Make a pact with yourself that you will write
every day – not because you don’t know how to write,
but simply for learning to love and enjoy your words – no matter
how distant, fake or fade
in the beginning they may stray.
Maja S. Todorovic
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Holidays…you like them and you hate them in the same time, right? I don’t know about you, but for me – every holiday I enjoy some additional spare time I have if I manage to take short travel or read a good book. But sometimes, it can get hard and hectic to fulfill all family duties that are expected of you, do the errands, cleaning, cooking…and guess what – little or no time for writing. As we are entering a ‘red zone’ of holiday celebrations, there are some smart ways you can employ even in the midst of chaos and steal few minutes for your poem writing. Still, being busy with everything else can leave us feeling empty and tired – all you want is sleep and quietness.
Today I want to encourage you even if you are buried over your head with holiday preparations, travel plans and ext. to use that atmosphere creatively and festive, holiday spirit transform into an inspiration for writing.
Here are my top 7 seven writing ideas:
1.If you have some unresolved issues about upcoming holidays, use that as an opportunity to more explore in your writing. What are your current plans – would like to change them? Are you excited or nervous? How would you rather spent your holiday time? You can write a poem, story, or just as an idea for free writing or journaling. This can also serve as a casual warm up writing sessions for something more concrete you have in mind to write.
2.Imagine you are a travel writer set on a new adventure, traveling to a place you always wanted to visit. Where are you going? Who is traveling with you? What are you most excited about? Describe every detail, people, atmosphere, landscapes…For more creative insights on this subject you can also have a look at this creativity exercise and deepen your writing practice further.
3.Try to evoke some dear and meaningful childhood memory you have in relation to holidays. Portray those feelings in a poem that will honor that happiness and excitement you experienced as a child.
4.Remember some funny moment or joke during family gathering. What was funny about it? Did you have a good laugh? Or you disliked it? Use it as trigger to further inspire your writing.
5.Pretend you are a hosting a festive party for your favorite holiday. Everyone is there, your family and friends…everything goes well until something unexpectedly happens. Guests are confused and don’t know how to react to latest developments..
6.What is your favorite holiday? Describe it without actually naming it, but through the usage of your senses: how does it smell, is it cold or warm? Is it noisy, are you alone? Are you traveling? Employ your senses to the most intricate details and let your imagination takes you from there.
7.You are just about to go to the airport (for your holiday vacation), when your old school friend, you haven’t seen in ages appears at your door. What do you do? You engage in conversation, you invite them in, you are pleasantly surprised or something else happens?
Use these prompts not only to ignite your writing but challenge yourself to examine some of those feelings you might be having about holidays, family relationships and ext. Let your imagination go wild and no matter how chaotic your holidays get, squeeze in some time for writing to release any tension you might have and give yourself a chance to relax.
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This is a quick reminder that you can any event treat as an opportunity for expanding your awareness. As a writer, every detail of your life you can turn into a most beautiful story, novel or a poem. And from there new worlds emerge. That’s how powerful is writing.
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Poetry articulates your hidden parts:
sensitive but beautiful,
vulnerable but brave.
Poetry reveals your long forgotten treasures
strengths to move you forward
intimacy to keep you warm.
Poetry heals your deeply buried scars
allowing you to travel far,
to new worlds, to moments ajar.
Maja S: Todorovic
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It used to be called the White city, my hometown.
And it really was white. I remember, how through my
window I could see where two rivers merge with
sky in the most beautiful lightness…
Yesterday I came to the White city.
Of its entire glorious glow there are only pigeons trying to fly,
not having wings to lift themselves above the grey net
of dark clouds made of sorrows and unlived dreams.
People walk and talk, just as they used to,
but instead of smile they wear masks:
Mask 1: “Good morning boss!”
Mask 2: “I’ll pick up the groceries, dear!”
Mask 3: “What a great game tonight!”
Now, White city is full of labyrinths.
For each room you have to put the right mask.
It helps you navigate.
If you put the wrong one,
streets just swallow you.
The streets…once a safe place to be.
I used to play on the streets of my white city…
Just how many knee cuts they have absorbed!
I’d liked when concrete caressed me on my head.
Streets are now landslides of children cry, abandon lovers,
cars that start only on your yelling.
Skyscrapers don’t exist any more.
Shoe boxes have replaced them.
In public transport,
we have to climb on each other’s heads
in order to move…And that’s the only way for you to know
in which labyrinth room you are.
There are no windows,
and why would you need them?
Sulfur and nitrogen have replaced fresh air.
Is ever light going to return to the White city?
I don’t know. I would like to.
Maybe some new generations
will help rivers merge again with sky
in the most beautiful lightness.
Maja S. Todorovic
Note: This is a poem, published as a part of The Disappearing project by Red Room Company. It was written as my impression of visiting my hometown after longer absence. Beograd I was born in and used to know, really doesn’t exist anymore. Sadly, but true.
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Few nights ago, almost after 20 years I watched “Dead poets society” movie again. Having poetry as my regular friend and companion sheds completely new light not only on the understanding of the movie itself, but on the distance I made from a person I used to be to a person I believe I am today. When I first watched movie, it was more interesting from a teenage point of view – I was in high school and it was amusing to relate to main characters’ early adolescent ups and downs. I certainly don’t attempt to analyze the movie here, but two main messages stuck to my mind after the second watch: how poetry so beautifully offers that different perspective, seeing world from another angle, through different color of lenses, walk in the shoes that can be too tight and make blisters or two big that make us feel clumsy and insecure.
But that is the only truth that exists – there is not only one truth and one reality. You can taste life on many levels and interpret events in endless ways. Poetry acts here as kind of a shortcut to that realization. And once you become aware (which leads me to the second message) is that it somehow gives you a wind in a back, a reassurance that it is OK not to conform; it is OK step out of typical societal expectations.
Will poetry make you any smarter or wiser? It’s hard to say 🙂 But it will help you realize that there is something else, different. It will help you to seize the possibilities and easier to recognize your own capabilities. It’s like sampling life experiences and choosing what you want for yourself.
Each poem is a story, a snapshot of life in particular place and moment in time. You are that third variable, invaluable ingredient that transcends unique experience – both as a writer and reader. Being present with the poem is allowing it to really consume your whole being and from there magic happens – it does have the power to give you strength and courage to enter that different reality. All you need is to let yourself surrender.
I want to once more emphasize that this is not my analyzes and critique on poetic, artistic or emotional value of the movie – merely my thoughts on poetry inspired by it.
For the end of this post I would like to share with you poem by Wisława Szymborska where she so eloquently expresses the uncertainty of our perceived reality and human nature in general. As we are connected but individual, each experience is unique, but universal. Each life is special and so ordinary in the same time.
Could Have
It could have happened.
It had to happen.
It happened earlier. Later.
Nearer. Farther off.
It happened, but not to you.You were saved because you were the first.
You were saved because you were the last.
Alone. With others.
On the right. The left.
Because it was raining. Because of the shade.
Because the day was sunny.You were in luck—there was a forest.
You were in luck—there were no trees.
You were in luck—a rake, a hook, a beam, a brake,
a jamb, a turn, a quarter inch, an instant.
You were in luck—just then a straw went floating by.As a result, because, although, despite.
What would have happened if a hand, a foot,
within an inch, a hairsbreadth from
an unfortunate coincidence.So you’re here? Still dizzy from another dodge, close shave, reprieve?
One hole in the net and you slipped through?
I couldn’t be more shocked or speechless.
Listen,
how your heart pounds inside me.Wisława Szymborska
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Today, several of my poems have been published on http://www.versewrights.com.
That Moment
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Reading poetry is rather to ‘feel’ than
understand it. Once we accept that as a fact –
then poem becomes piece of art
we appreciate in a whole
different way.
Maja S. Todorovic
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As we’ve already entered the nanowrimo writing month, many of you’ve probably committed to this writing goal which is not easy to achieve. There are many strategies you can employ in order to do that. I particularly in this article shared some of the tips how to stay on the top of your creativity during the day and how to find time for writing in our hectic lives. Today I will share some additional tricks that occasionally have helped me to sustain with my writing and get things done.
Instead of just thinking about your goal, write it down. Write in bold and strong letters what is it you want to achieve. Write it on a card that you can place in your wallet and see it frequently or make a screensaver for your phone and computer where would popup randomly as a reminder. Once you write your goal down and read it several times a day, you are stating and giving life to what you want to do. It becomes an ingrained part of your thinking and subconsciously you are already pushing things towards fulfilling your set intention.
If your goal is writing 50 000 words in 30 days, it does look and sound scary. But we must keep in mind that most of our goals are comprised of smaller doable steps. We don’t have to know everything at the beginning of our writing journey. For us is important to break our desired milestone in daily benchmarks and work from there. In this case, you might set your writing goals to achieving writing 1500 and 1700 words a day. You can continue to cut it in even smaller chunks, like writing 500 words in the morning, afternoon and evening. Some days you will write more or less, but this benchmarks are a great way for you to follow your progress.
Besides having enough time, finding concentration and focus are additional factors that contribute to achieving our writing goals. We need to free our minds of cluttering thoughts and useless information in order to stimulate creativity. One good habit to practice is to set a side 5 to 10 minutes for peaceful meditation that will help you get in the writing mode. Sit comfortably, with your both feet placed firmly on the ground with spine, neck and head aligned and simply begin to breathe in rhythmical motions. Think of what you would like to write, what is that part of the story that simply needs to be to told, that has to get out of you.
In the beginning you might struggle and feel uncomfortable, but if you trust the process and continue to practice, you will find ideas coming easily to you, your writing will become more consistent and less stressful.
Use writing prompts into your advantage to stir your thinking and help you get started with writing. It doesn’t matter if they have nothing to do with your writing theme – use them to break the initial barriers for writing and spark ideas for your story or other written assignment.
This has become quite handy in my case. Many times, during walk, shopping or commute I get an idea which I can easily forget if I’m in distracting environment (like street or train). I don’t have always an opportunity to write them down, so than I try to use voice recorder (that I believe most of smart phones have today) to do the work for me. It can be just a phrase, or few words that will be my reminder for the initial idea, poem or story plot.
Think of interesting and fun ways you will reward yourself after achieving desired goals. As you walk each step on your writing journey, remember your vision and how it will make you feel once you hit the biggest benchmark – like writing 50 000 words in 30 days. Sustain that emotion during the writing process and use it as motivational fuel each time you feel discouraged or lack inspiration. You are your best support and biggest writing fan. You deserve it.
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for writing. Well, look
how many syllables I have spilled here.
Now, arrange them in your own order! 🙂
Maja S. Todorovic
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Business in Rhyme 