Poetry Challenge - Week Thirty-Nine
Poetry Challenge - Week Forty

Out of My Head

IP - Make 1

IP - Make 2

IP - Make 3

For most of this year I've been smitten with the poetry bug. Writing it, reading it, talking it.  Dipping my toe into the beautiful world of spoken word and open mics. Having my first feature as a spoken word artist. Entering competitions and submitting to journals. It's been amazing and incredible and hectic and challenging and rewarding. All the things, all the time.

Meanwhile, my body's been telling me I'm run down and need a break. Like all good artists, I ignored it until I couldn't any more. Some time last week I reached saturation point. To be honest, it's been coming for a while. For the last couple of months, I've felt stressed and tense. I longed for a break from the routine. I went to Bali which was wonderful but when I came home I was still carrying stress around with me.

IP - Make 4

IP - Make 5

IP - Make 6

What I needed to do was get out of my head and into my body. Use my hands to create something I needed. Take some time out to follow my curiosity. Give myself a day off to do whatever I felt like, even if it wasn't achieving anything on my 'to do' list. Especially if it wasn't achieving anything on my 'to do' list.

So this weekend I did just that. Sat in the sun and read a book. Ate yummy food. Made a mess of my study then tidied it up again. Played lots of games with my girls (Citadels Deluxe, Seven Wonders and Coup if you're wondering). Made a little notebook with an eco-dyed cover. Sawed a tree branch into little counters to turn into runes. Fixed a journal for my girl. Got lost on the internet looking at growth mindset posters.

It was so good, I want more. More of that relaxed feeling of flow. Less of the feeling of obligation and woe. (When you work for yourself, from home, it's so very easy to fall into the trap of always working and never switching off). I want to be more nurturing with gentle, nourishing acts of kindness towards myself and those I love.

Maybe I could make a day off a week a regular thing. What do you reckon? 

 

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