Lately I’ve been feeling uninspired, thinking maybe I should even quit writing, but then I read two things this week that hit me very profoundly. The first was the sidewalk poem written on the sidewalk near where I work by Poetry By Boots. I followed their Instagram account but don’t check it regularly enough to know Boots was in my neighborhood, and anyway there’s something wonderful about the surprise of spontaneously coming upon one of their messages.
The second thing is from Michelle oveat Rubber Shoes In Hellwho said,
I have a suggestion for for. Maybe it is more a request.
Make art.
Make a lot of art.
Sing songs and dance. Unless your knees hurt a lot like mine, then maybe not a lot of dancing.
Write stories and jokes and plays and poems. Write a funny message on your bathroom mirror.
Act or tell jokes. Draw pictures. Glue sparkly things to something dull.
Make good food. Try new things. Decorate a cake. Paint a lamp. Deconstruct something unusable and turn it into something else.
Find the art of others. Appreciate their art. Support them and celebrate them.
That last part really stood out for me because I’d been thinking about how artists need communities, not audiences necessarily, but other artists, or even those who will just support and encourage the making of art. And that was followed by this:
Art and poetry are how we battle the darkness. I’ve been thinking of giving up on the blog too—sometimes it feels like shouting into the void after 10 years. But not today.
mydangblog recently posted…It All Comes Out In The Wash
Somehow those affirming messages convinced me to keep going. It’s a funny thing. When I was in college my fellow English majors and I used to joke that the one guaranteed way to be inspired to write was to decide to quit writing. All these years later it still works.
Love this, Chris.
I know you have no plans to quit blogging, and I’m grateful, but if the thought ever crossed your mind I hope the thought of all of us who enjoy what you do would keep you going.
Thanks so much, Chris!