you realise that there are jewels in these there hills.

So armed with all kinds of stories from our family trees, the only challenge seemed to be to stop us talking long enough to actually write anything down. That was when true miracles took place.

I have been a writer and tutor for many years, but never have I come across such talent drawn together. I was reduced to tears on a couple of occasions as some of the work was read out, hesitantly at first, but with increasing confidence and competition as each week's worksheet was completed.

After a particularly bad day at work, I was tired and arrived at the group not really up to the task of leading. A cup of tea was placed in my hands, lots of hugs given to me, and as the night wore on goose bumps hit when I realised I was in the company of true genius - each and everyone. The energy which vibrated from the pen and ink hitting the page was palpable. Time even stood still one evening, I am sure.

The ability to convey raw emotion without pretension was something all these authors had in common, a commodity I have rarely come across (the usual aspiring writer I am usually faced with might lack in talent, but never usually in modesty!) and I found myself totally in awe of this unconscious collective gift. By now each of the group had become authors - each and every one of them and together they produce something greater than the sum of each individual part.

So the reason I think words fail me is because there are not words adequate enough to describe the sense of friendship and camaraderie that we have discovered.

I count myself truly blessed, and honoured to have met my new friends and look forward to the unspoken promises and potential of 2008....