Recently I read the book “Everyday matters” by Danny Gregory.
And it really moved me
It’s about sketching
It’s about coping with an accident that his wife had and how it changed their whole life
But mostly for me it’s about learning to see how the things around us really are
instead of assuming they’re like this and that
It’s about looking closely
about letting the everyday surprise you
about taking off the glasses of generalization and putting away stamps or stencils
Danny says that sometimes people draw badly because they draw symbols instead of what they see.
And when I read this I thought if we’re not careful it can happen in our poems as well
It can happen that we feel or see something and instead of looking or listening closely we take a pattern that comes close – or we write about it in a way someone else has written about it
But somehow – the poem feels pale?
Have you experienced this?
I have – and it’s a struggle sometimes to find out how something feels for me or how it really looks like?
Or how I want it to look like?
Sometimes it takes courage as well – sometimes I just can’t find the words – but I really wanna keep trying…
So for today it doesn’t really matter what you write about
Just take time to look at it before you start writing
Look closely
How does it look exactly?
How does it make you feel?
What would be good words to describe it? New words to describe it?
Try to look at it with fresh eyes
As if you saw it for the first time
Have a go?
Looking forward to see a glimpse of your world through your eyes!
Have fun writing!!
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dVerse 
hey I am all about the details…I love to bring a scene to life…and I like my symbols too…but you can work some pretty rich descriptions and let the reader make of it what they will as well….be back after class to read….
nice… i like if there’s some space for the reader as well to fill in the blanks.. have fun in your class… smiles
smiles… the pub is open and i’m around to read whatever you bring to the table…
happy thursday!!
I had an art teacher in high school who told us not to draw what we knew was there, but only what we actually saw. We all know the chair has four legs of the same length, but is that what you see from where you are sitting? It really makes one stop and attend to surroundings. And I can see how this is necessary in writing too! Thanks Claudia. Now to go and do it!
that is just such a good example… yeah… we assume too much and don’t take the time to study things often…
Claudia, I really enjoyed reading this prompt. I needed the nudge to really look at things – I too often skim. The poems I’ve read so far are masterpieces and you are in part responsible for their birth… that must feel great! Now though, I’m a little intimidated but want to try any way — later, I hope.
oh i hope you’re gonna try… don’t feel intimidated… i think there’s so much beauty in each and every point of view….and we all see things different – and that makes it so exciting…
Thank you, Claudia, for a prompt that involves looking – in so many different ways – and writing. Because of the art class I am taking, I seem to have done more looking than usual recently.
smiles… and i saw that danny is one of the teachers in your art class as well… just awesome…
Yes. He taught the first week.
…and loved your sketch…
Thank you. I drew and painted it this morning.
Claudia, I like this prompt very much and am still thinking about it & hope to come up with an idea. I do think sometimes we do a lot of generalizing instead of getting specific. I sometimes think we look at the way something was expressed before and use the same words in a different way. It is hard sometimes to look,really look, to come up with the way WE see something. I think this happens more after a person writes poetry for a while. It is hard to find a FRESH way of expressing.
I think sometimes we do this when we read other people’s poetry as well. We sometimes read in the poem what we see on the surface rather than looking at the details as the poet himself/herself has written them.
Paying attention to what we really see & writing it (or painting it?) and paying attention to what people really say or what people really paint (with words or paints) is something many of us can do better.
I hope to be back. Meanwhile, very thought-provoking!
looking forward to read what you’re coming up with mary… and i agree… we often could do better if we looked and also heard and read more careful… i’m guilty of not paying attention way too often…
Wow, the art of looking coupled with the perceptions, is akin to good listening; opening up vs. closing down, arms open not folded, heart receptive not iced over. This is such a significant prompt that a 1000 ideas bubble up immediately, snap judgements, first impressions, scotomas, overly focusing on here say, socialization, learned diatribes, forbidden imagery, mono-vision, blinders, predispositions; the examples are endless. Really enjoyed slowing down the filters & using the mental Macro on the world for a few moments; thanks.
mental macro.. love this…
a bit like honestly declaring what you see…. that gets some in trouble, and makes others famous.
so very true… and you never know in advance how it turns out…
nothing like the comfort zone to be comfy 🙂
Rode my bike to work today, it was 34 f
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Claudia, Thanks for tending bar today. I didn’t really have time to write a poem this afternoon, but I just loved this prompt. It is the kind of challenge I have a hard time passing up. I’m not sure I succeeded in the task you set before us, but I had to give it a try. Peace, Linda
smiles… you took the vice versa angle a bit… it’s so good he really sees us – right?
As i dance my 31st week tonight at my Metro Rave Dance Club.. invariably someone will come up to me and ask me to teach them my moves and i say.. haha.. i know not what i do.. i do not move dance.. dance moves me.. and if i say it like that they say WTF..so i tell them.. FTW.. poetry wRites.. me.. i do not wRite poetry.. and what i think about the free flow of poetry from the soul.. is that soul.. wrRites Dance and Poetry and all the free flow of Creative Arts.. and perhaps.. that comes when one is 3.. 30.. or 83.. but perhaps when it does.. come.. it may be evidence of the evolution of soul.. in just one lifetime.. perhaps.. smiles.. and today is epic poetry only meant for chunks that are not too big to swallow in one sitting..;) @137.. 1690.. or 1909 with photos in tow.. or just this..;) comment.. if those are too much..in it.. it is my soul singing.. and IT controls me..!
smiles… dance on… it’s cool to be moved by dance and not the other way round… think it teaches us some good lessons about ourselves as well
alright – bedtime for me over here – will check back in in the morning… good nite…
Good night, Claudia.
good night c….get some rest…smiles.
Life is about the details, I love this dear Claudia . O
smiles… good to see you ayala..
This was a very interesting prompt, real, and hard to get right!
good morning… on my way over to read… smiles
enjoyed your poem hamish… wasn’t able to comment on your blog unfortunately…the soul of a river.. think it always mirrors a bit of the land it’s flowing through… and the people on their banks…
that was a nice morning read… thanks for your interesting responses… off to work and will be back in the evening to see if there are more poems to read… have a nice day all….
We often see what we expect to see rather than what is or what might be.
An excellent post Claudia. Of all the senses, feeling is how I perceive this world. How things look has always been superficial for me and merely the wrapping or the sheep’s clothing. The only thing I really look into for information, is the eyes as they say so much.
the eyes do tell you much….I study people and things…for people it is behavior, motivations behind those behaviors…
Yes. I’ve studied people and worked with them for years as a psychologist and with Child Protection.
nice….counseling, here…and a teacher now….have worked with CPS quite often…
I also was one of those kids. However, I got out and got a life! Perception is vital.
me too. smiles.
🙂 Léa
Reblogged this on poetry, photos and musings oh my! and commented:
An excellent post Claudia. I shall put the book on my list. Thank you!
it is a good book – it’s very honest…
What a fabulous post! I just found you via Lea and will definitely be following. Your words today are exactly what I have been reflecting on lately. Thank you! I still consider myself a beginner having only been writing poetry for three years. x
we are all beginners…on some level….glad you popped in….hope to see you around.
nice to meet you…and yeah… we’re all beginners… that’s the beauty about writing as well…
I’ve written what our everyday life has become…quite a mess and strangely enough that’s nothing to the world…a great prompt Claudia…
when i think how the world develops and what’s happening in different parts of the world i’m really getting worried… just think of all the people that have to flee from their land cause it’s no longer safe…
I like this prompt. I’ve always been drawn more to literal or observational poems than vague or metaphorical. Not that there is anything wrong with any type of poem. It’s that I enjoy real-life, plain language the most.
I have always been drawn to the same kind of poems, Justin. Exactly! I don’t really like to spend a lot of time figuring out obscurity. Smiles.
nice.. i haven’t made up my mind yet what kind of poems i like most… i def. love poems that tell a story – and i love a good metaphor as well – i like poems much that are grounded in reality but then start to fly a bit….smiles
Well my poem is grounded in reality but not sure I got the point across about how we have so many fences to hurdle, go around, or open before we can move on..but life goes on …thanks, Claudia
def. life goes on… and the more fences we manage to hurdle or open, the better…
Thank you Claudia for a wonderful prompt…”Happy Halloween” everyone. 🙂
Thanks, Claudia. This really made me think and look in a different way.
Mine is up at: http://purplepeninportland.wordpress.com/2014/11/01/army-photograph-of-dad/