Thursday, March 25, 2021

Filling the Well (National Poetry Month)

 
 
Hello, Friends!

I hope you've been well. I've been keeping busy with a little of this and a little of that—staying out of trouble for the most part. While I haven't been very good about participating in Poetry Friday lately, I have been watching the days draw closer and closer to National Poetry Month. The thought of not participating this year was too sad to contemplate, so I put on my thinking cap and came up with a project that I think will be both fun and manageable. 
 
Like many others during this pandemic, I've been revisiting The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. I sort of gave it a mention in my last blog post, but today I'd like to be more direct and introduce a concept from the book Julia Cameron describes as filling the well
In order to create, we draw from our inner well. This inner well, an artistic reservoir, is ideally like a well-stocked trout pond. We've got big fish, little fish, fat fish, skinny fish.... As artists, we must realize that we have to maintain this artistic ecosystem....we must learn to be self-nourishing. We must become alert enough to consciously replenish our creative resources as we draw on them—to restock the trout pond, so to speak.
I've borrowed that idea for my National Poetry Month project. Instead of celebrating poetry, we'll be filling the well and celebrating the genesis of poetry—the inspiration, the artistic ecosystem, the... trout. Or possibly goldfish.
 
ali mosavi sam px
 
Clownfish, perhaps?
 
Oh, you get the idea.



Yes, there will be some poetry, but mostly I'll be playing with the stuff that inspires poetry—
The language of art is image, symbol. It is a wordless language even when our very art is to chase it with words. The artist's language is a sensual one, a language of felt experience....In filling the well, think magic. Think delight. Think fun.
                    – Julia Cameron
I will be playing with quotations—pairing them with art, photography, poems, music, dance... anything that strikes my fancy and gives the words new life. I'm calling them inspirational musings. For those who are familiar with Today's Little Ditty, you will recognize these posts as similar to my Two Line Tuesday and Monday Musing series, with a touch of Poetry in Action to spice things up. The objective is to offer new perspective to the words, enhance our experience of them, and maybe even inspire some poems of our own.
 
I hope you will enjoy diving into the well with me.

Illusion-X
 
aquarium
 
Goldfish
Flash
Gold and silver scales;
They flick and slip away
Under green weed—
But round brown snails
Stick 
To the glass
And stay.
 
from all the small poems and fourteen more, by Valerie Worth
 

You'll find this week's Poetry Friday roundup at Soul Blossom Living, where Susan Bruck is previewing many other ways to participate in National Poetry Month.
 
 

18 comments:

  1. Michelle, it makes me so happy to see this theme and your focus on it. I've been enjoying 'The Artist's Way,' as well. This blog is a place that helps fill my well. I'm always happy to see posts here. I'm sending you an early Happy Poetry Month hug!

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  2. "As artists, we must realize that we have to maintain this artistic ecosystem." -- this really resonates with me!! Thanks for helping us fill our wells, M. xo

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  3. I imagine you will find and share lots of wonder that will 'stay', Michelle! What fun for April!

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  4. I look forward to this, Michelle. I heard Joy Harjo speak last night. She was asked what she does to keep her language fresh. The answer: she reads the dictionary & thesaurus, reads other poets, and learns other languages. Here's to filling our wells and finding our best ways to express it!

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  5. I am excited to be visiting your well and the richness you will have for all of us, Michelle. Great to see you back!
    Janet Clare F.

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  6. I imagine I'll be making many Artist Dates with your musings!

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  7. Hi Michelle, I think this is an absolutely wonderful idea!

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  8. Thank you for this, Michelle. I'm so ready!

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  9. Sounds like fun, Michelle. I think we all need wells filled at this point, so I will look forward to it. I'm trying a new crafty thing, which might lead to a poem or two also. We shall see.

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  10. I love the Artists Way. I can't wait to see what you come up with.

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  11. So. Much. Fun., Michelle! I look forward to your "inspirational musings". :)

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  12. I need to reread The Artist's Way. Looking forward to your inspiration musings!!

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  13. Great idea, Michelle. I need to reread that book

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  14. Add me to the list of people going through The Artist's Way. I can't wait to visit your trout pond!

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  15. Sigh....your post and plan for inspiration is lovely. I look forward to stopping by to drink up the inspiration you offoer.

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  16. This sounds like a wonderful project, Michelle! Can't wait to see how you fill up your well.

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  17. I"m ready to visit your well of wonder… Love the last fish image swimming through clouds and poem–and those brown round snails, thanks Michelle!

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  18. I am late chiming in, but I love this idea, Michelle. So happy to see you here -- I have missed you! <3

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