Friday, February 18, 2011

Inspiration

When I was younger, the fact that I could crank out half a dozen new poems a day disgusted my other writer friends. Ironically, my favorite poet had a habit of only writing maybe a dozen poems a year, and spending a tremendous amount of time revising each one as if it were a treasured jewel that needed regular polishing to maintain its shine. I always wondered how he knew when a poem was finished.

I had a mindset back then that allowed me to see the magic in everything. I could make connections that were far-fetched, yet made perfect sense after globing them together in a poem. I miss that part of me and want to get it back.

I've put in a lot of time searching out non-commercial writer blogs and clicking the FOLLOW button, hoping that each day I might find a post within my RSS feed that inspires me. The blog world hasn't failed me.

I chose the word "unfolding" for the title of this blog, because I feel like a wadded up piece of paper tossed in a trash can that occasionally creaks and crackles as it tries to unfold itself. I can't wait to see what is written on me.

Countless times I have tried to make a living doing something I love, and every time life and the need to eat and pay bills took over. Just when I'm about to have a breakthrough, I have to go out and get a real job with a regular income. I'm there again.

I keep telling myself not to give up, but to trust in the unknown and the unformed. Have the courage to be vulnerable, and seek out fuel for transformation. Words inspire words. Bring it on.

1 comment:

Jen said...

Don't give up. I've done that several times and I'm about to make the transition back into "What I love" vs. "What I've had to do". I'm scared, but I know THIS time it has to work out. There will be the time when it does! You'll get there :D