I have made an important discovery. I get more accomplished during the day if I avoid the game sites. ;-)
This is why I had my Day 22 poem finished and posted before noon, so I treated myself to a couple of hours on AW where I hung around the blogging thread and the poetry thread (mostly). I critiqued a couple of poems, and one of my critiques actually said more than “I like this”. Then I threw out a challenge to my fellow blog lurkers to start commenting more on the blogs they read.
Of course this meant I had to put my money where my mouth is so I posted comments on five blogs I haven’t previously commented on. And you know what? It was pretty painless. I enjoy these blogs and there’s no shame in saying so.
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I have been reading the book Letters To A Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke and I’m finding it very insightful, and not just because I’ve been writing so much poetry lately.
For instance, the poet writing to Rilke asks whether his verses are good, he’s unsure about whether or not he was meant to be a poet. Rilke answers:
“Go into yourself. Search for the reason that bids you write; find out whether it is spreading out its roots in deepest places of your heart, acknowledge to yourself whether you would have to die if it were denied you to write. This above all – ask yourself in the stillest hour of the night: must I write? Delve into yourself for a deep answer. And if this should affirmative, if you may meet this earnest question with a strong and simple “I must,” then build your life according to this necessity . . .”
I agree that you have to look inside yourself to discover whether you were meant to be a writer, and this applies to any kind of writing. If you write because you think you’ll make a lot of money or you think it’ll impress other people, you’re writing for the wrong reasons.
Which is basically what Rilke told the young poet.
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Don’t know how much writing I’ll be getting done today, other than my poem. I have to drive to the city to sign my life away so the government of Canada will send me to school. This is a fairly new program called Second Career, for people who have been laid off work, where the government pays your tuition and expenses while you upgrade or learn new skills in order to find a new job.
The good news is that I get to go back to school. The bad news is my course starts May 4th. By May 5th I’ll probably be kicking myself for wasting so much time playing games instead of writing while I was just unemployed. ;-)
3 comments:
I first heard a paraphrase of the advice you quoted in the movie "Sister Act", of all places (years ago). And it really struck me then how apt it was, I still think of it now when I question whether I should continue to write or not.
And that is way cool that the government will actually send you to school to learn a "second career". There's nothing like that down here, we can apply for grants, but it's still a huge expense to go back to school. Congratulations!
Oh, there's no question but you should continue to write, Jamie. I have to know what happens with Lana!
Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I really think it makes us all enjoying blogging more if someone at least leaves a comment so you know people are reading.
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