A poem a day keeps the blues away...

Hello everyone!

Let's just start by saying, what strange times we are all in! Yes, it has to be said. We can get on to the poetry in a sec... But really, anyone else waiting for the zombies to arrive and come for your face? Pop on Netflix and watch 'The Cured' (after you've written your first poem of the day).

March 15th:

I'm just waiting for someone to start eating my face.

That's what I dream about at night,

and it's funny in a way.

I used to joke about eating the rich.

Now I'm actively avoiding being eaten by them.

Bastards.

So, I was all set to lead a workshop at The Bunker, for Morgan and Abi's Power Share week. My workshop was about freeing yourself up creatively and taking the pressure away from writing the perfect poem. Let's just start by saying, none of mine are perfect, but I am consistent. We can talk about perfect poems later... Send me yours if you like, we've got time.

So, about a year and a half ago I decided I was going to start writing one poem everyday. I didn't know if it would last or how long it would last for, but I'm still going. It's great for the discipline and to really hone your craft. My style of writing has definitely changed in the last year alone.

I'm not going to say it's for everyone, everyone has their own way when it comes to writing and creating. Lots of you probably have children, or dependants. I do not. I binge watched Love is Blind, and wrote a poem about how people often love the idea of a person. Yep. That's me.

Jessica... gurl, get the wine away from that dog.

Anyway... Let's talk about some of the things that help when trying to create a new poem. Some, or none of these may work for you, and that's fine.

1. Music:

OK, music is a big one for me. What I do on a very regular basis is try and discover new artists (this doesn't mean current, just new to me). I go on to my iTunes and quite often look at my recommended artists list. Sometimes there's nothing I really like, so I will also listen to the iTunes created playlists. (Spotify is available, YouTube etc.) Mahogany sessions on YouTube is also a great source for new artists and supporting up and coming talent.

I feel like music can really help when you are thinking about the tone of a piece. If you have an idea, but you just can't seem to find the words. I often take a word I like or a theme from a song and put my own spin on it. Obviously we don't copy what the artist is doing, but really listening to the lyrics and perhaps taking one word away and storing it.

2. Reading:

This might seem very basic; but you want a bigger vocabulary, read more. My personal favourites to help inspire are short stories, because there's whole worlds created in only a matter of pages. Here's some I am reading at the moment:

-Things we say in the dark, by Kirsty Logan

-A manual for cleaning women, by Lucia Berlin

-The lottery and other short stories, by Shirley Jackson

And of course, read more poetry! But try not to compare yourself to others. I will never believe I'm as good as Yrsa Daley-Ward, but it would be a tragedy to not read her work.

3. Past Experiences:

Now again, this might seem like a strange thing to put because it might seem like common sense, but you'd be surprised. Write what you know, write about who you know and experiences you've had. People you've spoken to, interactions and conversations. No-one can tell your story like you can. I love abstract work, but don't tie yourself up in knots trying to be clever. Tell your story however you can, we want to hear it.

4. Experiment:

Don't be afraid to try something new. Set yourself a challenge, write a haiku. Just see what feels right for you. Maybe set yourself a time limit. Write two poems by the weekend? See how that feels, if it feels like too much, write one. Write a sentence. Just write.

Also, watch stuff. Most people do this anyway, but switch up your genre. Watch a documentary or a horror or a cult classic, or world cinema. We can't go to the theatre at the moment, so let's try and bring it to ourselves somehow. Let's get creative. Come out of your comfort zone and explore.

5. Performance:

It would be odd to not talk about performance. Performance is definitely a part of it, if you want it to be. Poetry nights are a great way to try out new material. Who knows when we'll get to perform live again; so in the mean time why not record a poem on your phone?

I'm sad I can't do the actual activities I had planned for the workshop; hopefully this little blog will help get you in to the creative spirit.

So, here's an activity for you!

Here are a few words. Pick a word and write a poem. Send it to me! I will tweet them or share them, or not. It's up to you, but I would love to read them:

· House

· Falling

· Body/bodies

· Transparent

· Glitch

· Tender

· Meaningless

· Oil

· Crestfallen

· Waves

· Notion

· Communion

· Soft

· Wake

· Carve/carving

· Abandon

Don't put any pressure on yourself, grab a cup of tea and let's get to it!

Send me anything and everything. You can find me on Twitter @LillyDriscoll and on Instagram @Lildriscool

Happy writing. And hope to see you soon, when the world has calmed itself down a bit and my hands have skin again.

Much love and good health,

Lilly Driscoll x