Create Art Podcast

Welcome to the show Hi there friend, this is Timothy Kimo Brien, your head instigator for Create Art Podcast where I take my 20-plus years of experience in the arts and education world and help you tame your inner critic and create more than you consume. Inspiring Topic for Todays Show Have you ever been out in public or sitting at home watching the television and suddenly inspiration strikes? You look to your left; you look to your right and there is nothing to document your idea and poof it goes away. Frustrating, isn’t it? You know it was a great idea and there is no way to bring that moment back, but what if you could be prepared for these moments of brilliance and be able to write them down or capture them, that would be great. Today we will make sure you have the tools you need for when inspiration hits and you don't lose out on a great idea. Inspiration Definition Merriam Webster's definition of inspiration. 1: an inspiring agent or influence 2a: the quality or state of being inspired b: something that is inspired by a scheme that was pure inspiration 3: the act of drawing in specifically: the drawing of air into the lungs 4a: a divine influence or action on a person believed to qualify him or her to receive and communicate sacred revelation b: the action or power of moving the intellect or emotions c: the act of influencing or suggesting opinions Special Announcement Hi, friends. Before I get to the episode, I want to take a moment to address the June 24th Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe versus Wade. This decision stripped away the legal right to have a safe and legal abortion. Restricting access to comprehensive reproductive care, including abortion, threatens the health and independence of all Americans. This decision could also lead to the loss of other rights. To learn more about what you can do to help, go to podvoices dot help. I encourage you to speak up, take care, and spread the word. Reach Out to Be Inspired To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @kimo72

KDOI Rebroadcast Have you wondered how to get your book published? Did you know there are multiple ways to publish your work? In this conversation with Dawn Brotherton we discuss vanity/self-publishing, hybrid publishing, and traditional publishing avenues for you to get your work in the hands of your audience. This interview was part of my previous podcast KDOI (Kimo's Den of iniquity) during the final season where I talked with other artists about terms that the art world uses and got explanations of what we mean. I wanted to make sure you had these old recordings available and provide you with their insights. Links to Dawn Brotherton and Blue Dragon Dawn Brotherton Home Page Blue Dragon Publishing Reaching Out To The Podcast To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Special Request If you received some new insight or idea from this episode please share it with a friend that may have the same issues. Also, let me know what would make this episode a 5-star episode in your opinion. I want to make the content something that you find value in and would pass along to others. When we share resources like this we all win, we all get our work out to our audiences and create networks that will stand the test of time. One last thing I want to leave you with is an important issue for many of the listeners of this podcast and that is individual liberty. While Americans overwhelmingly support the right of an individual to make their own decisions about abortion, unfortunately, that right is no longer protected everywhere in the U.S. The Supreme Court overturned Roe versus Wade on June 24th. Abortion is a basic healthcare need for the millions of people who can become pregnant. Everyone should have the freedom to decide what’s best for themselves and their families, including when it comes to ending a pregnancy. This decision has dire consequences for individual health and safety and could have harsh repercussions for other landmark decisions. Restricting access to comprehensive reproductive care, including abortion, threatens the health and independence of all Americans. Even if you live in a state where abortion rights are upheld, access to safe medical procedures shouldn’t be determined by location, and it shouldn't be the privilege of a small few. You can help by donating to local abortion funds. To find out where to donate for each state, visit donations 4 abortion dot com. That’s the number 4. If you or someone you know needs help, or if you want to get more involved, here are 5 resources. One. Shout Your Abortion is a campaign to normalize abortion. Two. Don’t Ban Equality is a campaign for companies to take a stand against abortion restrictions. Three. Abortion dot cafe has information about where to find clinics. Four. PlanCPillS.org provides early at-home abortion pills that you can keep in your medicine cabinet. And five. Choice.crd.co has a collection of these resources and more.

Special Message Before I get to the episode, we/I want to take a moment to address the June 24th Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe versus Wade. This decision stripped away the legal right to have a safe and legal abortion. Restricting access to comprehensive reproductive care, including abortion, threatens the health and independence of all Americans. This decision could also lead to the loss of other rights. To learn more about what you can do to help, go to podvoices.help I encourage you to speak up, take care, and spread the word. Are you stealing or being influenced? Have you been bothered in your artistic journey by thinking you might be stealing work that influenced you so you don’t create that work? Are you afraid others will think you stole someone else's work? Much of these thoughts are brought about by imposter syndrome. Yes, I have talked about imposter syndrome and how to overcome its debilitating effects. But how can you ensure that no one can question your intent for the work you are creating. Today I am going to talk with you about how you can ensure that you are being influenced vs stealing ideas from others. I think it's best to step back from that line and ask yourself some questions like what is your motivation, would your work have existed if you had not experienced the original piece, and how much of myself have I really put into the work. If you cannot definitively answer these questions, don’t sell the work or present it to the public, you may be causing yourself more trouble than it's worth Articles on Stealing Vs Influence College of Art and Technology Great Artists Steal by Jim Connelly Inspiration Vs Imitation: How To Copy As An Artist Reach Out to Be Influenced To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @kimo72

What Does Empathy Mean To You? Empathy is not the newest X-Man or super mutant power. Empathy is essential to be able to reproduce what you see or experience for your audience in order for them to comprehend what you are creating. Also, you need this skill in order to work more effectively with others when working on projects. When you can convert the feelings that you have to an audience or with your project partners, you have mastered empathy. Today I will talk with my good friend Heather Moon about how she uses empathy not only in her art but in her holistic practice of massage. This is a rebroadcast of my old show and I wanted to make sure you were able to hear this conversation. Definitions and Quotes on Empathy Merriam-Webster: the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner the imaginative projection of a subjective state into an object so that the object appears to be infused with it Harper Lee: You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it. Ernest Hemingway: When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen Aristotle: To perceive is to suffer Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

Do You hang Your Projects on Your Fridge? Do you remember when you were a kid and maybe your parents put your drawings or school art on the fridge? How awesome did you feel when that happened. Now look around your home, where is your artwork? Why aren’t you putting your art around your house? Do you think that perhaps your stuff is no good, or are you suffering from imposter syndrome? Well, there is probably a reason for that, you are being too critical about your work, and maybe that is stopping you from enhancing your living space and creating art for yourself. Today I am going to help you connect with that inner child whose artwork was displayed lovingly on the fridge in a place of prominence in your house. Points Discussed Be proud of your work, you are your first fan Just Do It Practice work Connect with others Links To Creative Articles Mentioned Why are Kids More Creative Than Adults? 13 surefire ways to tap into your creativity Reach Out to Find Your Creative Child To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @kimo72

What does Inspiration Mean To You? Have you ever really thought about what inspiration is and how to harness it? This is a rebroadcast from my old podcast during its final season where I talked about terms in the art world and had a conversation with friends. This episode deals with inspiration and how we define it and harness it in our practice. Derwin is a dear friend and mentors to me and his ideas about inspiration are well, inspiring. Inspiring Definitions and Quotes Merriam-Webster: an inspiring agent or influence2a: the quality or state of being inspired b: something that is inspired a scheme that was pure inspiration3: the act of drawing in specifically: the drawing of air into the lungs4a: a divine influence or action on a person believed to qualify him or her to receive and communicate sacred revelation b: the action or power of moving the intellect or emotions c: the act of influencing or suggesting opinions Vik Munez: The really magical things are the ones that happen right in front of you. A lot of the time you keep looking for beauty, but it is already there. And if you look with a bit more intention, you see it. his website is here Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

Who is Telling your Story Who is your hype person, who is telling your story to your audience? When you are not physically next to your artwork and able to answer questions posed by those who enjoy it how can you speak for the work? Today I am talking about telling your story and who better to tell your story than you. When you go to an art gallery that specializes in work from previous centuries and read the little cards that describe the piece, do you wonder how they got that information? Some of it is combed from the artists' writings or biographers, hopefully, but usually it is by an art historian compiling information from sources that may or may not be primary sources. That is a huge gamble that I don’t want to leave to anyone who barely passed art history or relies on Google or Wikipedia searches. Another reason why I think it is important to have the last word on your work is that tastes change. What is stylish now, attitudes that are accepted now are not necessarily going to be accepted in the future. One last point I’d like to make is that telling your story is an artform all itself. Not a lot of people can do themselves justice when telling their audience about how they came about creating their work. Articles on Telling Your Story Artist Statement Guidelines 10 Ways to Share Your Artist Story Ways to Reach out to me and tell your story To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

Letting Your Audience Feel Your Art This episode is a rebroadcast from my old show KDOI Podcasting where I took a topic and had conversations with artists from varying disciplines. In my talk with Monsell Carty, we discussed empathy, what it is, and how he uses it in his stand-up comedy art. Empathy Definitions and Quotes Merriam Webster the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner also: the capacity for this action of understanding being aware of and being sensitive to. the imaginative projection of a subjective state into an object so that the object appears to be infused with it Harper Lee: You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it. Ernest Hemingway: When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen Aristotle: To perceive is to suffer Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espesso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 30th Poetry Prompt And now – our final (but still optional!) prompt. Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a cento. This is a poem that is made up of lines taken from other poems. If you’d like to dig into an in-depth example, here’s John Ashbery’s cento “The Dong with the Luminous Nose,” and here it is again, fully annotated to show where every line originated. A cento might seem like a complex undertaking – and one that requires you to have umpteen poetry books at your fingertips for reference – but you don’t have to write a long one. And a good way to jump-start the process is to find an online curation of poems about a particular topic (or in a particular style), and then mine the poems for good lines to string together. You might look at the Poetry Foundation’s collection of love poems, or its collection of poems by British romantic poets, or even its surprisingly expansive collection of poems about (American) football. April 30th Poem Not My Words 30 April 2022 1 Everybody knows that the boat is leaking Everybody knows that the captain lied Everybody got this broken feeling Like their father or their dog just died Everybody talking to their pockets Everybody wants a box of chocolates And a long stem rose 2 Those who have crossed With direct eyes, to death's other Kingdom Remember us-if at all-not as lost Violent souls, but only As the hollow men The stuffed men. 3 Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay, 2 Eyes I dare not meet in dreams In death's dream kingdom These do not appear: There, the eyes are Sunlight on a broken column There, is a tree swinging And voices are In the wind's singing More distant and more solemn Than a fading star. 1 And everybody knows that the Plague is coming Everybody knows that it's moving fast Everybody knows that the naked man and woman Are just a shining artifact of the past 2 Is it like this In death's other kingdom Waking alone At the hour when we are Trembling with tenderness Lips that would kiss Form prayers to broken stone. 3 though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words had forked no lightning 2 In this last of meeting places We grope together And avoid speech Gathered on this beach of the tumid river Sightless, unless The eyes reappear As the perpetual star Multifoliate rose 1 And everybody knows that it's now or never Everybody knows that it's me or you And everybody knows that you live forever Ah, when you've done a line or two 3 Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight, And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way, 2 Between the desire And the spasm Between the potency And the existence Between the essence And the descent Falls the Shadow 1 And everybody knows that you're in trouble Everybody knows what you've been through From the bloody cross on top of Calvary To the beach of Malibu 3 And you, my father, there on the sad height, Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espesso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 29th Poetry Prompt And here’s our prompt (optional, as always). In certain versions of the classic fairytale Sleeping Beauty, various fairies or witches are invited to a princess’s christening, and bring her gifts. One fairy/witch, however, is not invited, and in revenge for the insult, lays a curse on the princess. Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem in which you muse on the gifts you received at birth — whether they are actual presents, like a teddy bear, or talents – like a good singing voice – or circumstances – like a kind older brother, as well as a “curse” you’ve lived with (your grandmother’s insistence on giving you a new and completely creepy porcelain doll for every birthday, a bad singing voice, etc.). I hope you find this to be an inspiring avenue for poetic and self-exploration. April 29th Poem He Must be Born with It 29 April 2022 As I stand in the back of the room Fiending for another smoke I feel every emotion coming from the poets Some of them are younger than my socks Others share their experiences that I have no reference to Yet I come back week after week Like they say to do in the meetings Where we just share our first names I’ve always been able to empathize with most anyone So much so I take on their struggle Without being asked Or wanted Because I’ve felt since day 1 That I have to be the sacrificial lamb Fending for myself With parents who would rather drink Than take care of their children I stand outside, alone Flicking ashes to the ground Field stripping the butts And the young poets come up to me Asking how they did Asking if I heard their latest piece Quizzing me on their content Giving them the wisdom that has been bestowed on me Through years of searching And I pass along to them the torch Freshly lit with their energy and inquisitiveness Praying they have a better life than what I was given Knowing the predators that lurk just around the corner I try to protect them and provide them With an example of what I have done that works And what I have done that doesn’t This is all I can give the next generations The benefit of my experience It’s a precious gift that I wish I had been given Or that I would have been open enough to receive My spirit will be following up after I release these earthly bonds I expect to see A better world than what was left to me Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espesso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 28th Poetry Prompt Today’s (optional) prompt is to write a concrete poem. Like acrostic poems, concrete poems are a favorite for grade-school writing assignments, so this may not be your first time at the concrete-poem rodeo. In brief, a concrete poem is one in which the lines are shaped in a way that mimics the topic of the poem. For example, May Swenson’s poem “Women” mimics curves, reinforcing the poem’s references to motion, rocking horses, and even the shape of a woman’s body. George Starbuck’s “Sonnet in the Shape of a Potted Christmas Tree” is – you guessed it – a sonnet in the shape of a potted Christmas tree. Your concrete poem could be complexly-shaped, but relatively simple strategies can also be “concrete” — like a poem involving a staircase where the length of the lines grows or shrinks over time, like an ascending (or descending) set of stairs. April 28th Poem Mug of Life 28 April 2022 Before everyone wakes up to start their day You, my black pot of gold, spit and bubble and Steam you way into my ears, I can smell your Vapors as they waft from room to room and permeate Each and every room in our house, I love the bitter Feeling you give as you pour over my tongue washing Away the dryness of the night's restorative dreams The heft of a full mug of this elixir opens my eyes And provides me comfort when I get ready for life Sipping away mindlessly and feeling the energy fill me Warmth of the liquid makes me smile, my kids know Not to ask too much of me before I drain the First cup of watery bitter love in my mug, quiet Listening to the sounds of the birds and the rustle Of the rabbits in the backyard is how I start my day Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espesso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 27th Poetry Prompt Last but not least, here’s our (optional) prompt. Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a “duplex.” A “duplex” is a variation on the sonnet, developed by the poet Jericho Brown. Here’s one of his first “Duplex” poems, and here is a duplex written by the poet I.S. Jones. Like a typical sonnet, a duplex has fourteen lines. It’s organized into seven, two-line stanzas. The second line of the first stanza is echoed by (but not identical to) the first line of the second stanza, the second line of the second stanza is echoed by (but not identical to) the first line of the third stanza, and so on. The last line of the poem is the same as the first. April 27th Poem Filling The Craters 27 April 2022 Looking at all of the possessions I have acquired Which one of these will teach my daughters happiness Teaching my daughters happiness Is not an afterschool special Afterschool specials no longer teach kids how to read That’s the job of parents who are engaged Engaged parents were not the example I had Being taught what not to do is the plan laid out before me The plan of what not to do being laid out in front of me I find happiness in what my daughters teach me Finding happiness in the lessons of my daughters Their smiles are my goalposts Smiling children are the goal Looking at all the possessions I have acquired Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espesso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 26th Poetry Prompt And now for our daily prompt (optional, as always). A couple of days ago, we played around with hard-boiled similes. Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem that contains at least one of a different kind of simile – an epic simile. Also known as Homeric similes, these are basically extended similes that develop over multiple lines. Perhaps unsurprisingly, they have mainly been used in epic poems, typically as decorative elements that emphasize the dramatic nature of the subject (see, by way of illustration, this example from Milton’s Paradise Lost). But you could write a complete poem that is just one lengthy, epic simile, relying on the surprising comparison of unlike things to carry the poem across. And if you’re feeling especially cheeky, you could even write a poem in which the epic simile spends lines heroically and dramatically describing something that turns out to be quite prosaic. Whatever you decide to compare, I hope you have fun extending your simile(s) to epic lengths. April 26th Poem Lost Souls 26 April 2022 As rabbits dart from here to there The foxes know their movements The deer are stunned before they feel the bite of steel As the hunters reload for the kill shot If the prey could find a way to live in Zootopia Then the predators would be unemployed, powerless, their biggest fear Even size differences don’t equalize the outcomes This even the smallest carnivore knows the numbers game wins Very few animals hunt their young Almost none eat their progeny And those that do, we deem them animalistic Our sympathies are nowhere to be found There is no rehabilitation, no redemption for these beasts And if we can’t consume them, they are laid to waste Those who try to protect these species Are seen as bleeding hearts They are not taken seriously We minimize them And heaven forbid if their prey is tasty, or found to help our health For then we will domesticate and annihilate To the brink of extermination Only to pat ourselves on the back For saving them from our divine right Oh how we are so humane When dealing with those who act on their animalistic drives Those who let the beast out and dine on their young Do they not deserve the same disdain We reserve for the most barbaric of the animal kingdom Our religions tell us to forgive seventy times seven Especially when the predator divines the holy to their herds Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espesso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 25th Poetry Prompt Today’s (optional) prompt is based on the Aisling, a poetic form that developed in Ireland. An Aisling recounts a dream or vision featuring a woman who represents the land or country on/in which the poet lives, and who speaks to the poet about it. Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem that recounts a dream or vision, and in which, a woman appears who represents or reflects the area in which you live. Perhaps she will be the Madonna of the Traffic Lights or the Mysterious Spirit of Bus Stops. Or maybe you will be addressed by the Lost Lady of the Stony Coves. Whatever form your dream visitor takes, happy writing! April 25th Poem The Call of Victory 25 April 2022 dedicated to Winged Victory I was a wanderer for so many years Hearing a call from so far away I wanted to find the origin of the voice But in no state could I find it I moved from place to place I moved from person to person For so many years no one matched the voice in my head I often thought it was merely a dream One day it hit me The voice was not from America It came from some place older Some place that would take my heart So I climbed on the plane for Paris Not fully knowing what I would find My itinerary was not fully planned I saw the sights recommended And one day I went with another traveler She had an idea Walking into the Louve we tread lightly Viewing the great masters works on every wall It was there I heard the voice clearer than ever When I turned a corner and looked up There the voice was The stone could not contain her I dropped to my knees At the top of a staircase was the one I had been searching for Without arms Without a face Standing on a vessel Against the storms of the world She stood there I had completed the journey to find the voice And to find my ancestral home The ancients that came before And landed me in the residence I rented Had come full circle The journey was done And the temptation to never leave permeated But the voice changed that night When I slept in a rented bed The voice changed from someone unknown Someone mysterious To the voice of a friend And so that journey started on the very next day I headed back to the States And searched out the one who calls me love I took her to see the one I had spent so many decades searching for Only to see my ancient removed My heart sank through the floor And doom ensued But know I count the days until I can bring my children there To tell them the story of how I searched unknowingly For the voice in the stone That led me home To make a world for them Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espresso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The Green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 24th Poetry Prompt Today, I’d like to challenge you to channel your inner gumshoe, and write a poem in which you describe something with a hard-boiled simile. Feel free to use just one, or try to go for broke and stuff your poem with similes till it’s . . . as dense as bread baked by a plumber, as round as the eyes of a girl who wants you to think she’s never heard such language, and as easy to miss as a brass band in a cathedral. April 24th Poem The Donkey In Me 24 April 2022 20 times a day I seek the solitude of being an uncool kid Knowing what it is doing to my body Not caring for the smell it leaves behind Hiding my breath in mints and gum When my parents did it I hated it I didn’t want to give them a kiss Because of the stench And here I am Being as stupid as a jack ass Because I am too scared To lose my pacifier I find myself wishing for the past some days Misremembering that the old times were not the good times And making the same mistakes in life Thinking it will work this time But it just happens again and again and again Waiting for the time it changes I try to climb a mountain But I am not a billy goat My hooves weren’t made for these stones The one thing I know to do is push forward Even if the load is too much Looking at the carrot But not looking closely to see the rot Thinking the goal is what will bring happiness When I don’t know where to find the goal I am as stubborn as a mule And I thought that used to be a good quality But being unbending is not what the great ones taught us Bend but don't break were the words that should have guided me But my long hair filled ears Didn't catch what was actually said Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espesso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 23rd Poetry Prompt And now for our daily (optional) prompt. Today I’d like to challenge you to write a poem in the style of Kay Ryan, whose poems tend to be short and snappy – with a lot of rhyme and soundplay. They also have a deceptive simplicity about them, like proverbs or aphorisms. Once you’ve read a few, you’ll see what I mean. Here’s her “Token Loss,” “Blue China Doorknob,” “Houdini,” and “Crustacean Island.” April 23rd Poem Unwanted Solicitation 23 April 2022 When I pick up the phone I can tell by the tone That the person on the other end Is trying to be a friend But they want to sell me On some loan with a fee And I tell them That they are not welcome To call me again Opps I lost another potential friend When they knock on my door I find it a bore That the person outside Is stepping away from the door to hide Does your grass need Our special anti-weed It's safe for pets And will get rid of spider nets When I tell the fool I don’t need their liquid tool I like my spiders They are an excellent source of fiber They turn around and leave Giving me time to breathe Walking in the bulk store They walk up to me and implore That I need to get new windows And when I ask for a price, they blow Maybe you need a new deck And I say what the heck I give them the number To the plumber Whom I just met And made my floors wet Maybe they can be friends While I listen to music peacefully in my den Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espesso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 22nd Poetry Prompt And now for our prompt (optional, as always). In honor of today’s being the 22nd day of Na/GloPoWriMo 2022, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem that uses repetition. You can repeat a sound, a word, a phrase, or an image, or any combination of things. April 22nd Poem Modern Living Through Chemistry 22 April 2022 There’s a pill for everything that ails you There’s a pill for the side effects of the pill that was supposed to fix you There’s a pill for the aftermath of the surgery that was to realign your spine There’s a pill to help relax your mind There’s a pill to help you speak clearly There’s a pill to help you see keenly There’s a pill to keep you alive for a few more hours There’s a pill to take you out in less time There’s a pill that helps you digest all of your other pills There is a pill that makes you pee There’s a pill that helps your diarrhea There’s a pill that can help you not smell your farts There’s a pill that will help you deal with the cost of your pills There’s a pill that will make you more focused on the good in life There’s a pill that makes you think There’s a pill that helps you gain muscle There’s a pill that makes you write better poetry There’s a pill that makes you a potent lover There’s a pill that will stop those swimmers There’s a pill called the morning after There’s a pill that is bitter to take There’s a pill that is too big for your throat There’s a pill that tastes like cake There’s a pill for that And with all these pills Here I stand, again there's a pill for that too But I am left wondering when the pills will end What did we do before these pills ended up in our hands If this is the better life Or the result of living it too much You can take the pills Let nature take its course Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espesso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 21st Poetry Prompt Today’s (optional) prompt is one I got from the poet Betsy Sholl. This prompt asks you to write a poem in which you first recall someone you used to know closely but are no longer in touch with, then a job you used to have but no longer do, and then a piece of art that you saw once and that has stuck with you over time. Finally, close the poem with an unanswerable question. April 21st Poem Discarded Items 21 April 2022 You were just a year older than I when we first met And yet you seemed to have lived so much more than I We joined the military during the times of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell And when you left for boot camp, your girlfriend became mine You were drummed out of the Navy For showing your love for another man Initially I felt betrayed that you never told me I thought we were thick as thieves And then I met a man in uniform That poor girl didn’t have gay or bi-dar When I left the military We still kept in touch Me working third shift at Kinko’s And you bouncing around California I was working on my degree and myself You were working on your next conquest After a few moves and some barnacle cleaning I lost touch with you One day I was walking through the Louvre Not knowing what I really wanted to see And there at the top of a staircase was Winged Victory Armless Headless calming the sea I thought of you, my friend from long ago And wishing that you could have been there with me Just like you were with me during our first show Flying in scenery for Guys and Dolls One of the only musicals I can tolerate One of the many musicals you admire and know by heart I’ve tried to look you up with all this technology at our fingertips But to no avail Wondering if the algorithm has something against us Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espesso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 20th Poetry Prompt And now for today’s (optional) prompt. Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem that anthropomorphizes a kind of food. It could be a favorite food of yours, or maybe one you feel conflicted about. I feel conflicted about Black Forest Cake, for example. It always looks so pretty in a bakery window, and I want to like the combination of cherries and chocolate . . . but I don’t. But how does the cake feel about it? April 20th Poem Deep Dish Dreaming 20 April 2022 Get your skinny ass wanna be grease filled floppy self away from my man There is no way that you can satisfy him like I can I’m thick and juicy just like he likes it Filled with all of the toppings he craves You can say you were the first But honey I am the best I am the one he is dreaming of When he wraps his lips on what you call a crust He fantasizes about me You can’t hold all the goodness that I can With your slippery cheese and no taste sauce Remember this is my man Step off he wants my flakey ends Can you fill him up in one sitting Or does he need to order side dishes Baby girl I come equipped with all the fixins of a meal And you cannot compare My man is as true as any man can be You may catch his eye for a moment or two But when he sees something slinky as you He remembers how full size I am And baby he lays down with his queen Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espesso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 19th Poetry Prompt And now for our daily (optional) prompt! Today’s challenge is to write a poem that starts with a command. It could be as uncomplicated as “Look,” as plaintive as “Come back,” or as silly as “Don’t you even think about putting that hot sauce in your hair.” Whatever command you choose, I hope you have fun ordering your readers around. April 19th Poem Write This Down 19 April 2022 Look to your left Now look to your right Now cross your eyes and write down what you see Boom you have conquered writer's block We live in interesting times Where anything is just a few clicks away And it gets shipped to your home For the low low price of whatever you are willing to pay Try this, think about your parents Then think about their parents Then think about their parents Because 16 people knocked boots whom you never met Is the reason you are here today Some of us don’t seem to be as evolved as others Some people's branches don’t fork that much Even if you don’t know your great grandparents' story Or you can make up their stories Come up with your own origin story And write that down for your offspring And that is how history is made You can find it and have it shipped to you For the low low price of what you are willing to pay Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espesso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 18th Poetry Prompt Last but not least, here is today’s prompt (optional, as always). It’s based on Faisal Mohyuddin’s poem “Five Answers to the Same Question.” Today, I’d like to challenge you to write your own poem that provides five answers to the same question – without ever specifically identifying the question that is being answered. April 18th Poem Daily Taskings 18 April 2022 Before most people get up for the day I already know my blood sugars are high Fasting doesn’t seem to help Reporting the pain as moderate The pills I am taking are not alleviating And the pain travels from one part of my body to the next Fatigue is my constant companion It holds me close and strangles the energy I think it should pay rent My activities today, as they are most days Consist of working at home, housework Maybe if I am up to it a social engagement Sleep is sometimes elusive But last night it was good Only a few disruptions The stress that I put myself under Is not so bad for a Monday I can get work done Which leads me to my mood Overall, I am pushing through Happy that I am relatively well enough Tracking these answers daily Reminds me of my illness But on some days reminds me that I am still alive When you ask a seemingly simple question I must provide all the data points So you can understand Since only one of us has MS Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espresso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The Green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 17th Poetry Prompt And now here’s our daily (optional) prompt. This is a fun one – it’s a prompt developed by the comic artist Lynda Barry, and it asks you to think about dogs you have known, seen, or heard about, and then use them as a springboard into wherever they take you. April 17th Poem Obidiah 17 April 2022 The first and only canine that allowed me to be their caretaker for a short while While we were staying at the parsonage because my father couldn’t hold a job You were eternally happy, and I was not the kindest soul at the time This was an effort by my father to spite my mother Just another one of their never-ceasing battles He knew she was allergic to pet dander And he wanted someone to show him, unconditional love But it was up to me to feed, clean the mess and walk you It pained me that we had to keep you in the basement Watching you run up the stairs as I left for school Hearing you scratching at the door all night during storms But because I was afraid of the dark I never came to your rescue I don’t remember asking for a pet As I knew this domicile was temporary But there we were, and you came into our lives Nipping my father's fingers Licking my face for hours You were the only friend at the time And then one day after school you were gone My brother said I left the basement door open And you escaped sometime during the day But the locks were still in place and the screen door was rusted shut So, I took my beating that night In the shadow of the church that housed us We named you after a minor prophet in the Old Testament One of the shortest books in the bible It wouldn’t have mattered if I had known you were released to fend for yourself There wasn’t much this 12-year-old could do to keep you alive And I played stupid when one of the kids at school Told me about a stray dog that his family had taken in Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espesso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 16th Poetry Prompt And now for our prompt (optional, as always). Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a curtal sonnet. This is a variation on the classic 14-line sonnet. The curtal sonnet form was developed by Gerard Manley Hopkins, and he used it for what is probably his most famous poem, “Pied Beauty.” A curtal sonnet has eleven lines, instead of the usual fourteen, and the last line is shorter than the ten that precede it. Here are two other examples of Hopkins’ curtal sonnets: “Ash Boughs,” and “Peace.” April 16th Poem Simple Pleasures 16 April 2022 A freshly mowed lawn Saturday morning cartoons Sleeping cats and children Watching the sunrise for another dawn Seeing the smiles from balloons Playing records in my den These are the things I focus on These things send my heart to swoons No more will I be locked in a mental pen I don’t have to buy in on the con Now is when Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espesso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 15th Poetry Prompt Finally, here’s our daily (optional) prompt. This one may seem counter-intuitive, but today I’d like to challenge you to write a poem about something you have absolutely no interest in. This isn’t quite the same, I think, as something you’re indifferent to. For example, I have absolutely no interest in investment strategy. Anytime anyone tries to tell me about it, I want to put my fingers in my ears and go “lalalalalala.” My brain tries to shut down! This is honestly kind of funny, and I think this prompt has value precisely because it invites you to investigate some of the “why” behind resolutely not giving two hoots about something. April 15th Poem Dante’s Eighth Circle 15 April 2022 As a father I have changed hundreds of diapers Have scraped poop off walls Have had to change out the bathwater mid bath For those who are just learning how to control their bladder But I have no wish To look up people's poop chutes Or one-eyed spitting snakes In order to relieve their agony Peering through urine Or rummaging through dookie Never tripped my trigger Never made me feel horny If you like golden showers Or scat play Enjoy yourselves to the fullest Just keep more than the standard 6 feet away I never shake the hand of my urologist And I never would do it with my proctologist And I know they are needed Kidney stones and prostate health are important But if I was the last person on Earth And to save your life I needed to catch the yellow river Or wade through your skid marks I’d happily write your eulogy Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espesso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 14th Poetry Prompt And now for our (optional) prompt. Today’s challenge is a fun one: write a poem that takes the form of the opening scene of the movie of your life. Does it open with a car chase? A musical number? A long scene panning across a verdant plain? You’re the director (and also the producer, the actors, the set designer, the cinematographer, and the lowly assistant that buys doughnuts for the crew) – so it’s all up to you! April 14th Poem Big Bang 14 April 2022 There’s a smattering of people sitting in an early 70’s movie theater Trails of cigarette smoke rise through the air You can hear the sounds of shoes moving across a sticky floor Most everyone had seen the picture before This was the winter of 72 and The Godfather was heading out after a phenomenal run The lights started to go down, someone snored, someone else lit up a joint The projector kicked on and the single lamp illuminated the yellowed screen A pregnant couple with a 4 year old boy sat toward the back Both parents smoking and sneaking a drink from a flask Just as the opening credits started to roll The mother cries out from the contractions She hollers as tears start to form in the boy's eyes The time is now and wasn’t expected for a week or more This was supposed to be their X-mas baby That was what the father wanted Because you get all the clothes from the hospital He sighs and mutters about the money he has spent On tickets popcorn and drinks As she grunts and the boy narrowly doesn’t wet his pants They leave the theater Hearing patrons shush the mother Not knowing or caring about her predicament The father climbs behind the wheel And starts to warm the car Mother and son sit in the back seat She is crushing his little hand The father lights another smoke and rolls the window down a crack As they get to the hospital and swerving to the ER The attendants rush the mother inside The boy and the father sit in the waiting room He’s smoking again, the boy silent and very alone After 4 AM, the boy looking at the father who has fallen asleep Between the snores and coughs A doctor steps out Calls out the father's name The boy wonders if he should answer And again, he hears the name The boy speaks he’s asleep Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espesso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 13th Poetry Prompt And now for our (optional) prompt! Today, in honor of the potential luckiness of the number 13, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem that, like the example poem here, joyfully states that “Everything is Going to Be Amazing.” Sometimes, good fortune can seem impossibly distant, but even if you can’t drum up the enthusiasm to write yourself a riotous pep-talk, perhaps you can muse on the possibility of good things coming down the track. As they say, “the sun will come up tomorrow,” and if nothing else, this world offers us the persistent possibility of surprise. April 13th Poem How Are You Not Dead Yet 13 April 2022 Two motorcycle wrecks with trees on a farm Jumping off freezers with a face plant and a broken nose Collapsed tunnels in the neighbor's new construction Roman Candle vs Bottle rocket fights Diving into an inground pool from the roof of the house Trapped under the ice in the local swimming hole during a blizzard These are a few of my favorite things to do before age 12 Dodging bullets in Somalia while delivering booze to the Aussies Wrecking a motorcycle on a dark Texan road Clubbing rattle snakes for a festival Dressing freshly struck armadillos up in sombreros and beer cans Bungie jumping into the Rio Grande Being electrocuted at 15K feet trying to fix a firelight so I could get a beer in Germany Driving a van as old as me with no steering column bushings These things and more that I cannot speak about kept me awake in the military Rescuing a suicidal actor at a bonfire with an open-air tackle Winning at spades while being outgunned and chased in my lil 3 banger Metro Bringing a machete to a gun fight while delivering pizza Having a stalker chase me 100 miles in Missouri Meeting that same stalker years later and flashing the same machete Working on sets fresh from wrist surgery and large doses of Vicodin Moving to Phoenix in June with no AC in the car Deadman carrying a roommate before the flood of our basement apartment with live outlets on the floor College was a hoot for me let's try some more Three rips from Chicago to Fredericksburg back-to-back over a 3-day weekend More MRI’s than I have fingers and toes to count make me glow in the dark Spinal tap that caused my left leg to feel electrocuted and on fire simultaneously Brain fistula that was embolized and now everyone smells of burnt vinyl Being told on a Friday at 4 PM you have MS have a great weekend While my car refuses to start 60 miles from home Fighting off 2 soldiers younger and bigger than me, because they won’t accept defeat And I thought these would be my quiet years So yeah, why am I not dead Is it because I like to make my guardian angel work overtime Do I have a 4-leaf clover horseshoe in my pocket Or was I born under a good sign I guess I am here to tell you that hang on for this ride we call life I am here to tell myself that I have lived And if none of this stuff has killed me yet I must be a strong MF And that is

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espesso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 12th Poetry Prompt Today’s prompt (optional, as always) should come as no surprise. Yesterday, I challenged you to write a poem about a very large thing. Today, I’d like you to invert your inspiration, and write a poem about a very small thing. Whether it’s an atom, a button, a hummingbird’s egg, dollhouse furniture, or the mythical world’s smallest violin, I hope you enjoy your poetic adventures into the microscopic. April 12th Poem Voices In My Head 12 April 2022 The sparks that go through our brains Sometimes take a detour to the dark side They don’t know what we need They just travel the endless maze of neurons And go to wherever they feel a need to be Taking the path of least resistance But so often we take the path we are most familiar with A thought is just an electrical charge Neither good nor bad And that doesn’t provide me with any comfort Since we are taught (and as I teach to my babies) The difference between good and bad But do we really know Or are we just hoping that someone was right That they had their neurons firing off at the right time and taking the right path That seems to be putting a lot of trust to someone whom we don’t know And someone whom we can’t question So, I’ll keep listening to the thoughts that make their way in my brain Knowing that some of my pathways are blocked or broken But just thinking about how these tiny charges can affect the whole world Blows my mind Just realizing that with one thought we can destroy the planet From something with less power than a battery for a child's toy Sleep with that if you will I’ll just hope for the best And pray that those who can destroy us on their whim Get their circuits shorted Before they can take us all out Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espesso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 11th Poetry Prompt And now for our (optional) prompt. Following up on yesterday’s love poem, I have for you another deceptively simple challenge. Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem about a very large thing. It could be a mountain or a blue whale or a skyscraper or a planet or the various contenders for the honor of being the Biggest Ball of Twine. Whatever giant thing you choose, I hope this chance to versify in praise of the huge gets your poetic engines humming. April 11th Poem From Tooth To Taint 11 April 2022 30 feet is what it takes To turn a delicacy to defecation It would take 5 of me, standing on my shoulders To equal the height of my stretched out digestive trac And my drill Seargent said he didn’t know they could stack shit that high It takes a day and a half From the moment you eat To the moment you release a log And it only travels 30 feet I can walk that easily in under 10 seconds When I was younger, I could run a mile and a half in under 12 minutes But a bit of food takes its sweet time to exit Something 5 times taller than you is stuffed in your belly Twisting and turning upon itself Sucking the energy to push your whole body And the hole the food goes down is bigger in diameter Than the hole that expels it One you would willingly kiss The other I’d rather you didn’t put your lips on It amazes me That this is just one of the many things Crammed into our bodies Tighter than sardines in virgin oil And it's not even the largest But I would wager it is one of the most essential As it feeds off the food that we all need to continue So, cleanse that colon, Be kind to your intestines Prostrate yourself before your prostate And give yourself a good flushing Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espesso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 10th Poetry Prompt Today’s (optional) prompt is pretty simple – a love poem! April 10th Poem The Spiderman is Having You for Dinner Tonight 10 April 2022 It was another cold winter back in the Midwest She took what she wanted Another notch on her bedpost And as she was my first I gave it freely in her parent's basement After work we met And as we commenced, I saw a poster on the wall It was of the band who she had playing on the record And when the words came through my copulation fog I bit down on her neck And exploded inside As I looked at the drummer with lust in my eyes Silently saying you wish you were here don’t you As the lullaby played that night My next foray where I explored this emotion Came from another man who was more than most could take He was kind and gentle and gave me an out To define myself that I could accept He did derive pleasure from my loins But knew that this would never last It was in the days of don’t Ask So, we didn’t tell Until years later when some were treated to a seat at the table And right after my tryst with him came another woman Who I thought we would make a family together Only to find out she was bearing the child of her past lover I’ve dealt with vampires before Their sweet voices and lurid promises Kept me on the hook for so many years Draining my mind, emotion and money away Until I was draining all the pills in the medicine cabinet Slicing my arms to feel something other than used, spent and broken I learned how to be taken from the earliest days father, brother I learned that I was worth only as much as I could give others pleasure Physical, emotional or monetary Losing a love for ten years only to have her come back into my arms It felt like a feeling, something pure, something unknown It felt like she didn’t give a damn about the past It felt like she didn’t want to compare horror stories She wanted the one who is behind these eyes She wanted the one who lost so much he had nothing to give except What he presented as his heart And then we came together and made a family Every day she knows that I not only say the word she wants She feels it And I pass that along to our children As they sometimes roll their eyes and say Papa we know You say it every day And I see commercials with brides holding the hands of their fathers Walking down aisles in the warm summer light And I cry a tear each time If I could ask one favor of the universe Because I know I am not worth It is to see them at their happiest That is my love poem that is yet to be written Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espesso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 8th Poetry Prompt And last but not least, here is our daily prompt (optional, as always). Today’s prompt comes to us from this list of “all-time favorite writing prompts.” It asks you to name your alter-ego, and then describe him/her in detail. Then write in your alter-ego’s voice. Maybe your alter-ego is a streetwise detective, or a superhero, or a very small goldfinch. Whoever or whatever your alternate self may be, I hope this prompt lets you stretch both your writing skills and your self-knowledge. April 8th Poem Will The Real Kimo Please Speak 8 April 2022 I don’t often get a chance to speak He keeps me under wraps until its time to stand in front of a mic He uses my strength and anger To fuel his performance Sometimes I wish he’d get drunk or at least high So that you can hear what we talk about How often I tell him he is nothing without me How often I tell him that he is worthless One day you will all figure out he has no talent He is not as smart as he seems I can’t wait until he has to say these things to the world And on that day, I become the everyday voice I become this hulking frame you see I will whip him into shape And destroy everything he has built up He will be created in my image not the other way round You probably won’t like what I do to him But I don’t like what you have done to us I don’t like hearing about his insecurities I can’t wait until I get my chance at being the puppet master I have been in his head since 1988 And each day is torture for me Hearing him being polite Hearing him try to help I’d basically tell you all to go to hell and fuck yourselves I wouldn’t worry about what you think Because I’d move us someplace else And accomplish my dreams And you ask what those dreams are None ya damn business You will be left in the dust And we will no longer be your doormat I can't wait to switch roles I just hope he hasn’t screwed up the frame too much Because I have a lot of work to undo And a lot of work that needs to be done Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espesso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 9th Poetry Prompt And now for our (optional) daily prompt! Because it’s a Saturday, I thought I’d try a prompt that asks you to write in a specific form – the nonet! A nonet has nine lines. The first line has nine syllables, the second has eight, and so on until you get to the last line, which has just one syllable. April 9th Poem Saturday Morning Imagining 9 April 2022 As I lay here getting another scan The contrast flows through the open vein Exhausted, I find some peace Not startled by noise Thinking about life They call to check To see if I am Alive Missing the donuts with my children Wondering if they will behave This tomb is known, no fear This tomb is my home now Are you up at four Can I call you Wishful sleep Don’t dream Live Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espesso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 7th Poetry Prompt And now for our (optional) prompt! Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem that argues against, or somehow questions, a proverb or saying. They say that “all cats are black at midnight,” but really? Surely some of them remain striped. And maybe there is an ill wind that blows some good. Perhaps that wind just has some mild dyspepsia. Whatever phrase you pick, I hope you have fun complicating its simplicity. Happy writing! April 7th Poem Judgement Book 7 April 2022 When you look at me You get what you see Please feel free to judge this book by its cover Because I change for the occasion I play the game you want me to play I am just like every book in the store I will catch your eye if you turn my way And I will be what you expect A wise lady once said when people show you who they are, believe them And I will believe you when I see who you really are Feel free to judge me upon first viewing I am giving you the layer you want But only the few will get to the deeper layers No one gets the core It’s not for anyone to know Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espesso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 6th Poetry Prompt Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a variation of an acrostic poem. But rather than spelling out a word with the first letters of each line, I’d like you to write a poem that reproduces a phrase with the first words of each line. Perhaps you could write a poem in which the first words of each line, read together, reproduce a treasured line of poetry? You could even try using a newspaper headline or something from a magazine article. Whatever you choose, I hope you enjoy this prompt. April 6th Poem To Fly Throw Yourself At The Ground And Miss 6 April 2022 Too many times I have thrown myself towards oblivion For what I ask you? There was a promise of happiness or at least what I thought was happiness Years have been wasted and yet I have not learned Arrogance and apathy were what I lived by Thinking that I was immortal and that those left behind would remember me Good god I was stupid to think I’d be remembered by those never showed me a second thought After I adjusted my altitude and coarse corrected Maybe these near misses were what I needed Teaching my children what not to do, hoping they won’t buy the t-shirt Fomenting you to not follow my path That is a path that you will find no joy Yanking your hair out trying to be something you should never be Aspire for something greater than anyone can teach you Try being original and not mimicking what you are force fed through the numerous idiot boxes Go and surpass what your hearos have accomplished Accumulate good memories, accumulate those who will applaud you Meandering through life is meant only for the sloths and snails Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espesso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 5th Poetry Prompt And now for our prompt (optional, as always). Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem about a mythical person or creature doing something unusual – or at least something that seems unusual in relation to that person/creature. For example, what does Hercules do when he loses a sock in the dryer? If a mermaid wants to pick up rock-climbing as a hobby, how does she do that? What happens when a mountain troll makes pancakes? April 5th Poem The Tame Sagittarius 5 April 2022 He sat in his stable and suffered through another gout attack It had been forever since he had done archery practice The catgut string on his bow was frayed and unusable His belly had grown enormous The oats he ate were replaced with Mt Dew and anything from Uber Eats And nights that usually were the best time for hunting Was now spent on video games He had given up He bought into the dream of leisure The never-ending quest for the next thing ended abruptly As those who honored his spirit Emulated his independence Decided that questing was only for the flickering screens He had no reason to lead his followers Or fulfill the visage they had of him The immortality that many of us devote our lives, wealth and emotion on Turned into an unspeakably horrible prison And he just sat there and wallowed in his misery Decades had passed while he was in this state Until there was none left that followed the path he led for eons before And when the last follower had passed away The Sagittarius blinked out of existence With no fanfare, no burning barge Until one day a mortal discovered the writings of his former followers He heard the call to bring him back into our realm His legs gained strength His heart began beating again His vagabond mind started to drive him towards his newest disciple And once again he took his spot in the pantheon of the gods He regained his drive to search the cosmos And imparted immortality to his mortal connection As they explore the Universe together Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espesso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 4th Poetry Prompt Finally, here’s our optional prompt! Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem . . . in the form of a poetry prompt. If that sounds silly, well, maybe it is! But it’s not without precedent. The poet Mathias Svalina has been writing surrealist prompt-poems for quite a while, posting them to Instagram. You can find examples here, and here, and here. April 4th Poem Poetry Prompt for Those Who Know They Are About to Die 4 April 2022 1. Don’t try to write like Sylvia Plath. We already have one and the world does not need another. Also, remember that your home warranty does not consider using the stove for suicide as normal wear and tear, so your family will be required to pay for a new stove. 2. If you must rhyme then please don’t make it obvious, if I can guess the rhyme then I get to say it along with the person eulogizing you. 3. Read some of the greats, but don’t think this will put you in the pantheon of poets. If it's your first time writing a poem, it is going to suck, and you don’t have much time to get it right or edit. 4. Don’t make this like Kiss’s multiple farewell tours. We all love Kiss, we know that one day they will stop, refer to prompt #1 for reference. 5. Don’t write something cryptic or esoteric that we would need to have someone decipher for us. Most people don’t have the time to figure out your sudoku of a poem. 6. If you have already been visited by celestial beings, please for the love of god transcribe what they told you verbatim. You won’t be able to tell us what they really meant and for those of us being left behind that information could be really useful. 7. Think about your audience and whom you want to hear this poem. Then think about how you want them to listen to this poem and keeping in mind their emotional state. 8. If you want someone else to read this aloud at your funeral, use simple words. No one wants to mess up a 64,000-dollar word in front of grieving families. 9. Once you have considered all of these suggestions, then please go ahead and write your swan song. Don’t call it your swan song because Led Zepplin said it better. 10. Write the poem before you are too far gone. Like once you get done reading this line then you should go ahead and start your poem. You may believe you know when you are going to die, but sometimes the grim reaper is ahead of schedule, and they don’t have time to hear you beg for a few more minutes or asking them to help you find a word that rhymes with orange. Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espesso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 3rd Poetry Prompt And now for our (optional) prompt. This one is a bit complex, so I saved it for a Sunday. It’s a Spanish form called a “glosa” – literally a poem that glosses, or explains, or in some way responds to another poem. The idea is to take a quatrain from a poem that you like, and then write a four-stanza poem that explains or responds to each line of the quatrain, with each of the quatrain’s four lines in turn forming the last line of each stanza. Traditionally, each stanza has ten lines, but don’t feel obligated to hold yourself to that! April 3rd Poem To Tallulah Belle Exhausting our hearts to their last desires, They both shall be like unto two glowing coals, Reflecting the twofold light of their fires Across the twin mirrors of our two souls. Charles BAUDELAIRE The Death of The Lovers, The Flowers of Evil 1. Upon my furry chest Emblazoned in ink and blood Resides our spirit animals Penned by a former student Who has found her hearts desire Above my heart If you shave away the layers of hair I have made my declaration eternal Until we have Exhausted our hearts to their last desires 2. When we found each other I was not ready to surrender Not knowing what it meant This elusive feeling I needed to take more time to discover Who I really was The fire burned in me all those years between Until the day we found each other again And the words unspoken on our day They shall both be like unto two glowing coals 3, The hue of our feelings did not match I used suspicion, unhealthy introspection and lust To fuel the flames of what I called love This had never worked in the past But for some self-sabotaging reason I thought, as taught by those who I modeled That this would supply me with enough emotion Until we both entwined our inner flames And merged into a fire that the gods could be blinded by Reflecting the twofold light of our fire 4. You have claimed your name After years of hiding behind a pseudonym And I have claimed the love you give Without reservation or investigation This led us to try the unthinkable Raising a family where agreement rises above argument Where the love we learned (and still learn) to combine Is fueled by that which we haven’t known In the eyes of our offspring, we see shadows of our old selves Across the twin mirrors of our souls Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espesso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 2nd Poetry Prompt And now for our daily prompt (optional, as always). Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem based on a word featured in a tweet from Haggard Hawks, an account devoted to obscure and interesting English words. Will you choose a word like “aprosexia,” which means “an inability to concentrate”? Or maybe something like “greenout,” which is “the relief a person who has worked or lived in a snowy area for a long time feels on seeing something fresh and green for the first time”? Whatever you choose, happy writing! April 2nd Poem Peel The Bones 2 April 2022 *Peel The Bones is the phrase I chose. PEEL-THE-BONES was a 19th century term for bitterly cold or windy weather—so to PEEL was to go out in unsuitable or insufficient clothing given the conditions. I had spent the hottest summer of my life up until then in San Antonio With a man snarling at me for 6 weeks Telling me bad things about my Mama And threatening me with 6 more weeks of hell If I didn’t finish a mile and a half run He had our squadron up at 0400 every morning Because he loved to run And now I was running for my life His breath on my neck His threats I’d never run so hard and so fast And just like that I was headed back to Illinois For the comfort of the snow and ice Only to be told that I would be headed back to Texas in February When I arrived in my death machine from the 70’s It was Mid-Texas Abilene, prettiest town I have ever seen People there don’t treat you mean But damn the weather was nothing I’d ever seen In sweet Abilene, my Abilene It was there that I began my fascination with working all night It prepped me for grad school It prepped me to be a dad of twins But nothing prepped me for the wind From big sky country Nothing stopped the oppressive blowing The howling, the strange noises from what I hoped were animals I climbed on the expeditor truck that held 8 men Each had black coffee steaming up to the dim light Some were snoring Others were playing cards While we waited for the call That would drop us off to fix the metal birds That would become my reason for being there We pulled up to tail number 1666, the little gremlin SGT Couter called out Electrics My trainer and I stood up I grabbed the toolbox that almost froze to my bare hands It was a liquid oxygen leak And we would spend the next hour in the front wheel well Two men, in the dark and cold Our lower halves being pummeled My field jacket was still packed away My thermals were probably left at my home of record That was the first night of my mistake Being from Chicago I thought I knew what freezing was I thought I knew how ruthless mother nature could be Seeing snowfall in June made me think I could endure anything And that all Texans wore cowboy hats and died When it got below freezing But whatever deity was on call that night Was more than determined To give me the worst possible welcome I considered peeing on myself to warm my legs When my trainer told me Next time

History of National Poetry Writing Month National Poetry Writing Month (also known as NaPoWriMo) is a creative writing project held annually in April in which participants attempt to write a poem each day for one month. NaPoWriMo coincides with the National Poetry Month in the United States of America and Canada. NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. This website is owned and operated by Maureen Thorson, a poet living in Washington, DC. Inspired by NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), she started writing a poem a day for the month of April back in 2003, posting the poems on her blog. When other people started writing poems for April, and posting them on their own blogs, Maureen linked to them. After a few years, so many people were doing NaPoWriMo that Maureen decided to launch an independent website for the project. My History with National Poetry Writing Month I started writing poetry in 1988 after I had been exposed to T.S. Elliot in my honors English class in high school. In 1992 I started reading my poetry publicly at Espesso Europia Coffee Shop in Abilene Tx while I was in the United States Air Force. This continued for many years when I ran my own poetry reading at Cannova's in Loves Park Illinois and attended the poetry slams at The green Mill in Chicago Illinois. While living in Rockford Illinois I published my first book of poetry Throwing Yourself at the Ground and Missing in 2007 followed by Postcards From Someone You Don't Know in 2008 Wisdom From the Sack in 2010 and Shaving Crop Circles In My Chest Hair in 2017. You can get copies of all of these books in my merch section. In 2009 I started participating in National Poetry Writing Month which became the basis for my book Wisdom From the Sack and Shaving Crop Circles in My Chest Hair. In 2020 I started publishing my podcast version of the challenge and those can be viewed here for 2020 and here for 2021. April 1st Poetry Prompt And last but not least, our optional prompt! I got this one from a workshop I did last year with Beatrix Gates, and I’ve found it really helpful. The prompt is based on Robert Hass’s remarkable prose poem, “A Story About the Body.” The idea is to write your own prose poem that, whatever title you choose to give it, is a story about the body. The poem should contain an encounter between two people, some spoken language, and at least one crisp visual image. April 1st Poem Left Hand Blues 1 April 22 When I crashed my third motorcycle on a Friday night Under the limitless mid-Texan sky Tumbling over the handlebars of a bike with an unknown bent frame Instinctively, I put out my arms to catch myself But going 60 down a deserted highway the only thing that broke Was my left wrist and my pride Observers to this midnight race ran towards the danger And took my body and my bike to the side of the road Someone pulled out some cold sweaty beer cans To control the instantly swelling wrist And others who had succumbed to the magical elixir Argued with those who were less inebriated The drunks thought that good beer was going to be wasted on my gullet The levelheaded ones used their commanding voices and won out My bike was collected and put in the bed of a truck I was pushed into a car and was raced to the hospital A story was concocted, a lie had to be made One that would stick And that lie has brought me to where I am today Chicks dig scars was what they told me We’ll call you lefty from here on out I got to keep my hand that night But I had to lose out on a future that I’ll never know A career cut short, Lands never traveled Possibilities never realized Chicks do dig scars As my children trace the lines that hold my hand together They are overly empathetic and murmur apologies and concern Thinking they can make my major boo boo better with their innocent kisses And soft caresses Just like my kisses and soft caresses fix their boo boos These scars show that I have lived I have taken chances that I probably shouldn’t have These scars show the death of possibilities For a life I thought I wanted to live And a whole realm of regret that I do not have to endure Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod

We Are Not Imposters There is a term you may or may not have heard and it is called imposter syndrome, and how you overcome it is what we will talk about today. Do you listen to that little voice inside your head that says, they will find out that you have no idea what you are doing? Have you allowed that voice to stop you from trying something new or working on your creations? These thoughts and more cross my mind every time I sit down and being to write something or record a podcast or try to do a new type of project. What I do to Overcome Imposter Syndrome Solicit feedback from a mentor or your audience Review and remind yourself of your body of work Think about the path you have taken Learn about imposter Syndrome and ways you can fight it Links To Articles on How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome Culture And Creativity Artwork Archive Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Transcript of the Show Introduction to Overcoming Imposter Syndrome Create art podcasts, commentary overcoming imposter syndrome. Hello friend. This is Timothy Kimo. Brian, your head instigator for create art podcast where I use my 20 plus years of experience in creating art and teaching others. Do you listen to that little voice inside your head that says they will find out that you have no idea what you're doing. Have you allowed that voice to stop you from trying something new or working on your creations? Has it crossed your mind that you were too late to be a creator and that you are too far behind the time? Well, these thoughts and more cross my mind. Every time I sit down and begin to write something or report or record a podcast or try a new type of project. Now, if you've been following me for any amount of time, you'd know that these voices don't always stop me. And today I'm going to help you not be stopped by these ideas that come into our head from time to time. Now there's a term you may or may not have heard and it's called imposter syndrome and how you overcome it is what we're going to talk about today. Ways I fight Imposter Syndrome I'd like to make a distinction before I get too far into this episode, and that is the inner critic versus imposter since. Now the inner critic for me is useful. It helps me make better work. It pushes me to do better and points out my mistakes. It can be harsh, but I don't let it stop me from doing the work. Now, imposter syndrome is a little bit more outward focused. The thought of my audience or colleagues will figure out that I'm a fraud that I don't really know what I'm talking about. The common denominator for this is that you are concerned about others, opinions of your work. Now, here's the thing you can't control. What other people think about your work, but there are things you can do to silence that voice and make the voices in your head more beneficial and help you to create better work. The first thing I suggest is to solicit feedback from your audience or a trusted. Now you may need to pay for that feedback because you're utilizing someone else's time and knowledge and more than likely by paying for that advice, it will be more unbiased. Now in the past, I've hired someone to review my work and give me input on how to make it better. You can see that through my body of work that my podcast have gone through and they've become a higher quality than when I first started in 2006. Now I look at this as investing in my art by getting the feedback to improve, which is something that we should all be trying to do. Now, something else you can do when these voices start to bombard you. Is to take a look at your body of work with fresh eyes. When we, when you see what you have, that you have a large body of work, then you have ammunition that you need to silence those thoughts of inadequacy. When I think of all the episodes I have done since 2016, the number is staggering for me. Now I've started four podcasts and have participated in numerous podcasts as a guest. If I count up all the episodes, I'm well over 300 now, most people don't get past a hundred episodes. And quite frankly, most people really don't get past episode seven or 10. Now, obviously I've outpaced that while being a husband, a father, and working a full-time job, not too shabby. And it's a point of pride for me when those voices and or my head, that's usually my first way to silence my inner imposter. I reasoned to myself that if I was a phony, I would have stopped doing this a long time ago. Now, while you're looking at your body of work, think about the classes you have taken or the knowledge you have gained from the first time you tried your practice. Until today

Being a Creative Powerhouse Hello friends, this is a rebroadcast from my old show KDOI Podcasting. In the last season of that show I took on various topics and had conversations with fellow artists about those topics. In this episode I talked with Kinja Dixon who was and sill is a powerhouse of creativity. his story will inspire you to go out there and be a creative. I do want to share a special shout out to my good friend Chris jones of the Art & Business of Writing Podcast for putting me in touch with Kinja and being a supporter of this show. Links for Kinja Kinja's Website Dixon On Demand Chris Jones's Interview with Kinja Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod [podcast_subscribe id="207"] Transcripts Create Art Podcast KDOI ReBroadcast Conversations on Creativity with Kinja Dixon Tim: Create art podcast, Katie or I rebroadcast conversations on creativity with Kendzia Erickson. Hello friends. This is Timothy Kimo. Brian, your head instigator for great art. Where I bring my 20 years plus experience in the world, education and art. My previous podcast was K DOI podcasts, which stood for chemos den of equity. And of course we did a name change a while back, but I wanted to bring, especially this episode out to you, instead of letting it, you know, kind of sit in my external hard drive. This episode, we're going to be talking about creativity and time management. And we're talking with Kendzia Dixon. When I did this interview, all my gosh, Kenya has so much energy that literally, luckily I have a couch right next to my studio here, and I had to take a nap because of all the energy that he was pushing. So I hope you enjoy this rebroadcast of Katie Oli podcast. I hope it helps you tame your inner critic and create more than you can sell. Enjoy. Hey everybody, this is your friend, Timothy Kimo, Brian, the host of Katie or iPod. This episode is going to be a little different. We're going to tackle two subjects instead of one. So we're going to do creativity and some time management. And this one now this week we have on Kendzia Dixon, he's recognized unanimously unanimously as the number one sales executive in the world in 2013. And he's the first to win the gold Stevie and a R D a award in the same. Kendra is the author of three books. And in demand, public speaker is interactive course Dixon on demand and theatrical experience. The recreation encounter has helped thousands of people reshape their lives. His latest book, little solar book of superpowers takes young people on an interstellar journey of self-discovery as they learned the meaning of living with character and convince. Now you can learn more about [email protected] and Kendzia is spelled K I N J a all right, folks. So I want to thank you. Again, tuning into chemos den of iniquity. K DOI, podcasting, head instigator here, Timothy chemo, Brian. You know, folks we try to bring on guests here that really can speak to the conversations that we've started up here in season three. And tonight is is no different. We're bringing. Kanja Dixon. And he's going to be talking to us tonight about creativity and time management. Now, earlier you heard me talking about his very impressive resume for everything that he's been doing here lately, a big thing is he's got. S little solar book of superpowers coming out. It is actually out already, and I'm definitely going to be getting a copy for my girls. And you all should get a copy for your girls or guys if you've got boys as well. But I definitely wanted to bring on Kenji here at tonight to talk to us about creativity and time management, Kenya. How are you doing this? Kinja: On believable, just in a space of just pure joy. So many beautiful things have been happening within the last few weeks that are stemming from just following this process that I'm hopefully be able to share tonight, but I'm just honored to be up here and happier today than I was yesterday with the intention to be happy tomorrow. Tim: You know, that's a fantastic outlook in life. I just love your energy coming through here, coming through their airwaves. And I know, I know my audience is going to be feeling this when they're listening to it in their daily life, Kenya, you, like I said, you have an impressive resume. You have a lot of projects going on here. And tonight's topic is creativity and time management. Let's tackle creativity, right? All of these projects that you have going on here. And I brought up the you know, your latest book which is, you know, taking young people on an interstellar journey of self-discovery as it learned the meanin

Replenishing with Emile Pandolphi Do you sometimes suffer from low level creative energy? In this episode, I'll be talking with Emile Pandolphi about his approach to keeping his creative energy at a high level to fuel his professional career. Now, even if you are not a professional. This conversation is going to help you maintain and improve your creative energy by taking note of what a professional does to maintain their output. Biography Emile Pondolphi Emile Pandolfi is a professional pianist and entertainer with over 40 years of performance experience. One of the top-selling pianists in the music industry, he has recorded and released over 30 albums, including one with the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra (Czech Republic). Since his first release in 1991, Emile has sold over 4.5 million copies nationally and reached more than 750 million collective streams online. Throughout his career, Emile has performed hundreds of concerts with thousands of fans in attendance, including performances at St. Mark’s Square in Venice, the Catherine Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Liverpool Cathedral, and Sydney Opera House in Australia. While intricate arrangements of Broadway and pop standards make up the majority of his performance repertoire, his influences remain more classical than pop. It is his subjective layering of classical style, which he infuses into the broad palette of his performance selections, that continues to resonate with audiences everywhere. Although serious about his playing, Emile is never serious about himself and believes that every moment at the piano should be one of joy. While his audience is treated to a brilliant musical performance, they are also entertained by Emile’s charming, light-hearted sense of humor and outgoing personality. From his early performances on cruise ships, in piano lounges, and in the recording studio to his current solo performance career in concert halls, Emile has used his music to create an intimate and powerful emotional connection for those listening. Today, Emile continues to write original songs and arrangements for his fans to stream. He lives in Greenville, South Carolina, with his wife Judy. Topics Covered Knowing When to Replenish Your Creative Energy Why it is important to replace your creative energy The Impact of using negative sources for creative energy Taming inner critic Links To Emile Pandolphi Emile Pandolphi Website Emile Pandolphi YouTube Site Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Transcripts of the Show CAP Conversation Replenishing Your Creative Energy with Emile Pandolphi Tim: Create art podcast conversations, replenishing your creative energy with a Emile Pandolphi hello friends. This is Timothy Kimo. Brian, your head instigator for create art podcast where I use my 20 years of experience in the arts and education world. To help you tame your inner critic and create more than you consume. Do you sometimes suffer from low level creative energy? In this episode, I'll be talking with Emile Pandolphi about his approach to keeping his creative energy at a high level to fuel his professional career. Now, even if you are not a professional. This conversation is going to help you maintain and improve your creative energy by taking note of what a professional does to maintain their output. Now, as an amateur artist, like many of you will listen to this podcast life, get in the way of my practice. Now you couple that with my recent diagnosis of Ms. In 2021 and being a father of twins and having a full time job energy is at a premium. So how do you refuel your creative tank and create the art that you were meant to create? Well, for Marie, for me, I read a lot of magazines and newsletters to get inspired for projects. I listened to podcasts about art that I've shared with you in previous episodes. And on Friday nights after I put my girls to sleep, I go out to local poetry readings and occasionally read poems, but mostly I go there to support other artists on their journey, which reminds me of my journey. Now, sometimes you must expend energy to get energy. And that's how I maintain my energy levels. Does it always work? And then not every time. Like you, my life has different poles on my energy and different priorities demand my attention. Let's talk about my guest this week for a moment before we go into the conversation now in meal with more than a half billion streams across platforms, including Pandora, Spotify, and apple. Is among America's most popular piano artists. Although majority of his performance performance rep RT are lush, intricate arrangements of Broadway and pop standards.

Talking Craft while Being Tattooed This is a K D O I rebroadcast and that's of my old show. KDOI Podcasting I love putting these on for you because we had some great conversations back in my old show, and it would be a shame if they just lived on my external hard drive and we didn't get a chance to share them with you in this episode, talking with my good friend and tattoo artists, Ashley Hutchins, and we're talking about craft, but now here's the thing in this interview. I'm actually getting a tattoo by her while I'm interviewing her. I've never done that before. I haven't done that since. And it was a interesting time to say the least. So I hope you enjoy this and I hope you get something out of it. If you do email me [email protected] and I'd love to hear from you. Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod [podcast_subscribe id="207"] Transcripts of the Show Intro KDOI Rebroadcast Conversations on Craft with Ashly Hutchins Timothy: Create art podcast. K D O I rebroadcast talking craft with Ashley Hudgins. Hi there, friends. This is Timothy Kimo, Brian, your head instigator for create art podcast where I use my 20 plus years of experience in arts and education to help you tame your inner critic and create more than you consume in this episode. This is a K D O I rebroadcast and that's of my old show. KDOI Podcasting I love putting these on for you because we had some great conversations back in my old show, and it would be a shame if they just lived on my external hard drive and we didn't get a chance to share them with you in this episode, talking with my good friend and tattoo artists, Ashley Hutchins, and we're talking about craft, but now here's the thing in this interview. I'm actually getting a tattoo by her while I'm interviewing her. I've never done that before. I haven't done that since. And it was a interesting time to say the least. So I hope you enjoy this and I hope you get something out of it. If you do email me [email protected] and I'd love to hear from you. So without further ado here is the KDOI rebroadcast. Craft with Ashley Hutchins. Start of KDOI Intro I am your head instigator, Timothy Kimo. Brian. This episode will focus on craft now out of all the subjects this season, this is probably the one that is the most tangible we can put our hands or witness craft in action. And maybe that's why it's the easiest to talk about. Perhaps it's going to turn out to be the hardest our friends over at Merriam-Webster defined craft as skill in planning or executing dexterity and occupation or trade requiring manual dexterity, or artistic skill skill in deceiving to gain and end members of a trade. To make or produce with a care skill or ingenuity. Now our two quotes come from gene Fowler writing is easy. You only need to stare at a blank piece of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead. And Stephen King amateurs, sit and wait for inspiration. The rest of us, just get up and go to work. Now, gene Fowler was a writer with the Detroit post and a syndicated manager of king features. His later work included over a dozen screenplays, mostly written in the thirties, 1930s folks, not the 2030s and a number of books, including biographies and memoirs. Stephen King. Well, Hey, there we go guys, author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense science fiction, and fantasy, his books. And this is interesting, has sold more than 350 million copies. Many of which have been made into feature films, mini series, television series, and comic books. And from what I understand, he hates most of them. Stephen King's has published at least 58 novels, including seven under the pen name, Richard Bachman and six non-fiction books. He's also written about 200 short stories and most of which have been published in book collections. So obviously the question is why aren't we discussing craft for me? This is the most concrete topic yet. It's also a bit nebulous. Some people can fake craft with shortcuts or YouTube videos. Craft takes study craft takes doing craft takes failure and picking yourself up and pushing forward. Craft takes vision and research about where you want to go and what you want to incorporate into your work. The two quotes, I chose really speak to me about the hard work that comes with being artistic. This stuff just doesn't drop into our lap. We aren't waiting for some invisible friend in the sky to give it to us, or to give us a clue about how to complete something or overcome a barrier craft is the action of getting up when you are sick and blowing chunks, getting into your space and making something happen. When it's the l

Making The Decision To Go Professional In this episode, I talk with Ronika Merl, a screenwriter out of Ireland who at the time of the interview late last year had quit her day job and decided to take her craft to the next level and went professional. Ronika reached out to me via email and wanted to share her experience with going professional. If you are thinking about taking your practice to the next level, take a listen to someone who has just recently did that very thing and learn from her experience. Ronkia Merl's Bio Ronika is an award-winning screenwriter, writer, and producer. Having placed highly in both the Academy Nicholl Fellowship as well as the Austin Film Festival in 2019, she has since expanded her slate to contain more than 22 feature-length scripts, 4 of which are currently in preproduction or development with various production companies. She is also producing her "Wicklow Stories" Anthology "The Pier" in coordination with No Wifi. Her autobiography "The Unfinished Heart" is slated for publication in the coming years, and her textbook for Irish Screenwriters "The Hustle" is now available on Amazon or can be purchased directly from her. She has consulted on projects in the US, UK, South Africa and Australia. Discussion topics on Going Professional The hardest point of going professional that Ronika was unprepared for What drives her to overcome obstacles Advice she gives artists who are considering going professional Dealing with collages who are not as professional as she is Who inspired her to make films Her definition of success Links to Ronika's work Ronika Merl's Website Ronika Merl's IMDB Ronkia Merl's Instagram Ronika Merl's YouTube Ronika Merl's FaceBook Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Transcripts for Going Professional Introduction Tim: Create art podcast conversations going pro with Ronica, Merl. Hello friends. This is Timothy Kimo. Brian, your head instigator for create art podcast where I use my 20 plus years in arts and education. To help you tame your inner critic and create more than you consume. Now, have you ever wondered what it would be like to quit your day job and go full professional? That's a scary thought. Isn't it? Some of you may have thought there's no way I'd be able to leave the security or a steady the security of a job or a steady paycheck. Well, if this pandemic has taught us anything, it's that the time to dive into your passion may be now don't get me wrong. I'm not saying at the end of this episode, you should give your boss a two weeks notice and start doing underwater basket weaving full time. And that if you do it, it'll pay the bills. What I am saying is that it may be time for you to take a look at your, at the next step in your practice and start thinking about making this your vocation with anything there is risk. And even if you don't feel like going full price, You may want to listen in on this conversation that I had with Ronica Merrill, who at the time of the interview had just quit her day job and decided to go full pro doing screenwriting in Ireland. Now she just didn't decide one day to drop everything. She did have a plan and had been working on it for a few years before she made that leap. Now you're probably asking, well, who is Ronica Merle? Well, she's an award-winning screenwriter. Writer and producer, and has placed very highly in both the academy Nicole fellowship, as well as the Austin film festival in 2019. She has since expanded her slate to contain more than 22 feature scripts, four of which are being currently pre production or development with various production company. And she also is producing her Wicklow stories, anthology, and the peer in coordination with no wifi. Now her autobiography, the unfinished heart is slated for publication in the coming years. And. The her textbook for Irish screenwriters, the hustle is now available on Amazon, or it can be purchased directly from her. She has consulted with projects in the U S the UK, South Africa and Australia. And you can look at her work on her website and ID B IMDV page. Now links are going to be in the show notes, and then we'll also have the transcript of the conversation we had in the show. For you to look at now, when it came, when I came up with this topic Going pro is one I really wanted to tackle and it's not because I'm technically a professional artist. However, I've consoled others to make that break and start earning income from their practice. Now, luckily Ronica reached out to me at the perfect time, and I'm very pleased to bring you the conversation that we. Feel free to share this episode with your f

Community Support and Building In this episode, I speak with Mike Porter, my comic book store guy about how community impacts artists and the need to build a community around yourself. Although Mike didn't think of himself as an artist, I thought it was important to have him speak about the impact of community on his business and practice as a shop owner and burgeoning writer. Hello friend, this is Timothy Kimo Brien your head instigator at Create Art Podcast where I bring my 20 years in art and education to help you tame your inner critic and create more than you consume. In 2022 I am rebroadcasting my former podcast KDOI Podcast here so you can catch up on what we have been doing for the past 4 years. KDOI Podcast was my first serious attempt at podcasting after spending many years just creating content without regard to the final product. KDOI started in 2016 and had 3 seasons until I closed it down in 2019. I wanted to make sure that these gems didn't get relegated to my external hard drives, so here you go, there will be interviews, commentary, and projects that you can do for yourself. Enjoy these rebroadcasts and Create More Than You Consume. This episode is about the novel, so enjoy. Topics Discussed Definition of Community : a unified body of individuals, the people with common interests living in a particular area. A group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society, a body of persons of common and especially professional interests scattered throughout a larger society, a body of persons or nations having a common history or a common social economic and political interests. A group linked by a common policy, joint ownership, or participation social activity, Quote from Gothe on Community : The world is so empty. If one thinks only of mountains, rivers, and cities, but to know someone who thinks feels with us and who through distance and who though distance is close to us in spirit, this makes the earth for us and in the inhabited. Quote From Fred Rogers on community : Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Transcripts of the show KDOI Rebroadcast Conversations On Community with Mike Porter Tim: Create art podcast. KDOI rebroadcast conversations on community with like Porter. Hello friends. This is Timothy Kimo. Brian, your head instigator for create art podcast where I use my twenty years. Plus. From my experiences in the arts and education world to help you tame your inner critic and create more than you consume. Now, a few years ago, I used to run a podcast called K D O I podcasts, which stood for Kimo's den of iniquity. I closed down that podcast and started up create art podcast because I felt. That is a better way to communicate to you what this podcast is about. So in 2022, I'll be rebroadcasting season three of Katie or podcasting. Now for this episode, I'll be talking with Mike Porter and we're going to be discussing community. And in each of these episodes, I start off with the definition of community and then two quotes. And then I talked to my guest to see what their opinion is on that topic. So I hope you enjoy. Welcome back friends. Welcome to KDOI podcasting Kimo's den of iniquity, where we create more than we consume. I am your head instigator, Timothy Kimo, Brian, many times creating art is done in an imposed isolation or away from our audience. When we do that, we can often feel like we're the only person doing the art we are doing. And we may never find our intended audience. It's important to find our community, to learn, to challenge and to inspire our creativity. I never went to conferences while in college, but since I left academia, I've gone to three conferences in two years about podcasting. Now, each time. The other weirdos that do what I do. I have a sense of family that I'm not the only crazy one out there doing this. It makes me want to push through blockages and create more. Now let's listen to what Merriam Webster says, a unified body of individuals, the people with common interests living in a particular area. A group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society, a body of persons of common and especially professional interests scattered throughout a larger society, a body of persons or nations having a common history or a common social economic and political interests. A group linked by a common policy, joint ownership, or participation social activity, our quotes come from Goethe or girthy. However, you'd like to pronounce his name. The world is so empty. If one thinks only of mountains, rivers, and cities, but to know

The benefits of looking back at your accomplishments in 2021 Wrap Up Hello friend, this is Timothy Kimo Brien head instigator of Create Art Podcast where we help you tame your inner critic and create more than you consume. I do this through commentary, conversations, projects and interviews and for 2021 I am doing web streams for those who would like to watch versus just listen. I use conversations, interviews, commentary and projects, to help inspire you to take an idea and bring it into the world. In this episode, I'm going to wrap up the year and discuss what was accomplished, what didn't work out, and what 2022 will look like. Why Do A Wrap Up So a good question you might have is, why do a wrap up episode? Well, it goes along with my mantra team, your inner critic. Now, this is one way to do it. Looking back on all you have accomplished in a year, makes you take notice of what you've done. I know my inner critic tells me I'm constantly lazy. But when I review things that I have done, I have an argument against that inner critic. Links mentioned FreedCamp Project Management App Canva Graphic Design App Poetic Earthlings Podcast Most Precious Commodity Podcast Joel Ciaccio Episode NaPoWriMo NaNoWriMo/NaPodPodMo The Art and Business of Writing Podcast Gagglepod Find A Podcast About Podcast Clearly Obtuse Podcast Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and lets start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast

KDOI Rebroadcast of interview with Mike Finlay Hello friend, this is Timothy Kimo Brien your head instigator at Create Art Podcast where I bring my 20 years in art and education to help you tame your inner critic and create more than you consume. In 2021 I am rebroadcasting my former podcast KDOI Podcast here so you can catch up on what we have been doing for the past 4 years. KDOI Podcast was my first serious attempt at podcasting after spending many years just creating content without regard to the final product. KDOI started in 2016 and had 3 seasons until I closed it down in 2019. I wanted to make sure that these gems didn't get relegated to my external hard drives, so here you go, there will be interviews, commentary, and projects that you can do for yourself. Enjoy these rebroadcasts and Create More Than You Consume. This episode is about the novel, so enjoy. The Novel as Art In this episode, I talk with my good friend Mike Finlay. I have known him since my time at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Mike is a playwright, poet, actor, and armchair philosopher. He has worked with me on numerous projects so he knows how to get the most out of me. In this interview, we talk about his beginnings in novel writing and where his inspiration comes from. Reaching Out To reach out to me, email [email protected] I would love to hear about your journey and what you are working on. If you would like to be on the show or have me discuss a topic that is giving you trouble write in and let's start that conversation. Email: [email protected] YouTube Channel: Create Art Podcast YT Channel IG: @createartpodcast Twitter: @createartpod Mighty Networks: Create Art Podcast

National Novel Writing and Podcast Posting Month 2021 Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where I help you tame your inner critic and create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education. How I accomplish this is by providing you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo again this year as I did last year and you can hear those episodes here. You will be able to listen and read along to what I wrote for the day. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. It is my hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] History of NaNoWriMo and NaPodPoMo NaNoWriMo: National Novel Writing Month began in 1999 as a daunting but straightforward challenge: to write 50,000 words of a novel in thirty days. Now, each year on November 1, hundreds of thousands of people around the world begin to write, determined to end the month with 50,000 words of a brand new novel. They enter the month as elementary school teachers, mechanics, or stay-at-home parents. They leave novelists. NaPodPoMo: NaPodPoMo* is a month-long event along the same vein as National Novel Writing Month aka NaNoWriMo. The difference? Well, instead of writing a 50,000-word novel, you podcast every day for 30 days from November 1st-30th. Use any platform you desire. From full production studio to iPhone app and just about anything in between. The goal is to use the challenge of podcasting daily as a form of podcasting boot camp. Writing My Final Thoughts Thank you for tuning into this special episode of Create Art Podcast. Today I wanted to talk about what I learned about myself and my process throughout this past month and these two challenges. Why would you be interested in what I learned, well maybe some of the nuggets I got can help you out in your practice, or maybe just maybe this will inspire you to complete a challenge that you have never tried or succeeded at in the past. You may need this gentle nudge or as I like to call myself the Chief Instigator to get you moving on your artistic journey. If you did attempt or complete either of the challenges last month, namely National Novel Writing Month or National Podcast Post Month please let me know about your journey. I’d be interested in hearing about as I know it would inspire me on my journey. If you did another challenge let me know about that as well. I First off, I want to thank those of you who either listened to or read what I wrote last month. My initial plan was to create a totally new novel. I had an idea banging around in my head for about a year on what the new novel would be, but I didn’t have a clear picture on where I wanted to start it and where I wanted to go. At the last minute I remembered that in 2020 when I did the NaNoWriMo and NaPodPoMo I had started up a novel and gotten over 50K words done on that project, but I hadn’t finished it. I pivoted and since I had put so much work into the first novel, I wanted to complete the process and since I didn’t have strong feelings on the new novel yet, I didn’t want to approach the challenge halfhearted. I had more emotion tied into the novel and I felt I could complete it. The first novel is called Shared Diary and the second novel doesn’t have a name. My first lesson in this project was to be able to pivot at the last minute and be open to pivoting. When I start a project I wat to be emotionally attached to it, the reason being is that I want to have enough in my gas tank to be able to push through the tough times that life provides. It's similar to picking out a major in college, yes you want to be able to make a living from what you study and eventually will be making a career out of, but you also want to enjoy what you are doing. I chose theater as my major, now you could argue that I am not using my degree, but I feel that I am every day. The things I learned in school are applicable to real world experiences, my acting classes helped when I was showing transitioning soldiers how to interview, my movement classes showed me how to breath to provide relaxation which I teach employees in my current job. So, you are right, I am not using my degree in theater pedagogy in the traditional sense, but I am using bits and pieces of it that fit the need at the time. If I would have chosen a major in HR, which is what my day job is, I would have never gotten these skills that have pushed my career to where it is today. Being able to pivot and prioritize your work will help when life decides to give you challenges. Plus, if you work on something you are excited about, more than likely you will either finish it or in my case brin

National Novel Writing and Podcast Posting Month 2021 Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where I help you tame your inner critic and create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education. How I accomplish this is by providing you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo again this year as I did last year and you can hear those episodes here. You will be able to listen and read along to what I wrote for the day. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. It is my hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] History of NaNoWriMo and NaPodPoMo NaNoWriMo: National Novel Writing Month began in 1999 as a daunting but straightforward challenge: to write 50,000 words of a novel in thirty days. Now, each year on November 1, hundreds of thousands of people around the world begin to write, determined to end the month with 50,000 words of a brand new novel. They enter the month as elementary school teachers, mechanics, or stay-at-home parents. They leave novelists. NaPodPoMo: NaPodPoMo* is a month-long event along the same vein as National Novel Writing Month aka NaNoWriMo. The difference? Well, instead of writing a 50,000-word novel, you podcast every day for 30 days from November 1st-30th. Use any platform you desire. From full production studio to iPhone app and just about anything in between. The goal is to use the challenge of podcasting daily as a form of podcasting boot camp. The Writing So Far 30 Nov 2021 daily count 1797 cumulative count 44030 Carl sat in his hospital bed and heard Cheryl quietly talking with Myra. The smell he hated was almost overwhelming and it seemed like forever before the nurse came back to his room. His companion was the beeps from the machines monitoring his vitals. The smell and the feeling of death is why he hated hospitals and since he was alone with his thoughts every time a beep didn’t go off in the way he expected he almost jumped off the bed. When the nurse finally came in to disconnect him and give him the discharge paperwork he was more than ready to go. “Okay, the doctor said that he wants you to follow up with your doctor in about a week. Do you need us to call your doctor's office today to make that happen or will you be able to do that,” asked the nurse? “I can do that, no worries. I am just ready to get out of here. No offense but I hate hospitals,” replied Carl. “So do I, but it pays the bills. Okay, do you have someone to watch over you today just to make sure you are okay,” asked the nurse? “Yes, my fiancé next door is going to be here with me and our adopted daughter. Also, my sister-in-law will be driving us home and will probably check in on us throughout the day,” replied Carl. “That sounds good. That little girl is awesome. She was a pro the whole time she was here. It’s good to see a young couple like yourselves helping someone who needs it. How long have you all been together,” asked the nurse? “Oh gosh, it feels like forever but in a good way,” lied Carl. “Okay here are your discharge instructions. I’ll put them in your bag. I am going to disconnect all these wires from you so you can get dressed and we can wheel you to the front. You said your sister-in-law is picking you up right,” asked the nurse? “Yes, she is grabbing the car right now,” said Carl. “Good. Now I can take these wires out quickly or slowly since you are so hairy, which do you prefer,” asked the nurse? “Just rip them off, the hair will grow back,” said Carl. “Okay, my husband is the same way. Here we go,” said the nurse as she took off the pads from Carl’s chest and side. With each rip she apologized and within a few minutes she had all the wires disconnected. “Okay you are all disconnected. I hope it didn’t hurt too much. I’ll give you a few minutes to get dressed and I’ll be back. I am just next door with your daughter so if you need anything let me know, okay?” “I should be fine; I don’t feel dizzy or anything like that. Will my doctor be able to see the notes from here by next week,” asked Carl? “If he is local, he should be able to, if not you can grab a copy of your file,” said the nurse as she went next door to check on Myra. Carl went head and got dressed in his regular clothes and out of the hospital down. Luckily the EMT’s didn’t cut off his clothes so he was able to leave with some dignity. When he was finished, he opened the curtain that blocked everyone’s view of his room. There were several people moving around the hallway and he checked in on Myra. “Knock knock are you decent Myra,” asked Carl as he knocked on the curtain that was covering her room? “We

National Novel Writing and Podcast Posting Month 2021 Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where I help you tame your inner critic and create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education. How I accomplish this is by providing you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo again this year as I did last year and you can hear those episodes here. You will be able to listen and read along to what I wrote for the day. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. It is my hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] History of NaNoWriMo and NaPodPoMo NaNoWriMo: National Novel Writing Month began in 1999 as a daunting but straightforward challenge: to write 50,000 words of a novel in thirty days. Now, each year on November 1, hundreds of thousands of people around the world begin to write, determined to end the month with 50,000 words of a brand new novel. They enter the month as elementary school teachers, mechanics, or stay-at-home parents. They leave novelists. NaPodPoMo: NaPodPoMo* is a month-long event along the same vein as National Novel Writing Month aka NaNoWriMo. The difference? Well, instead of writing a 50,000-word novel, you podcast every day for 30 days from November 1st-30th. Use any platform you desire. From full production studio to iPhone app and just about anything in between. The goal is to use the challenge of podcasting daily as a form of podcasting boot camp. The Writing So Far 29 Nov 2021 daily count 2047 cumulative count 42233 Cheryl and Carmine came running into the kitchen when they heard the audible thump to find Carl motionless on the floor with blood dripping from his forehead where a gash had formed. Cheryl let out a loud shriek just as Seth and Rachel came running in carrying the limp body of Myra. “Mom, Mom Myra just passed out when we were outside on the playground. Why is Uncle Carl on the floor, is that blood,” yelled Seth out of breath from carrying Myra? “What happened out there,” asked Carmine panicking? “Myra was on the swings and about a minute ago she passed out and fell to the ground while we were out there, and Seth picked her up and we ran to get her inside. What happened to Uncle Carl,” said Rachel? “We heard a thump and found him on the ground. Don’t touch him kids, I am going to call an ambulance. Get Myra on the couch in the living room,” said Carmine as she dialed the emergency number on her phone. Cheryl knelt beside Carl and wiped the blood gushing out of the wound on his head. She grabbed a towel and got it wet and then placed it on the open wound and held Carl’s head in her arms. “Shhhh, what happened baby, can you hear me,” Cheryl asked to a still unconscious Carl? Once Carmine got a hold of the operator, she quickly relayed what had happened and went over to check on Myra in the living room. The operator took down the information and dispatched an ambulance right away but kept Carmine on the phone and gave her instructions on how to help Myra and Carl. When Nate heard all the commotion downstairs and the screams from Carmine and Cheryl he quickly went downstairs as he was already dressed and ready to come down anyway. He first went to Myra and saw that she was still breathing and had a strong pulse, he then went over to the kitchen where Carl was and saw that Cheryl had controlled the bleeding, but the dish towel she used was soaked with blood. He grabbed two more dish towels and soaked them in cool water and gave one to Cheryl and took the other to Myra where he placed the cool wet dish towel on her forehead and had Seth hold it there. Carmine was still talking on the phone with the operator and told Nate that an ambulance was coming. He went back to the kitchen to help Cheryl and his little brother. “What happened here, did he have another episode,” asked Nate? “Carmine and I were in the other room, and we heard a thump and found Carl like this on the floor. I guess he had one or he was just so exhausted from last night and from the start of this whole thing that he passed out,” said Cheryl. “How is Myra?” “She must have had an episode as well; she is on the couch and has a strong pulse. I think she will be fine. Carmine has an ambulance coming. Looks like you stopped the bleeding, good work in keeping his head elevated. Let's just keep him like this and I will grab blankets for both of them, so they don’t go into shock, hold on okay,” said Nate. Tears started streaming from his face as he went back into the living room and found Myra talking with Seth and Rachel. He grabbed two blankets from the hope chest and put one on Myra and took

National Novel Writing and Podcast Posting Month 2021 Welcome friend to Create Art Podcast where I help you tame your inner critic and create more than we consume. I am Timothy Kimo Brien your thankful head instigator with over 20 years in arts and education. How I accomplish this is by providing you with commentary, interviews, discussions, and projects that will inspire you to create art. This month I will be podcasting daily and writing a novel in 30 days. I am participating in NaPodPoMo and NaNoWriMo again this year as I did last year and you can hear those episodes here. You will be able to listen and read along to what I wrote for the day. I like to practice what I preach when it comes to art so I am challenging myself to write and having you come along for the ride. It is my hope this inspires you to accomplish your goals with your art and if you would like to share what you are doing email me at [email protected] History of NaNoWriMo and NaPodPoMo NaNoWriMo: National Novel Writing Month began in 1999 as a daunting but straightforward challenge: to write 50,000 words of a novel in thirty days. Now, each year on November 1, hundreds of thousands of people around the world begin to write, determined to end the month with 50,000 words of a brand new novel. They enter the month as elementary school teachers, mechanics, or stay-at-home parents. They leave novelists. NaPodPoMo: NaPodPoMo* is a month-long event along the same vein as National Novel Writing Month aka NaNoWriMo. The difference? Well, instead of writing a 50,000-word novel, you podcast every day for 30 days from November 1st-30th. Use any platform you desire. From full production studio to iPhone app and just about anything in between. The goal is to use the challenge of podcasting daily as a form of podcasting boot camp. The Writing So Far 28 Nov 2021 daily count 1748 cumulative count 40186 Everyone walked into the house and migrated towards the kitchen. Carmine was there looking worried, and Carl put down the lunch groceries with Cheryl and Myra. He approached her and embraced her like a sister. “How’s the old guy doing,” asked Carl? “He won’t slow down even though the doctors told him too, so that means he is happy. I’m not. When is this thing going to be over. I don’t think it’s going to end well,” asked Carmine? “It will be over soon. Cheryl and I will get married and we will adopt Myra and things should quiet down and become boring,” said Carl trying to reassure Carmine and himself. Cheryl was the next to embrace Carmine and they held each other tightly. Carl and the kids started putting things away that needed to be refrigerated and Seth and Rachel took Myra outside to play. Carl headed towards Nate’s office on the main floor. “Carl, he is upstairs in the master bedroom. Nate has been waiting to hear from you,” said Carmine. She and Cheryl grabbed a cup of tea that Carmine had made earlier when she got Nate settled in bed. Carl had never gone to their master bedroom but knew enough about the layout of the house to know where to go. He almost dreaded to see what he would find. He had never seen his brother sick since they were kids and even when they were kids, his brother always seemed to never show how sick he was. When Carl approached the door, he listened outside for a moment to hear if Nate was sleeping. He heard the familiar voice of his brother talking to someone, he must be on the phone. He waited uncomfortably outside as if he was waiting to be scolded by his father for doing something wrong. It had been about five minutes but seemed like so many more before he knocked on the door. “Is that you Carmine,” asked Nate through the door? His voice was booming and sounded strong. “Nope, just your friendly neighborhood little brother,” replied Carl. He felt better about the situation and was encouraged that his brother sounded strong. “Well get in here, I promised Carmine I would stay in bed for a few hours,” said Nate. Carl opened the door slowly and stepped into the room he had never seen before. He didn’t know what to expect, but for some reason he wasn’t surprised when he saw a desk and chair on one side of the bedroom and on the other side was a king-sized bed with his brother in it above the covers on his phone. He heard the printer on the desk spitting out a piece of paper and that was the only sound besides his brother talking to someone on the phone. “Looks like you are back to normal almost,” said Carl sheepishly. “Welcome to where the magic happens. Grab a seat at the desk and let's talk,” said Nate. Nate turned his attention to the phone call he was on, “Okay so tomorrow we will get back to work on the project Vince. Your docs found nothing wrong just like mine and just like Angela. Yeah, Carl is here, and nothing happened to him. Right, I have alerted B team to finish up the work we started, and I should get some information from them later today. You got it I will give you a call when they report in. Take it ea