Hello, my dear kindreds,
How are you doing?
When I was younger, Mars bars were advertised with the slogan ‘A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play’.
The adverts showed working people getting through the day with the milk chocolate sugar and glucose of the famous chocolate bar. Looking back now from our health-conscious times, it seems a ludicrous claim, yet we believed it and the slogan repeated over several years, stuck in my psyche. Sidenote: The phrase actually came from labour activist Robert Owens, who campaigned for an 8-hour working day (8 to work, 8 to play, 8 to rest) at a time the people were working 12 to 16-hour days!
I’ve been self-employed for over 20 years and still struggle with knowing when to stop. What should ‘work’ ideally look like? I tend to think that unless I’m sitting in front of a computer it’s play, but reading, performing, learning that’s all work too. Hard work and not being lazy are values I’ve grown up with, but this can often tip over to perfectionism. I’m still learning to work from rest rather than the other way round.
So what have I been doing?
The last few weeks of March were really busy poetry-wise. I shared a poem at the Good Friday service in Peckham Square which is always an honour. As I came to write this I initially thought - ‘I haven’t ‘done’ anything’. Yet I have rested. I took a week off to do house admin and went to Devon to see a friend and switch off. We walked ate and vegetated it was bliss.
The creativity and ideas bubbled up again after I thought they were dead. Oh, me of little faith!
It’s been a season of refocusing and re-assessing what I’m doing and why and making sure it aligns with what I feel God has called me to do. I’ve been having some coaching from the amazing Peju the Spark, an accomplished poet and speaker. Her probing questions and insights have been a real blessing and re-focused me on my ‘why’.
I’ve been getting poetic inspiration by listening to Poetry Unbound - a beautiful way to listen to poetry and hear it reflected on in the gentle Irish tones of Pádraig Ó Tuama. It’s a podcast but I bought the audiobook which features 50 of the best episodes. Pádraig’s reflection on the poem ‘Wonder Woman’ by Ada Limón resonated with me, especially the references to the things people say to people about chronic illness.
Local paper feature
I’m very blessed to live in an area teeming with artists, writers, festivals and events. We have two high-quality free local papers dedicated to highlighting the work of artists and creative community in the local area. They have great names too, ‘The Dulwich Diverter’ and ‘The Peckham Peculiar’. I was asked to share my creative journey, and it’s been featured in both! It’s a real honour, and I am really pleased and I think they captured me well. I have a lot more thoughts but will share them another time.
What’s next
I will be at the next Katakata open mic on 2nd May
Reviewing my next project a devotional. I’ve announced it to the world now, so I’d better get on with it!
Finding out more about using AI in the publishing process
Well that’s it for now. Thanks for reading, I really appreciate your time and support.
If you would like to support me further, you can:
like and share this page
give feedback, comment, or
just say hello :)
It all helps me keep going.
Till next time!
I am wildly jealous of your area having two papers celebrating creativity! I, too, struggle with rest v work as someone who is also self employed and has chronic illness
I am wildly jealous of your area having two papers celebrating creativity! I, too, struggle with rest v work as someone who is also self employed and has chronic illness