Category: inspiration

covid 19, inspiration, poetry

Lines While in Lock Down

carolyncordon

My time has been spent at home, most of the time, I’ve only been going out to visit my Mum on some Fridays, when usually, pre-Covid-19, I visited her almost every Friday. a phone call has filled in for the visit, but it’s definitely not the same. No hugs with a phone call … But when I am able to visit her, that usual hug is even more precious …

So I’m staying at home, not doing as much moving around as I know I should, and could do, if my mind did the right thing by my body, and was able to convince me to do it … But my mind is busy doing other things, so I can’t be too hard on myself. I have a writing project, which I’ve spoken about quite a bit on this blog, and on Social Media, to get more interest in it, and so improve the project enormously.

That project is to create a book, an anthology, containing words written about this Covid-19 crisis we are all going through, in our various ways. So I’ve been collecting the words sent to me, having written some of my own to go in there too, but my own creative writing has been going slower. Yesterday I decided I might mend that, and wrote a Haiku. But I decided if I was going to put my Haiku into the anthology, I should have more than just the one Haiku poem, so earlier today, I wrote some more.

I’m not sure if they’re good Haiku, or the best I’m capable of, but they’re Haiku, and they cover some of my thoughts about Covid-19. I thought before I put them into the “Plague Invasion – Creative Writing Responses to Covid-19” Anthology, I’d share them here first, to show some of my own ideas about it all, and to give ideas to any readers who pop by, to think on what they may write, and submit their words to me – up to three poems of up to thirty lines, and/or up to three pieces of prose of 2,000 words in total.

Sent them to me here (kittycordo@gmail.com), with “Plague Invasion submission” in the subject line.

So here are my Haiku responses to Covid-19, on this occasion I have stuck to the westernised 5 7 5 syllable count for the Haiku, there are other acceptable formats elsewhere:

Kitchen greenery

The herbs coming along well –

Food security?

*****************************

Giving cyber hugs –

Safe perhaps, but not as good …

I’m missing my friends.

*****************************

Medical visit –

Outing, and safety challenge.

Doc’s mask hides his smile.

*****************************

My window view, birds 

swish themselves clean in bird bath.

Stuck home, not alone …

*****************************

Some of my herbs growing in kitchen.
Just me, the TV and my laptop …

If you are inspired by my words here, please think about getting involved. All contributors whose work is accepted will receive a free copy of the book (postage and handling must be paid for, if not an Australian resident). I hope you’re feeling inspired by this, and want to take part. The book will be launched in early 2021, if things go well. further details will be announced on this blogsite, when known.

Thank you, I look forward to reading your Covid-19 submission!

covid 19, inspiration

Fabulous or Flop?

carolyncordon

When you first get an idea for something, a thing that feels important, and exciting, your whole self can buzz with the thrill of it all, and your mind focuses on that thing as it becomes the most important thing ever, for you.

This is how this Covid-19 anthology felt for me, back around the middle of April, when I first got the idea for it, exciting, and feeling like it was almost a calling, something I had to do for the greater good, kind of thing. So I put the call out for responses to Covid-19, and have received enthusiastic comments, which told me I was definitely onto something big. And then the amazing words began arriving.

So, certainly, the beginning of this has been fabulous, the writing received so far has been pretty fabulous too. There’s still plenty of time for more great writing, both prose and poetry, to come to my inbox, and surely the anthology will be a fabulous thing indeed, won’t it?

Well right now, it looks that way, lots of pieces of writing are making there way to me, and I am gradually putting them into a document that will become the book. I have various bits of writing promised to me, and I am continuing to promote this anthology and requesting submissions. And this morning I had a phone interview with the editor of one of the local newspapers, and I have hopes that that may well bring me more words to help to fill the pages.

The sky’s the limit!

Yes, the sky is the limit, the world is out there, the whole wide world, and people all over the world are living with this virus. And they’re thinking about it too, as I am, and some of them are writing about it, for this anthology. I thank them for that, and hope that the writing brings them some feeling that they have some kind of control over things, even in this strange world we have right now …

This will book number nine for me, and my first book that may become an important historical book … I have written non fiction before, but those were more personal books, while this anthology is something that reaches out far beyond me, and my life. I hope it might become a record of the time the word slowed down, went slightly mad, and then settled down to think more deeply about life, what it was, what it could be …

I’m sure many books will be written about this time, and I would love this anthology to become one of the most important books of this time, an anthology containing the various stages of this pandemic, the ridiculous parts, the scary parts, the boring parts even, and many other phases.

Don’t try to understand me by the books you can see here, only some of them are my books …

I put that photograph there to show the reality of my world, there are lots of books in it … Books are excellent things to have in your life, whether or not you read each and every one that is there with you. Glancing at them, flicking through them, or merely existing in the same room with them, they are all important things. I certainly hope the book I’m currently working on, the anthology “Plague Invasion – Creative Writing Responses to Covid-19”, becomes a book that many people have in their homes.

Whether put away neatly in a bookcase, or piled up on a table near the sofa, having this book in your home will be a reminder about the time all of us went a little bit crazy in a variety of ways. Whether it was binge buying toilet paper, or locking ourselves away, barely ever venturing out, of deciding to invite the whole world into their life (to join together to write & anthology), madness hovered at the edges, at least, of our closed in Covid-19 lives …

At this stage, this idea is still very much at the forefront of my mind, feeling fabulous. The actual book is getting more and more words added to it, from the wonderful people who’ve responded to my calls for submission of words about or in response to Covid-19. And you know what, with all of the awesomeness there’s been so far, even if the book didn’t get printed, it wouldn’t be a flop.

And given the simple way it’s being put together, and knowing I have enough money to print, and send off, enough copies to get a copy to all of the contributors, well that means it an’t not happen, unless I for some reason was unable to get to my laptop. And even that wouldn’t make the whole thing a flop, because if I couldn’t get to my laptop, that would have to mean something fatal had occurred … so the options more truly are fabulous or (shh) fatal … And we don’t want to think about that option.

So fabulous, that’s what this book is going to be, absolutely fabulous! Thank you to all of the wonderful people who’ve been along this journey with me, it’s fun, and I hope to catch up with, or meet, many of you at the launch of “Plague Invasion – Creative Writing Responses to Covid-19” – that event, planned for early 2021, will be absolutely fabulous too!

covid 19, inspiration

Getting My Words In, and Getting Them Out

carolyncordon

Today I received a book in the mail – a poetry collection, with one of my poem in it. Hooray! and I also received notification that a poem of mine is going to be in an online journal, The Crow. And after having no internet since yesterday afternoon, I was thrilled when we finally got internet back this afternoon!

I don’t know why our internet connection fell down, or strolled away, but was glad that the people at Aussie Broadband, were able to help in getting things up and going again. With the current world of Covid-19 restrictions, and being ‘locked down’ at home, keeping connected feels even more important.

I managed without the internet for those hours, but gosh, I hope that doesn’t happen too often, I like to be able to get connected! A blogger without the internet? It can’t happen! I took the opportunity today in sending an email, to get the word out about the Covid-19 anthology I’m editing too, and the result should be good.

So submissions for ‘Plague Invasion – Creative Writing Responses to Covid-19, are coming in, and I’m putting them into the document, and sending out requests for ‘writer bios’ to go into the back of the book from all of those whose words are accepted. Words in, words out – it’s an ongoing thing. And of course I will be writing some more of my own words for this anthology too.

And of course, getting the word out about this project is important, and that’s why I’ve been promoting it so heavily on my blog here. This is an important project, one of historical note, and in ten years time, we will remember that mad time when there was such a big run on toilet paper, so that the supermarkets had to limit how many toilet rolls a shopper could purchase …

Mad times for sure, and it isn’t over yet. I’m still looking for more writing, in particular prose, and would love to have prose from sports minded people, lamenting the lack of sport, or from medical people talking about the dangerous times they had, working up close and personal with this killer virus, and hoping they didn’t catch it themselves.

Or political people form any of the three level, local, state or federal, something from some people there would be a great addition to the anthology. Time for me to get the word out to the politicians and mayors I know, perhaps …

inspiration, New Ideas

Small Town To Global

carolyncordon

I’m a writer, and I am most famous for being the Editor of a newsletter, that is distributed around the small town I live near. I live in a ‘township’, where there are no shops, only houses, with a hairdresser, who works out of a caravan at her home.

I love my township, and I love the town of Mallala. I once worked at a job at the Mallala Council, as it was then, now Adelaide Plains Council. Mallala is a town with only around 500 people living in , or close to it. So when I say ‘famous’ it’s nowhere near mega big time famous …

But I like what I do, I like the people I work on the Newsletter with. The Mallala Crossroad Chronicle is available on Facebook, where interested people can see it in colour, whereas the copy that goes around town, and other places, is in black and white. People tell me it’s the words that matter the most, not any fancy colour, which is good to hear.

The Mallala War Memorial, commemorating the men from the district who died in World War One.

So, I’m a small town gal, but I had a big idea, and I’m giving my all (almost), to that idea, because it feels like the biggest and most important thing to do right now. The world is suffering, people are dying, and there is no cure for what ails them, beyond using a ventilator, to try to keep affected people breathing artificially. This doesn’t always work …

With such a global issue, there are a variety of stories from people about how they are managing, what is their own situation, and whether they are coping with being in Lock Down. I’m doing well enough, staying at home and rarely going out is quite common for writers without any other job.

The volunteer work I do to get the Crossroad Chronicle printed is largely done via email, with a drive once a month, to pick up printed copies, for distribution. And no that we’re in a Covid-19 world, my writing group is now meeting online, on the usual meeting day, once a week. That is working well, but it’s not the same as meeting up with other group members, who have all become friends …

So I’m mostly stuck at home, living well enough, but seeing the hardships of others, and the illness and the deaths. I was feeling like I should do something, but what? This is the biggest thing in the world happening, so many people, so many different stories each of us have. What could I do?

The view from my most common writing spot at home, on the sofa, laptop on my lap

And I had a great idea, and immediately began working to get my idea happening. What could I do? I could gather stories, and edit them into an Anthology! Because I’m a writer, and an editor of the Mallala Crossroad Chronicle, I felt I could definitely do this. So, I have this blog, I have many writer friends from near and far This was an idea calling to me, and was something I had to do.

So I’m doing it! The anthology title came to be first, the phrase Plague Invasion. and from there, I began writing on this blog far more often, and not surprisingly, the number of visitors to my blog have increased, and the idea of this Anthology with the expanded title of “Plague Invasion – Responses to Covid-19” has gone out into the world, with a call for people to submit work to be considered for possible publication.

I’m a poet and writer, and can easily write fiction as sell as non fiction, poetry and prose. And that is what is needed for this anthology. I am requesting submission of up to three poems of up to thirty lines, and/or up to three pieces of prose of up to a total of 3,000 words, and I want them sent to this email address: kittycordo@gmail.com with the subject line of “Plague Invasion submission (your name)”
If you would like to know more about this you can either post a question in a comment here, or send an email to the same email address, subject line “Plague Invasion query (your name)”.

All contributors who have their work accepted will be able to buy a copy of the book at cost price plus postage and handling. And they will be able to buy further copies at half price normal price.

Together, we can produce a great piece of history, looking at how people managed to get through this plague. I’d like a wide range of responses, from serious to silly, and all things in between. Particular subjects of interest to me are medical opinions, political ones, sports, parents with children at home, teachers trying to teach with their students can’t be there, and many other ideas I haven’t even thought of yet.

So think about it, share the word with your friends, and send some great and interesting pieces of writing to me. We are living history, and I want the stories of how everyone, from ordinary person, to nurse or doctor, to community worker, to teacher, sporting person unable to play, keen sports watcher reduced to watching replays of games previously watched, and many other stories. Send them to me, I’ll consider them and this Anthology will emerge.

inspiration, meaning in life

When Initial Enthusiasm Wanes …

carolyncordon

Creative people – writers, visual artists, sculptors, photographers, filmmakers, all of us, get a burst of energy, and their whole life can focus on their new fantastic thing. Other people hear about their idea, and give them positive feedback, and the creative one keeps on going, creative fire setting their mind alight!

That’s how it is for me, and on looking at my friends, and other creative people, it looks like it happens for others that way too. Their work is their life, their life is there work, as much as it possible. Of course, some aspects of ‘normal’ life have to go on, but the creative person’s being is focused on their bright and shining ‘thing’.

This state can last for the whole of a project, if things are going well, you’re meeting your goals, and is the best it can be. This is a great thing, if it happens, but the truth is that enthusiasm can blaze and then splutter, and finally going out, like a candle in the wind of indifference. If you think your ‘thing’ is a good one to have happen, you’ll need to work to help keep it going, and the keep your interest in it happening.

https://www.pexels.com/photo/red-lighted-candle-220618/

Find the resources you need to top up your enthusiasm – I found – How to Keep Your Enthusiasm When You Hit a Slump, today, and it’s helping for sure. Keeping the initial idea, the overwhelming reason, and purpose of the idea in mind is paramount, to keep that keen desire to get that great thing done, and done as well as you possibly can. If the idea doesn’t feel like an important thing to anyone else, it can be difficult to keep going.

But there was a reason why you started out with your big thing, to help you keep on track with it, focus on:

what that thing was,

why it’s important,

how it helps others, and

why it matters in the great scheme of things.

If you can create a list of these reasons, and the writing and reading again of that list fires you up again, and sparks that enthusiasm up again, that’s great. Keep the list for those times when you may need it, when enthusiasm wanes.

You can then get back to your idea, with the fire burning bright again, knowing why you are putting your effort in, and that it is a good thing to put your energy into. Print out your list, perhaps, to glance at when you begin back at that task, and it can help keep the fire burning bright.

On the other hand, if, on looking at your idea, you fail to get any more than a slight flicker of interest happening, then it’s probably good to put that idea aside. It may have been a good thing at a particular time, but that time is gone now, or maybe the time is yet to come. So, if the time isn’t right now, it isn’t the thing for you to spend all of your energy on. Keep the idea on the back burner, peek at it now and then perhaps, but don’t give it your whole being.

Different people have their own things that spark the interest in them, for the important things in life, that make them feel what they do is relevant, and worth doing. If you have those things, or that one overwhelming thing, it can help make you feel your life matters, and that feeling is a wonderful thing to have. It helps you get up in the morning, it helps you to get through difficult times, it gives you reason for being. It is the clue to tell you the answer to the big question ‘Why you are here?’

So remember the thing that means the most to you, and work hard to maintain the enthusiasm, but when that flame flickers, shield it from the wind, and remember that what you are doing is important. Look at your list again, remember the Why?, rekindle the fire, and go!

Words and ideas are my thing, the candle that keeps me alive to life!

It isn’t a failure, to feel this waning happening, it is only a failure if you don’t try to get the enthusiasm fanned, and burning bright again!