Christmas has come and gone, and I’ve survived it. Always a relief. Now it’s time to look towards the New Year. I know a lot of people are well and truly done with 2020. Personally, I think that anyone expecting the situation to change magically overnight in 2021 will be disappointed. That said, it’s always nice to think of the New Year as a clean slate upon which to write some plans in chalk: subject to change, but outlining our hopes and dreams for the year ahead.
Resolved not to make resolutions
I’m not a big believer in New Year’s resolutions, as I think they only set us up to fail. They provide us with a yardstick against which we judge ourselves, and with which we then proceed to beat ourselves if we don’t measure up. I would rather say that I have ‘New Year’s inspirations.’
Last year’s inspiration was to download the Complete Works of Shakespeare to my Kindle. I had a crazy notion in my mind that I might try and read the entire thing in a year (if I’d resolved to do this, I would have become resolutely disappointed.) However, by having that book handy at all times, I was able to read and revisit my favourite quotes, cite them in my work, and even foster a love of Shakespeare in my eldest son (we read and watched The Tempest during the first lockdown, and we’re currently reading Richard II.) So this inspiration worked out well, and it will continue to inspire me into 2021.
Inspirations for 2021
At the moment, I’m inspired by the idea of sharing more poetry on Twitter. I think Twitter can be a great vehicle for sharing and promoting concise works of poetry. So I will challenge myself to write one single-tweet poem every day of next year. If I don’t manage this, I won’t beat myself up. Even if I only make it half way through, I’ll have 182.5 poems to add to my archives! If you write poetry on Twitter, I would love any hints and tips that you can offer. You can find me @Experimentsinfc.
I am also inspired to submit more poetry for publication. Therefore I will aim to try to respond to calls for poetry submissions at least once per month. The reason I don’t do more of this is because I enjoy the immediacy of sharing my words with you right here on this site. A further publication goal is to work on manuscripts for poetry collections, of which I already have several in embryo. This will involve organising my poetry archive and collecting works together into publishable format. I have no set date for doing this, I just want to keep it on my inspiration radar.
The best laid plans…
The problem with resolutions can be summed up in my previous Quarantine Diaries post. I resolved to take some time out from this blog. So far, I’ve only managed to take a break on Christmas Day. Because the truth is, I am lost without my writing. As long as I’m inspired to write more every day, that’s enough resolution to get me through the coming year. We can’t control external circumstances, so it’s important to let go, go with the flow, and write in the gaps we carve out for ourselves within our busy lives. For me, this is a kind of sanctuary.
Wishing you all the best for 2021, whatever challenges it brings, may you continue to find inspiration!
P.S. The Featured image is from the ascent of Stol, a mountain I was inspired to climb when I first arrived in Slovenia in June. I had to wait for the right moment and eventually, in November, I found it.
Good luck with all these projects!
😅 I think the Twitter one is a bit crazy but let’s see how it goes!
I’m not on Twitter. I have enough problems keeping WP up to date! 😂
I think Dauphy could manage your social media…
😂😂😂He’d love that!
Could he do mine as well? 😅
😂
Best wishes with your inspirations, Ingrid! Writing it down, and sharing it with other who understand, because they’re writers too, thats a good way to go, it helps build a group of supporters!
Exactly what I thought, thanks Carolyn!
I think when I started I had the same idea, that I didn’t want the blog to dominate me. But, it hasn’t. I just do it because I enjoy it. Simple as…
Yes, same here!
Wow. That is such a good idea!
I have no idea where to even find calls for poetry submissions… 🤷🏻
I’m very impressed with your ambitions!
-David
David, Spillwords press is a great place to start – they are very supportive of emerging poets! Are you on Twitter?
not yet… maybe that should be my New Year’s resolution 🙂
Ingrid, I have thoroughly enjoyed your posts and look forward to reading more in the next year. I love your phrase, ‘New Year’s inspirations’ and your reminder to go with the flow. I wish you the very best and I know you will continue to inspire with your writing and achieving. 💐
Thank you, Michele! I very much enjoy your inspiring posts and poetry, and wish you all the very best for the year ahead 😊
Darling Ingrid… I’m signing you up for the AA blogging club. 🤣 I see only a day.. 😡🤣
Love you will be submitting more as you are an inspirational poet. Wow, that woulda been a lotta Shakespeare.. I’m still in the thick of the fun holiday spirit.. slept a lot yesterday the fun has just begun. I’ll need a vaca from the vac. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ xo
😳 you caught me! 😅 I just really felt the need to write…I’ve been sleeping a lot too though as hubby is off work – good times 😊
Busted!!!!
You can just write and post later… just a thought! 🥰 oh man I’m writing a little … still checking in tho 🤪
I love that view; what a place to stand and see the world!
I am not a big goal person, but I like to think of a few things I would like to spend more time doing. Failure is, I think, something we can learn not to feel. 🙂
I do not post micropoems on Twitter every day, but I do like to be inspired by @vsspoem’s daily word poetry prompt! Check them out.
Ooh thank you, I’ll take a look…
Ingrid, you are a very ambitious and dedicated writer. I don’t see how you accomplish all you do. I will enjoy reading your lovely posts in the New Year. All the best with all the projects! <3
Thank you, Cheryl! I wish you and your family all the best for the coming year 😊
I love the idea of inspirations not resolutions. I refuse to make resolutions either, too hard and inflexible. There are things I would like to happen but who knows whether they will. Hope your 2021 gives free rein to your inspiration xx
I like the idea of inspirations. Every month I write down some intentions, and then look back at the end of the month to see how I did. Not so well this year, but there are a few things always that look like progress, and that keeps me going. Organizing my work has been on there for a few years now. At least its still on my mind, and maybe I’ll get there eventually. Good luck ! (K)
I realised looking back through my archives that I need to start organising my work a bit better, saving files properly etc. But as soon as I get that feeling I ‘need to’ do something, I usually rebel against it!
Starting is the hardest part I find.
I enjoy composing poems on twitter because they are fast to write and read others works as well! I just found out some of my tweets will be included in the #poetryin13 volume 3 anthology released mid week as well. I have been hoping, like you, to get more of my poems published in print this year and have been submitting to whatever I can find without high reading fees. We can inspire each other this year with our goals! I am excited for 2021!
That sounds fantastic! Bring on the poetry 😊 And thanks for your help with poetry on Twitter-great news about your publications 🤩
I am also trying to submit more flash fiction. January should be fun as I hear back about more flash fiction and short story competitions. I think we always need goals but like you say, inspiration is the key, not stringent demands. I rebel if someone tells me I am required, haha!
Me too 🤣
Also when I say “this” year I mean next year. My mind is already in 2021 it seems. Just have to get through 3 more days!
Yes, we’re almost there 😅