2nd Submission of the Month

I have been thinking about today’s deadline all week, thinking was as close as I got. I haven’t been on the laptop since Wednesday.

The theme was journeys, which has been covered in week 2 of Jo Bell’s 52 project, I only needed another 2 poems and I am sure I have written plenty over the year, but I actually set fingers to the keyboard and wrote and edited another 2 short poems today. I have submitted 3 poems and now wait with baited breath!

Letting Go – Finding the Balance between Work and Dreams

 This week I had been booked for just 3 days work, I have planned to go to 4 performance events Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. In the end I was booked for the full week and decided that I had bitten off more than I could chew.

At the end of my first day of work, I knew I would be in bed before 10, and so I decided not to go to the open mic. Tuesday I had been booked for an 8 minute slot in Ludlow, Wednesday I had been booked for a 5 minute set and Friday was another open mic, which was several counties away, although for me just a half hours drive to a friends house for a lift. By the time I got to Friday I knew I had no energy left and let go off the idea of attending the open mic. I was asleep by 7.

It is really important to keep an eye on energy levels and how much is too much, being busy is good, but it is meant to be enjoyable.

I am aware that this month I have hammered many events to find out where I want to perform regularly. Focus is a conversation I had this week with a poetry friend.

Here is where I am …….. Here is where I want to be……………….. this is what I need to do to get there………

Does performing all these regional gigs help? Well, yes. For rehearsing performance quality, for connecting to people, finding audience, building a reputation, making contacts, enjoying myself, sharing my work, finding what fits/ suits me.

I didn’t think much about doing 2-3 events a week, I know already that my diary for February is not as brutal and that old saying about successful people never saying they wish they’d slept more….

However, it was pointed out that I may be over-doing it with work as well. I felt this a bit myself, that’s why 4 gigs became just 2. I plan to attend the one I missed in Burton later in the year, March is the next time I have availability.

I also needed to balance some ACTUAL writing this week and have managed 3 new poems since Thursday. I have also submitted 3 new poems for publication. It has been a busy week. There was a writer’s network meeting that I missed this afternoon and there is a story telling event in the city tomorrow night which I have also decided to miss.

 Next week I have 4 days of work and 3 events, 42 on Wednesday night, where I will be sharing some darker poems. Friday night is a Creative Re-launch for KAF and I will be performing a set in the gallery. I need to write new material suitable for the event this week. Sunday afternoon is a relaxed affair at the Ort, where I will be sharing some of my poetry. I also have the action plan to complete for January with some more work for submission.

I can barely believe it is nearly the end of the month already.

 

Balance

• Do what you want to do – check you have energy to do it.
• As long as you haven’t been booked there is no commitment to attend events, pick and choose depending on what suits you.
• Consider geographic locations and the extra time and expense of travelling to destinations.
• Think about where you are and where you want to be.
• What do you have to do to get there?
• DO THAT!