Inspiration. That's what's funny. Having recently joined in with various Blog sites which provide prompts for aspiring poets, I've realised the jinksy "I" is beginning to feel a tad stifled. This is a bit of a conundrum. To start with, I thought prompts would serve to nudge me into writing more - which I suppose in one way, they have, and are to be applauded.
But in another, I'm beginning to feel the constraints on the jinksy imagination, which is used to roaming freely where it will. Do you think this is simply down to my being an ornery, born awkward critter, or does it go deeper than that? Am I contemplating my navel too much? (On which subject pop over HERE if you have a moment.)
For instance, today I feel like this doodle which I made a while ago, and which seemed to call to me this morning.
Bubbles float skywards,
ephemeral spheres bearing
a glowing rainbow
circumscribed around each shell
of living, dying beauty.
Sometimes I need adjectives to float my boat.
You are original Jinksy, you don't fall back on meme's and awards to pad out your blog, that easy option is not for you (thank God). It makes reading it a delight, but is also far more challenging for you to write - and a prompt may well have it's place now and then, it certainly doesn't dilute what you write. But do you need to utilise a prompt, if you don't feel the need for it? Of course not, only the ones which inspire you need to be taken up! I love your poetic interpretation of the doodle - with it, I rest my case..
ReplyDeleteI'm all for writing what I want when I want, but to each his or her own.
ReplyDeleteNever thought of joyful bubbles as being so complicated. They have a sad side too, disappearing so quickly. They do represent well a living/dying beauty.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic doodle.
ReplyDeleteThey work for some. I find any prompt irritating, actually. I want to roam free, write when I want, about what I want. If I have no inspiration, so be it. Prompts feel like homework, exercises in schoolbooks.
ReplyDeleteDear Jinksy,
ReplyDeleteI love your posts, as you know - so follow your heart, follow your view, look with your own eyes - what you do all the time, and if something inspires you: good, but if you feel stiffled: leave them. I'm utterly convinced that deep down you know the answer - one always does (though one doesn't always listen - or one argues with oneself: then take your time - or one tries to put cotton into ones ears) YOU should feel glad with the creative progress. We will follow.
I think you should go with your flow. I would find blogging tedious if I felt I had to keep up with clever, witty posts and suchlike all the time. Don't we blog just to witter on and get creative things out of our heads? Or maybe that's just me.
ReplyDeleteA few weeks ago I started to look at prompts too and I have since made several contributions to the Magpie Site, as you know. It is difficult to find interesting post material several times a week after a year or more, a prompt might stimulate ideas, I thought. There are a lot of them about, from alphabetical ones to colours, photos, poetry, prose, etc. Some contributors are interesting, others are not.
ReplyDeletePrompts help, I find, but they are also a bit of a bind. Blogging is meant to be fun, stick with what you like and do best.
For me, slightly fewer posts might be the answer.
I so agree with what many before have said, it's hard to know what to add. I love the doodle, and, generally, I enjoy very much seeing where things take you. So I, too, would say, go with what suits you to write or draw. (On our blog, we have the subtitle "We Write As We Please," after all, so take it from that that I mean this sincerely!)
ReplyDeleteYou can always do what I do...take your poem and pretend it fits the prompt. Nobody is rude enough to say they don't think it fits! Heheheheh!
ReplyDeleteThe doodle is cute. If prompts restrict your imagination then I think you shouldn't go for it. :)
ReplyDeleteOh you brilliant woman, you don't need advice from your fellow bloggers. You've just been putting your thoughts onto... uhm... screen. Or am I wrong? ;-)
ReplyDeleteIn that case... perhaps your 'sense of duty' restricts you. That's what bothered me when I joined memes. I felt I had to enter a post every week and visit all others. Took me ages. A bit numbing too I thought. So no more memes for me for now :-)
A woman of your varied talents does not a prompt require, continue to be the Jinsky self that we so much admire.
ReplyDeleteI heard a 'ping' - was not annoyed -
ReplyDeletefor 'twas email from Gerry Boyd.
It made me snort, which was not pretty -
but thank you G for your little ditty!
I feel constrained sometimes, too, like you have to do the prompts and them my rebelliousness kicks in. blowing bubbles is fun.
ReplyDelete