20 Comments

I adored this! Thanks for writing it!

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My pleasure!

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WOW. i loved this so much! so relatable! i have also been struggling to write fiction for a bit. i am also a writer who has always said i would never, could never write poetry. i also tend to abandon projects/challenges if i miss a day. this is so inspiring! poetry! who woulda thought! congratulations for finding a creative outlet that has felt good and constant!

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Aw, thank you! I'm so glad reading it is spreading little threads of inspiration to folks. It's so neat and exciting to feel something new in terms of a creative practice—a good reminder of what is possible. I hope you go for poetry if you feel like it, and wish you all the fruitfulness and fallowness in your own writing.

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I love this for you Laura!! It’s so funny how we can initially resist something because we don’t feel like we ‘know’ enough. I grew up thinking poetry was so complex (from studying it at school) and under the impression you have to be a certain person to write it. But then you realise anything can be a poem and anyone can write one. And that’s enough to define yourself as a poet.

I write poems inconsistently in my notes app but this whole, beautifully written, piece has me thinking I should make it less of a sporadic practice and try and do one every day/week? Your joy and practice is inspiring! I love it.

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Oh, I love this! Yes, it is so easy to convince ourselves we can't do something, and what a wonder it is to realize that is not at all the case! I hope you find so much creative joy in your poetry, whether you make it less sporadic or not!

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Thanks for the wonderful recommendation of Martyr! - I look forward to checking it out.

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I hope you love it! It's incredible.

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I feel this! I've been having lots of resistance to writing fiction, mostly due to lack of time and energy. I keep coming up with ideas, write 1-2 pages, get interrupted, and never return. BUT, I've been writing a poem a week this year! Not every day, but I seem to be able to manage weekly. They're not great, but there is something really special about writing poems.

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It can be such a struggle. Hurray for writing a poem a week! I agree there is something about poems that feels magical at times and for me at least, easier to just go for without stressing/overthinking.

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As I was coming down through here I was thinking, "great, at the bottom here we're going to get to read a bunch of Laura's poems!" Maybe some other time...

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Haha, they're not quite ready yet, but hopefully they will be soon!

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Wonderful! You are finding joy, joy of your own creation! This makes me happy, happy for you, but also just plain happy!

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Aw, thank you! This makes me happy to read!

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Really great stuff here Laura. Thanks for sharing your story. Keep up the great work.

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Thank you!

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This is hands-down my favorite thing you've ever written, anywhere ever. I drank every word of this so fast. Oh my god, Laura, I can barely formulate a coherent response.

I can't think of any form where it matters less if you're trained, have studied, are "qualified" (whatever that means), have always defined yourself in opposition to -- you're writing poetry, you're doing it! and that makes you a poet. Full stop, the end.

I can't wait to see where this leads, if anywhere (and if "nowhere," then know this is enough -- not what you've written, but the process by which you're coming alive).

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There aren't enough heart emojis available to express how much I love this comment. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for reading and understanding and seeing my words. It means so much.

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Love hearing about your creative writing journey! I have one similarly meandering, if less prolific. Cheers to daily, low pressure poetry!

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So glad you enjoyed hearing about it! It was quite cathartic (and illuminating) to write it all out.

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