Thank you to Robert Okaji for interviewing me for his beautiful poetry blog. He made me think about one of the hard questions . . . .
Welcome to “Sunday Compulsion,” in which creatives answer one question: Why do I create? Here’s poet Luanne Castle: When I pondered why I write, my mind flipped the question to why I don’t write during so many fallow periods. There have been so many reasons over the years: school, work, social life, teaching, raising kids. It’s not that I […]
via Sunday Compulsion: Luanne Castle (Why I Write) — O at the Edges
Your reason makes sense to me, Luanne. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for stopping by, Ms Jill :)! Have a great week!
It was great to read about your creative process (or pauses) :), Luanne.
Pauses is right! Do you ever have pauses in your creativity or are you always “on”?
That’s a good question. I think the creativity is always there, but it’s not always ready to come out. It’s like there’s a part of my brain that is always on in the background. There’s often a soundtrack, too. Does that happen to you? Sometimes more than one song at the same time. My daughters say they have that, too, but my husband doesn’t.
The poetry is really something that’s happened in the last few years. My creative outlets came through in stories I’d make up, in imaging the lives of women I researched, in silly songs, Passover plays, etc. It was only after I started the blog and was just writing as an outlet that the poetry began to flow. I see things or read a prompt, and I think of a phrase or a story I want to tell, but sometimes I’m too tired or busy and it just doesn’t happen then.
Fascinating description of your creativity, Merril! I too am one for silly songs, and no, the soundtrack I do not have (and a good thing or I would be overwhelmed), but I am constantly making up little songs throughout the day. Singing to cats, mainly, but that might just be an excuse. I used to do it with the kids all the time, too.
A very good reason to write Luanne, writing helps us to do many things including figure ourselves out!
I think that is at the heart of writing, at least for me–the figuring myself out! Or at least managing myself haha!
I have come to see the thing I (still) call ‘procrastinating’ is actually ‘incubating’. And when the thing is ready it happens. Life has to be lived too 🙂 Loved hearing you read the poem…….
Thanks, Pauline. I’m so glad you liked hearing the poem. It’s so nerve-wracking to hear one’s own work, although I love the actually read aloud and forming the words. Very tangible, you know? Yes, not procrastinating. Incubating is a great word for it. That’s exactly what is happening. I wish I wasn’t so slow about it all!
Congrats on being interviewed, Luanne. I like how you say you wait for the writing to call to you and otherwise just go about you life. That makes sense to me too.
What else can I do if I am not yet ready to write? If I push it it usually turns out crummy. Thanks for stopping by, Deborah!
Congratulations, Luanne
Going to get your book! Congratulations!
Oh, that makes me happy! Thanks, Hollis!
Oh, that sounds familiar. When I don’t write, I am VERY cranky. It’s unsettling not to “plumb the depths” and live on the surface of life.
It’s kind of dangerous, sort of like being a tree without roots!