I am one of the lucky ones who has secured a spot in Emily XYZ’s 6-part workshop series starting this Tuesday. To say that I am looking forward to it is somewhat of an understatement…
Prior to the workshop, all participants have been given a few questions to ponder, one of which I would love to have many of you respond to, as I feel it is a question all artists need to consider (regularly).
That question is, ‘What am I trying to do as a poet?’
In posing this question Emily is quick to point out that this is not asking why we write, but asking us as poets to consider the idea of purpose.
Here’s what I have come up with so far…
1. To be authentic
2. To tell the truth (or at least my version of it – an imaginative truth I guess you could say)
3. To capture a sense of place and bring it to a wider geographical audience
4. To explore the natural world and the parallels within my own life and the lives of others
5. To stand up for poetry; to keep putting it out there in front of a new audience
6. To be an active agent in the development of a poetry community on a local, national and global level
As I said, I would love for as many people as possible to respond to this question, as the process of sharing is essential to our development. Looking forward to the discussion…
