Creating Courageously
On being brave with our work
I gifted a dear friend a poetry book for her birthday this year. It is called The Poetry Pharmacy. The idea is that poems can be prescribed for any number of ills, which is a sentiment that I fully endorse. Throughout my life, poems have provided me with comfort, laughter, solace and inspiration. Yesterday, I needed a poem. I was sitting in a loud fear space about my writing and needed some support. I messaged my friend and told her what I was going through. I asked her if she had any advice or a poem she could share? She sent me this:
I felt the tears come immediately. It was the perfect prescription. To be a creative is to be brave and to open our hearts to the world. We create and we share our creations and that can make us feel incredibly vulnerable. What if it isn’t good enough? What if no one likes it? But we have to feel that soft light of encouragement within ourselves and know that to share is far better than remaining frightened.
What if Hafiz had worried that this poem wasn’t good enough to share? What if he had felt that he needed to make it more perfect? Simply, for that moment, when his poem told me all I needed to know and soothed my heart, I am so grateful he chose to be brave and share his work with the world.
So, just a short newsletter today to encourage you to be courageous and open your creative heart to the world. Be brave, you never know who might just need to hear your words.
Recommendations
Poetry: I found out about the Poetry Pharmacy via this lovely event, which I watched online last year.
Novel: I am not new to the game on this one, but I just read Where the Crawdads Sing and found the escapism into nature joyous and the story compelling.
Viva Mexico: Tomorrow is Mexico’s Independence Day and tonight the cry of Viva Mexico will be called out by the president. This song never fails to stir all the feelings in me and this rendition is stunning.
Mentoring
I mentor new and established writers, supporting them in becoming confident, happy and courageous. I offer a free, 20-minute consultation to anyone interested in working with me.
Here’s what a recent mentoring client had to say:
“I’ve had a fair amount of experience with mentoring, on both sides, and I can confidently say that Susannah has a natural gift for it. I came to her with a head full of ideas and enthusiasm but a lack of clarity and direction. Susannah supported me in simplifying my goals without diluting them and guiding me into moments of enlightenment. She helped me see the magic in the big-picture oak tree and the power in its tiny acorns. I would love to work with her again.” Victoria S., London
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