I read a newsletter on line by an artist Robert Genn. http://clicks.robertgenn.com/studio-rituals.php todays newsletter. He has many offering to artists of many talents and today, he asked of our rituals as artists. I actually, wrote him an email describing a bit of my morning ritual to get here and lay a poem down.
This is what I said… you can skip this if you want (go directly to poem below), or read it and share with me your ritual.
I do write every morning. I shift the ritual around just a bit to stir me up, and not fall into a habit that becomes ridiculously boring, and obscenely predictable.
The demand of my pets to feed them wins, followed by making coffee. I let the dog out. Some mornings with the door wide open, I yell out to the neighborhood, “I’m Alive”. If I need to, I yell it out again with a little more fervor least I forgot. I took the idea from Rabbi Joseph Gelberman, who did this every morning till his death at 98, in 2012. Honestly, it makes me giggle every time I do it, and I wonder why I don’t do it everyday, and maybe through out the day.
Then… I sit down to write. I’m a poet, I blog my ‘free fall’ poem nearly every day. (blog is posted below). I let the morning give me my prompt most of the time, sitting in the same chair, facing southeast, noticing the day rising, and what business is happening with nature and the neighbors. I’m not nearly as nosey as this sounds. Well, maybe a little, I am after all, an artist. I may find inspiration in my dreams, or a conversation I had the day before. I let what wants to be written rise up.
When nothing really rises up for me with a tap tap of words falling outta me, I resort to various other things to tickle me into some poetry. I have a little book which I write ‘found language’. What that is (now I’m being really nosey) is, me listening in on conversations that are happening around me in public places, and ‘stealing’ someones sentence that I deem worthy of putting in my little journal. I take that little sentence and work some inspiration around that into a poem, or two.
Lately, I have a woman that is in my creativity coaching class, (another thing I’m doing) send me one word in the morning via texting. I very much liking this. I was resistant to this texting thing. and now find that it is a great way to deliver a prompt to a client or receive one.
I did steal a line from his letter, I will use it as my inspirational prompt today. Thanks Bob…
“…spending a steady day trying to make the cup froth over.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A double ‘Cap’, short, 2%, not ‘too wet’
That’s how I like mine with the
seductive froth in that swirl of a
heart I imagine expanding mine.
I give a lick to this heart to feel
the expanse and let the heat
of the mix fill my mouth.
That expresso race to the
pump pump acceleration
pushing the git it going
pulse through my body.
I ready my day to get
the steady going rhythm
of filling and spilling
filling and spilling
what calls me to life
Froths me up in the
churn of Creation’s
call to the daily quest
of a grail found, full,
an ever flowing froth
of this groove I’m in
in the Cappuccino of life
