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I must say that last night made me feel quite warm, tired but overall happy. I'm not sure how, but over the last few weeks I've been lucky enough to discover a great FB (that's FaceBook for the uninitiated or those not as 'hip' as I am) group. It's run by the lovely Abbey Parsons and is called 'The Creative Eye'. Now, that name is 'super cool' for a number of reasons (just think about it for a few minutes) and I love it. I signed up to go to one of the Events run by Abbey at the 'Folded space' in Southend in October (I blogged about it so you can have a look if the mood takes you.) After that event, Abbey asked me if I could run a Poetry Workshop at their next monthly event which was last night at 'The Metal Art School' in Chalkwell Hall, Chalkwell (Southend). When Abbey asked me, I was surprised, shocked even, and very very happy to have been asked. Now Abbey is a real 'go getter'. Tall, willowy with lovely eyes and the best pink hair I've ever seen. She has set up The Creative Eye, used social media as it should be used - as a force for good - and is bringing all sort of 'creatives' together to network and blur the boundaries between different disciplines. Photographers, painters, writers, poets, singers, any and all types of creative people are welcome at her events and she manages to make a comfortable and inclusive environment whilst not being too conspicuous - a very difficult line to walk. Anyway, I took a long time preparing for the two hour session. i did some online research (it is 2019 after all) and looked up variations on how to run a workshop. I didn't know how many might turn up, what the ages would be and how to cater for the widest possible mix whilst not making it too boring. I wanted to give some background about the way I write poetry and fiction, some history of Poetry (from 'Poesis' (from the Greek meaning 'making' or 'creating'), some examples of poetry (I chose Gerald Manley Hopkins and 'God's Grandeur' and Louis MacNeice's 'The Suicide'), a short comparison of older poetry forms contrasting them with the newer more contemporary styles and then a bit of 'audience participation'. Perhaps not as unique as I'd like, I thought I'd get those who attended - if they were still in the room and hadn't left or fallen asleep - to create a poem of some type in the final hour or so and then lead a discussion around what we had all written and what that might reveal about us. I'm a great believer that, no matter what you create; it shows at least some of who and what you are. Well, I learnt a lot about myself, what I'd do different next time (if there is one) and I think the session went fairly well. I had some good feedback on the night (and since) and have made a few new connections. The whole group really threw themselves into it and each created a poem and read it out - very brave. I'm lucky in that I can usually create a poem of some sort fairly easily, and I'd written 15 individual lines which i thought were interesting and gave the chooser a fighting chance of one of them sparking something in their heart or mind. These lines could be first lines or last lines or be placed within the poem; or just used as a springboard for a different poem altogether. Everyone wrote something that was worthwhile and moving in its way. (You can read my short poem on the relevant page.) This part of the session was the most successful I think. There was lots of laughter, discussion, exchange of viewpoints and ideas and the group became more open and lively. It was just what I'd hoped would happen. There were Bourbons, Custard Cremes, Party Rings and even Jaffa Cakes to nibble on and I played them the Orson Well's part of 'The Fall of the House of Usher' (Alan Parsons Project, Tales of Mystery & Imagination, about Edgar Alan Poe's works) to get started. As usual, I recognised on-the-fly where I needed to cut some of the prepared parts of my session plan and I adjusted accordingly. Now it meant that I did miss out some classic (and classy) nuggets of information but hey-ho that's required when you need to be flexible to keep your audience awake - I mean interested. No, I mean enthralled. If you're a creative person, of any discipline, activity, hobby, inner drive or need to reach out through your craft; look for the 'The Creative Eye Essex' group and if you see the Logo (below), you know you're at the right place. It's friendly, inclusive and growing - well worth getting involved. Anyway, check out the new poem written during the session to see what you think and I'll see you next time. Take care all, keep reading.... Alan 
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are usually cold, bring with them rain, and a desire in everyone to get inside and hibernate within your warm home until spring arrives. As winter really takes hold, you don't see many people and even your neighbours are not as easy to connect with as during the warmer months.
I mention this as this evening I had something happen that has not happened before and it made me smile and warm inside. If you know anything about me at all you'll know that as an 'artist' (if I may style myself thus), it is my reaction to emotions, events, conversations or sights that are the 'engine' for my poetry. These events are what drives the requirement, the need, for the poem to be written. When I hear the guitar styling from Keith, it generates a response and I start to hear the song and the lyrics in my head and within a fairly short time, the song - melody and lyric - are written. It then moves onto another stage in the process of its gradual birth but in general, this is how a song is written (by me at least). When I have my camera (I usually have one with me) and I see something that connects or 'chimes' with me, then I hear the voice of one of my photography heroes - Henri Cartier-Bresson. He would talk about taking a photograph in the 'decisive moment'. miss it and the image is lost forever; but record it and you record something important (if only to yourself). So, this evening I'd been working on the artwork for the 'Rogue Studios Session' CD and feeling that, with the agreement of Keith; I'm close to the final iteration. At the same time - I can mutli-task - I have had the USA Formula 1 weekend on in the background (other sporting events are available). It is cold outside, there are fireworks going off frightening children and animals alike but, safe and warm in my study, things were ok with the world. And then I received it. Without preamble, without warning. An email. An email from someone who I choose to call a 'fan' of my work. A person who took the time to connect with me via email and tell me that she liked my poetry, that there was a spelling mistake on one of my poems (now corrected) and that having a Contact Me Form as well as my email details on the same page was probably redundant. Now, I'm always full of doubt over my work, my creative output. I do my best to create what I 'see' or 'hear' in my head, but I'm never fully satisfied and my lack of success, my lack of feedback and engagement by visitors to my site (please don't stop visiting though!) creates a huge deep well of doubt that I'm doing anything useful at all. Yet I've always said that if just one person liked something I'd written, recorded or sung, if just one person had a positive reaction to my creation; that it would be a vindication of sorts. And now, not only am I aware of a person who likes what they have read, she has taken the time to reach out and tell me so. This is a huge thing for me and it has made a huge difference to how I view my work; which is a great thing considering I'll have a new book out early next year ('Distant Echoes', my poetry diary of 2019)! If you've ever seen Baldrick in the Final 'Blackadder' series, it's a bit like having a bullet with your name on it, even if you make it yourself. [That made a lot more sense in my head when I was writing it than it might appear now, but I'll leave it here because someone likes my work and has told me so]. Stay safe all, and keep reading! Alan |
Alan Mitchell63 years old, retired and now lives on the Lincolnshire Coast, He loves the process involved in creating poetry, fiction and music... as well as taking the odd photograph (and some really are odd)... Archives
September 2025
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