On Inspiration

My family and I have been on our holidays, and as usual, I’ve been busy at home with work, household chores, and of course lots of play, which hasn’t left a lot of time for blog writing (although I have been busying writing poems and a short story in the dead of the night….!).

Holidays away from home with little children can be stressful… (And incidentally, a poem of mine called ‘We Don’t Travel Light’ on that theme recently appeared in the second edition of the great magazine Parent Tribe which you can read here.) Because the same mothering work goes on in holidays – listening, entertaining, being a diplomat in sibling disagreements, cleaning bottoms, washing clothes, cooking etc. – holidays away from the familiar surroundings aren’t exactly restful, but the change in location can be enough to give a person’s mind a well-needed break, and allow it to become open to new experiences, environments, and places. Previously, I have found holidays away from home to be rich with inspiration for writing, so while we took our short breaks this year, playing on the beach, buying ice creams and seeing old buildings, I was conscious of ‘storing things up for later’.

Sometimes I get impatient, and wonder when (or if) a spark of a story or poem will come from our time away, and then I have to discipline myself to think ‘hang on, don’t be so impatient!’ and that normally reminds me to slow for the moment, and simply enjoy the very process of being present in that moment.

Beach shot with poem
Beach shot with part of poem ‘The Ballad of the Beach’: I walked along a golden beach/Awash with stones and shells, by Marija Smits

 

So we ran around on the beach, scribbled words in the sand, (a part of my poem ‘The Ballad of the Beach’ of course!), my daughter dug a very big hole and sat herself in it (great fun!) and of course we beachcombed, clambered over rocks to search for treasure in rock pools and actually did some swimming too…

Later, (days, maybe weeks, I can’t remember now!) the words came and I began to jot down some of the ideas that had formed in my mind.

I am really looking forward to getting more of my words down on paper (or in a Word document) but I’m conscious too that the school holidays are flying past, and I simply want to slow and enjoy being with my family, because all too soon, autumn will be here…

2 thoughts on “On Inspiration”

  1. It is lovely to come upon words written in sand. Little treasures left to the sea, the wind, the water, or for you or for me. I cherish the unexpected finds–the forgotten note tucked into a library book, words someone has left written on stones at a beach ( peace and love and balance), or a tiny scrap of fabric tied carefully to a tree branch–magical beauty. Always makes me feel more human when I find these type of treasures. peace, nicki

    1. I agree, it is lovely to come upon words written in sand… or those other little treasures that one sometimes finds (I particularly like the library book/secondhand book notes!). There’s always a story behind that type of treasure – and it always fascinates me. Glad you could stop by for a read, much appreciated Nicki 🙂

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