Prepping for my first poem reading!

Following on from my little venture into #creativeHE, which started from attending the  “Let’s Dance! Play that funky music to facilitate learning” and later materialised into embracing a new project “OER flashcards to raise digital inequalities awareness in the educational sector“, I felt I needed to keep incorporating creativity in my own routine to be able to find creative solutions to the professional problems that I come across.

So what did I do? I had registered for the #creativeHE Open Mic to be held on 21st April, the International World Creativity & Innovation Day. I am still in utter awe, but I was also driven by my need for more self-care activities, a reflection of which I wrote some time ago “My little “astuce” to professional happiness“, which can be summed up as:

📅Action for Happiness monthly calendars give a purpose to every single day
🧹Digital decluttering
🗄️Well-organised calendar for more focus
😊More daily self-care activities
💻 Being digitally versatile

When I registered for the event and put myself down to deliver an original piece of work, I peeped at what the others had put down, perhaps undermining my own creativity, but then settled for what I found easiest, a poem. I obviously had lots of questions in my head and was given a little nudge from Pip McDonald and others, through an Edwin Land’s quote.

An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail

Edwin Land

Since then, I had attended a creative journaling activity, I really needed that to get me back on track with writing, especially if I need to partly complete two book chapters by December. But inspiration came from a day out, visiting some extended relatives in their village, where I have not been for over 2 decades. And that is when “I noticed” came to mind.

I am still penning it, and it may change completely, but I need to get some initial thoughts out there if I am to deliver this to an audience of #creativeHE enthusiasts on 21st April.

I noticed the Poplars, the valley, the cliff

I noticed the creation of God

Dumbfounded by the Brobdingnagian

I noticed peace, beauty, love

I noticed the creation of God

Bequeathed by the Cavemen and forfeited by us

I noticed it all changed

I noticed I can change

I noticed I changed already

I have still got most of it to write, I have some more draft wordings written down which make no sense at the moment, and am hoping to deliver this in English & French. I am looking forward to 21st April, I will have no other choice than to complete the poem before 21st. I know I will be happy with however it turns out to be.