Creativity Project Year Two-Day 122

A meditation on pain and suffering:

This poem is in answer to the prompt at The Sunday Whirl. The words in italics are from Wordle 108, I got the words early on Facebook. You could visit that site for inspiration…

Vitriolic Outburst

I open my mouth and
Say the words that come to mind
Allowing them space
Under the blistering sun,
I will not yet be broken.

I will not cave, but
Shake my fist in defiance
Despite your constant
Drone raised against my judgment,
You will find actions binding.

I will continue
Circling subjects voicing
Chants and quiet vows
Unceasingly, using all
My force quite efficiently.

I would call you crook,
But the name is much too good
To describe you well,
You’re an absolute bully
Deserving name enemy.

My anger boils so
Riotously I cannot
Contain it within,
It overflows determined
To impact our history.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Friday, May 10, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   I went to town and did our weekly shopping.
2.   I picked up a Papa John’s pizza for me and Krystals for Mom.
3.   Laura called and rescheduled our dinner together.
4.   I talked to Richard Nichols this evening.
5.   Reba called and reported on her condition. She is recovering from her surgery.

I had a reasonably good Friday, although I stayed up all night. I hope you also had a good day. While you have a few moments, concentrate your energy on doing some creative work. I know you have the ability if you only set your mind to it. Your skill will grow with practice and inspiration will find you if you make a consistent effort.

As a prompt, write about a situation or person that maddens you. I find this is a great stress reliever. Leave a link to your poem, story, or journal entry in the comments below.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you will find your way here again, but you might also want to subscribe to Chronicles by entering your email address in the space provided above. Any thoughts, suggestions, or criticism you have to offer would be greatly appreciated.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 121

Journal entry:

Unappreciated

You take it all away
With your ignorance
Of everything I do
To make your life
More pleasant.

Sometimes I almost
Give up trying
Because you never
Notice my efforts
To enrich your days.

I have to remain
Hidden in the shadows
While you bask in
All the glory,
Darkness must suit me.

One day perhaps
You will notice
Everything does not
Revolve around you
And all your drama.

I work in the background
Without any credit
Wondering why I must
Continue when you
Do not even say thanks.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Thursday, May 9, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   I have plenty of paper.
2.   I have lots of clothes from which to choose.
3.   I still have my Mom with me.
4.   I have a variety of books to read.
5.   My computer allows me to do things I only imagined a few years ago.

Thursday was an interesting day. I hope your day was enjoyable. I went to the Sweetwater Camera Club meeting this evening. The speaker, David Fisher, gave a great presentation. As usual, I want to encourage you to engage your creativity and make something wonderful to share with the world. You can without doubt do work that touches other lives.

As a prompt, write about creativity in a way that encourages or provokes others to action. Your poem, story, or journal entry can be shared by leaving a link to your work in the comments below.

I am so thankful you chose to spend a few of your precious moments reading my blog. I hope you will find your way back here often, but you might also want to enter your email address in the space provided above and subscribe to Chronicles. Any comment you have to share would be much appreciated.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 120

Journal entry:

Counted Moments

Time is not standing
Still, it marches steadily
Onward carrying
Us along despite any
Major protests we may voice.

We must make the best
Of every single moment
Because it only
Passes once, leaving our lives
With its indelible marks.

Our memories may
Fade away with time’s passage,
But if we fill each
Day with our quality acts
Our experience will last.

Others will fondly
Remember whatever we
Contributed to their days
And they will take our present
Into oncoming future.

Every moment brings
Its own special blessings to
Enliven our lives,
Time is not standing still, it
Marches steadily onward.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Wednesday, May 8, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   Despite feeling sick at the beginning of the day, I began to feel better.
2.   Laura called me and asked me to go out with her.
3.   The supper I fixed was enjoyed by all.
4.   I was able to do the work on the SCC website without referring to my lessons.
5.   Carrie Leigh called me this evening.

My Wednesday was full although I did manage to stay home. I hope your day met your expectations. If you have not already spent time creating, I encourage you to get busy now. It is not difficult once you begin, though often we resist starting. I admit I had nothing to say this evening, but I did the work and it turned out well.

As a prompt, write a poem, story, or journal entry that presents your outlook on the passage of time. Maybe you have strong feelings about it, let that show in your writing. If you use this prompt, leave a link to your work in the comments below.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you found something that enriched your day. Please come back often. I would appreciate any comments you may wish to leave.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 119

Journal entry:

Cuteness cannot be avoided sometimes, so here is Hope in all her grandeur.

Detained

We are
Prisoners of
The many beliefs we
Hold dear and characters we have
Developed throughout our years of living,
They hold us willing captives just
As surely as cold steel
Holds convicts in
Their cells.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Tuesday, May 7, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   Although I woke up in pain, it subsided so the day was not unbearable.
2.   Wal-Mart has begun carrying Cream of Asparagus soup, my favorite.
3.   The pound cake I bought at Sam’s Club yesterday is very good.
4.   I took my complete camera kit to my class tonight.
5.   Penny is still here.

My Tuesday was a typical day, nothing extremely good or bad happened. I hope your day was what you hoped for. Now I encourage you to take a few moments to engage your creativity. This should not be difficult, because each of us is blessed with the gift of imagination. You can accomplish much if you only make an effort.

As a prompt, write about imprisonment. You may handle this in any way you choose. I have had the line “We are all just prisoners of our own device” running through my head and it seemed like I should write about it. If you use this prompt, please leave a link to your work in the comments below.

Thank you for visiting my blog, please come back again. Any comments you care to share would be welcome here.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 118

Journal entry:

Beyond Bearing

Could it be magic?
This feeling uncontained by
My normal restraint,
Running wild across my nerves,
Shaking up my sheltered life.

I glance so quickly
At you and then away with
Eyes that cannot bear
More than just momentary
Contact with your fair visage.

Your voice causes me
To tremble with deep longing
Consuming every
Vestige of my strong resolve,
Making me completely melt.

I am overcome
By overwhelming feelings
Of desire and love,
I want you within my arms
Cradled to my beating heart.

Could it be magic?
This feeling uncontained by
My normal restraint,
Running wild across my nerves,
Shaking up my sheltered life.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Monday, May 6, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   I was able to stay up all night.
2.   Mom was able to have her procedure even though somehow the office had not scheduled it.
3.   She did well despite us not having proper preparation.
4.   I went to Sam’s Club and picked up a few things we needed and got a sample that made me want to prepare a recipe.
5.   I remembered to renew my library books.

I had a decent Monday and hope your day also went well. There were moments when I thought the whole thing was going to fall apart, but it held together. I encourage you to engage your creativity and make something wonderful to share with the world. You never know all you can accomplish until you put forth effort.

As a prompt, write about your hidden talent. I hope yours is more pleasant than mine! Write a poem, story, or journal entry and leave a link to your work in the comments below so we can enjoy your revelation.

Thank you very much for reading my blog. I hope you will visit often, but you might also wish to enter your email address in the space provided above and subscribe to Chronicles. I welcome any comments you may have to share, so please leave one.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 117

A letter I will never send:

The following poem was prompted by The Sunday Whirl. The words in italics were found in the wordle there. Should you need a bit of inspiration visit that site.

Traffic Control

Thunderous pulsing
Of a thousand messages
Coming across wires
Moving almost without count,
Definitely without charm.

Others dish them out
With the thick spit of red rage
Drowning words in soup
That pours down the front of each
Person’s fine dressing like mud.

We are strained, stained, left
Flinching under deluge of
Communication,
Taxing imagination,
Killing creativity.

Overcome by thought
Travelling extremely fast,
We cannot compete
Within our own simple minds,
We have to exit the stream.

To find sanity
We must limit the inflow
Of information,
Working to place some order
Upon continuous flood.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Sunday, May 5, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   Dreams in slumber are not reality.
2.   Mom was able to get a bath despite her pain.
3.   Jeremy came by for a few minutes and took off a bag of our trash.
4.   Reba called and has our reborn babies almost ready.
5.   Life sometimes has rewards beyond our expectations.

This Sunday has been relaxing, although Mom is still in a lot of pain. When she sits still it abates somewhat. I hope you have enjoyed your day. If you feel inclined, spend a few moments exploring your creative impulses. There is much you can accomplish if you only make an effort. I have faith in your ability.

As a prompt, write a letter to someone who deserted you. You do not have to send the letter, but you might find material in it that you could otherwise use in a poem, story, or journal entry. If you use this prompt, please leave a link to your work in the comments below.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you will find your way back here often, but you might also like to enter your email address in the space provided above and subscribe to Chronicles. Any thoughts, suggestions, or criticism you might offer would be greatly appreciated, so please leave a comment.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 116

Journal entry:

Reading

When you
Enter the world
Created by the work
Of a writer between covers
Of a book, you experience a great
Adventure designed to take you
Deep within your vivid
Fantasies, so…
Please read.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Saturday, May 4, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   I am here to help Mom when she needs me.
2.   There is purpose to my life.
3.   We have the ability to keep the house at a comfortable temperature.
4.   I finished reading The Legend Of Broken by Caleb Carr.
5.   I watched the Kentucky Derby.

Mom has been in a great deal of pain, so my Saturday has been touched with sadness. I hope your day was better. While you have the opportunity, I encourage you to engage your creativity. You never know what delights you can bring to life until you delve into your imagination. If you believe it impossible, read what I wrote today again. I was totally without inspiration, but I managed to write. You can do meaningful work if you only make an effort.

As a prompt, write about reading. This is something magical that we do, and you no doubt have a poem, story, or journal entry about it within you. If you use this prompt, please leave a link to your work in the comments below.

Thank you so much for reading my blog. I hope you will continue to visit often, but you might also want to subscribe to Chronicles. If you have anything to share with me, please leave a comment.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 115

Journal entry:

Better Left Unsaid

It is
Absolutely
Useless to complain, but
Sometimes a word or even two
Escapes your lips without your permission
And you immediately think,
‘No, I should have never
Let that thought get
Outside.’

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Friday, May 3, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   I have a comfortable bed in which to sleep.
2.   I have clean water to drink.
3.   I have plenty of food to eat.
4.   There are people who love me in the world.
5.   I have a computer with which to communicate.

This was a very busy Friday, but it went fairly well. I hope your day was good. I encourage you to make an effort to complete some creative work. I know this can seem difficult, but it is worth your time. It will add contentment to your day.

As a prompt, write about something better left unsaid. Maybe you want to come at this from the perspective of what happens afterwards, maybe you want to write about what to avoid. Do it your way. Leave a link to your poem, story, journal entry, or other writing in the comments below.

Thank you so much for visiting my blog. I hope you will make coming here a habit, but you might also like to enter your email address in the space above to receive future updates from Chronicles. If you have thoughts, suggestions, or criticism to share, please leave a comment.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 114

Journal entry:

Advice to Someone Who Is Blocked in Their Writing

You have to be willing to write just, “I cannot think of anything to write, I have nothing to say. I don’t understand why I feel this way, but I do…” and just go on, even repeating yourself, until something comes to you. I have been doing my Creativity Project every day for over a year now. Often I have nothing to write, but I begin and just talk to myself on the page, and it usually leads to something. Do not stare at the blank page… write… even if it is the same sentence over again… eventually you will break through. The mind will begin to create. I truly believe it works because I do it. I was severely blocked before I began my Creativity Project, but now I write every day: A journal entry and poem a day, plus a gratitude list, some encouragement, and a prompt. I know it works. You can do it, I have. You have to want it and not be afraid to fail… if you call not writing beautifully every day a fail.

Perfectionism is very hard on creativity. You have to banish the harsh internal editor and write, even badly. You do not have to share what you write with the world, though I do, but you have to write. You have to give yourself permission to do the work without expectation of perfection. Realizing that nothing is actually perfect may help you. No matter how well we do a thing there is always room for improvement, so nothing is perfect. You do not have to be so hard on yourself. Write for yourself, amuse yourself, you might surprise yourself and find you want others to share your discovery. Loosen up and allow the making of mistakes. Some of the most fortunate things I have done were mistakes that led to something wonderful. Learn from your efforts. There is always the chance to edit what you write and improve it, after it is written.

I know this works, because I have made the journey from being unable to put down a sentence, to writing each day. It is not an easy journey, but it begins with desire and a willingness to start. The effort is most assuredly worthwhile. Had someone told me I could write every day for over a year when I began my Creativity Project, I would have told that person it was impossible. I have done it. It worked for me. It is possible. I am no one special. It can, with dedication and willingness to accept whatever work you do, also work for you.

Make the effort and you will find it gets easier with time. I still have days on which I have nothing to write, but I begin there and keep going. Eventually the words begin to flow. They may not be beautiful words, but they are mine, and being original in my creation is one of my goals, as is getting words on the page. You and I do not have to be perfect, that is not reality. We just have to be willing to do the best of our ability in the moment. It is good enough and it will fill pages… Try it and see…

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Thursday, May 2, 2013

Ideally

It is not ever
All about you, it is not
All about me, but
It is about who we can
Become relying on God.

We are only parts
Of the wonderful plans made
By the Creator,
Fulfilling His purposes
Through our actions in the world.

Jesus uses us
To accomplish whatever
Needs to be done in
The places where we are put,
In the times we come forward.

We will never be
Called upon to give more than
We are made able,
We are holy instruments
In the hands of awesome God.

It is not ever
All about you, it is not
All about me, but
It is about who we can
Become relying on God.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Thursday, May 2, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   Mom slept through the night without waking up in pain.
2.   I read over 100 pages in The Legend Of Broken by Caleb Carr, which puts me a little closer to finishing the book.
3.   I carried on conversations with a few people overnight.
4.   I started my Facebook page.
5.   We travelled to and from Mom’s appointment safely.

My Thursday has gone reasonably well. I hope your day was very pleasant. I encourage you to engage your imagination in doing something creative. I am convinced you can accomplish anything you are willing to commit to doing. You have the talent to make a wonderful contribution to our world.

As a prompt, write about your strategy for overcoming creative block. You may want to write a poem, story, or journal entry that explores this issue. If you use this prompt, please leave a link to your work in the comments below.

Thank you so much for reading my blog. I hope it has encouraged you. Please visit often, but you might also want to enter your email address in the space provided above to subscribe to Chronicles. If you have thoughts, suggestions, or criticism to share, please leave a comment.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 113

Journal entry:

I actually wrote the following poem on Monday and had already posted my blog, then I forgot to post it yesterday. So I hope you enjoy it.

Unsung Heroes

They’re the ones who stand
Backstage, out of the spotlight,
With quiet support
For every flamboyant act
Performed before the rapt crowd.

They’re the ones who say
Constant prayers for those who brave
Terrible dangers,
A hot line to God’s power
Is kept open by their pleas.

They’re the ones seldom
Wanting any credit for
The sacrifice they
Ever so willingly make
To keep everyone else safe.

They’re the ones who will
Never mention quitting in
The face of defeat,
They have hope and faith to keep
On fighting despite the odds.

They’re the ones who don’t
Voice their doubts in the hearing
Of others who might
Then lose heart, they continue
Believing to the finish.

They’re the ones who make
Other lives worth living with
Their dedication
To lifting up their fellows
Helping them their tasks complete.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Monday, April 29, 2013

Today’s poem, which is actually a rap song, follows:

Nonsensical Rhythm

Ooo la la…
Di op, dippity, whop, do…
That’s how it goes
When I am trying
To think of a song
To make into a poem
To write for me and you.

Ooo la la…
Di op, dippity, whop, do…
I got the music
In me and want to
Get the music inside
Of you too, so I keep
Writing until I do.

Ooo la la…
Di op, dippity, whop, do…
It does not make a lot
Of sense, but it is not
Necessary that it does,
It just has to reach out
And grab ahold of you.

Ooo la la…
Di op, dippity, whop, do…
Get yourself up,
Jump, shout, and move,
Sing out the song
I’m sharing with you,
Making it a part of you.

Ooo la la…
Di op, dippity, whop, do…
That’s how it goes
When I am trying
To think of a song
To make into a poem
To write for me and you.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Wednesday, May 1, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   It was only cloudy and did not rain.
2.   I was able to get the x-rays from Doctor Desai’s office.
3.   I was able to get an appointment with Doctor Patel’s office.
4.   Mom saw Doctor Bueno and he helped her some.
5.   Carrie Leigh cut the grass in our little yard.

I had a stressful Wednesday, but it turned out alright. I hope you had a blissfully happy day. Now do as I have done and let your creativity loose to make something that can enrich your life and those of your readers. I know that you can do wonderful things if you only make an effort.

As a prompt, write a rap that begins with some nonsensical words in rhythm. I had never done this before today, but I quite enjoyed it and suspect you will too. Should you use this prompt, leave a link to your work in the comments below.

Thank you so much for visiting my blog. I hope you found encouragement in it. Come back often, but you might also want to enter your email address in the space provided above and subscribe to Chronicles. If you have thoughts, suggestions, or criticism to share with me, please leave a comment.

Always,
Jo Ann

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