Reflection & Aha... I used to worry about posting a poem every day, which was silly. I work on poetry every day during May, nay April (but the rhyme...), which is why there is NAPOWRIMO. I realize that mass posting every day brings an increased awareness to Poetry. But, we can only do what we can do, and it may seem obvious to some, but once I gave myself permission to go at my own pace, I may actually finish a NAPOWRIMO...It won’t be 30 poems in 30 days, but it will be 30 poems, based on 30 days of NAPOWRIMO Prompts (or not, ‘cause Poetic License) spread over several months.

I love this prompt and have been trying to make a poem, but it’s been a work in progress.... and I remembered that I have done a poem with this Prompt... As an occasional teacher, Aka. The Sub, this was an assignment the teacher had left for her grade 8 class. So cool! So, we all settled to poetry writing (they were really good kids at a really great school)....

i believe in You --
teaching in the world today takes everything we got
it causes so many worries. I wish we weren’t so fraught

slammed in the press for trying to do our best
taking away money, packing the classrooms like sardines
and it seems that no one is learning a thing

AXE fumes and obnoxious attitude ooze
i’m assaulted by curses coming at me, a mere messenger of knowledge --
and, I’d like to think — a harbinger of delight
i try with all my might
it used to be that eyeballs stared at me, they couldn’t wait to see
now, they get all glazey as they peel them from their screens
farther away and harder to reach
thumbs thump and slide, it’s one bumpy ride
machines rule the room, and I must be on a screen
to make my lessons boom
OMG it’s dizzy-making to think of all the changes
Life’s a test, full of stress,
but you’ll burst your seams,
as you follow your dreams.
i wish You all will soar to success.

reaching all the Kids today takes everything you’ve got
a worthy challenge I won’t give up on; I give it my best shot
I believe in You, the future.

(May 24, 2019, reworked/edited 2020)

There are those days when you're just driven to daytime drinking...
You know those days, right?
It's worse when there is actually no drink to be drank;
When things go flying before you can even catch your breath;
You get beat upon by life and also fists;
Your best bud is mad at you;
You got assignments due at school
and two jobs to boot;
You gotta make time for the dentist to do his business.
(I'll have you all know - contrary to popular belief, I do not have a big mouth-
and so it really hurts afterwards, what with the fibro and all!)
My hair is atrocious and requiring attention and care...
You get the picture, I'm sure,
Because I know you feel it, too.

Okay, so maybe it's not an actual hamster in my brain, but it turns out, I wasn't that far off the mark.

When I was a student (let's just say, a while back), I often worried that it didn't look like I was listening to the teacher - because I really didn't look l was listening to the teacher.  My eyes were on my page and I was moving my pens furiously across my page - but, honest, Miss, my EARS were listening and I WAS learning.

Research seems to say so:
Sunni Brown's TED talk
http://sunnibrown.com/doodlerevolution/
Globe & Mail article
Time Magazine article - Doodling helps you pay attention
Oprah.comWhy Doodling Is Important“ I Draw Pictures All Day” by Alma Hoffmann

THIS IS MY FAVOURITE:)...
People who doodle are smart - they pay more attention and remember things better than those who do not doodle. That's the scientific result of a study done by Professor Jackie Andrade, of the School of Psychology at the University of Plymouth and published by the magazine Applied Cognitive Psychology. The test also showed that fidgeting has the same positive effect. So the next time you're doodling during a meeting — or twirling a pencil or playing with your hair in class and you hear the teacher ask "Are you paying attention," you can say in truth that you have heard every word! Read more & watch a video!

Hear the sounds of nature along Spencer Creek... What can you hear? What can you see? Or, simply relax and follow the little yellow ball. Taking some time to just chill out is really good for you says all sorts of research out there (just Google it, if you don't believe me!).

One day I took a walk in #OurValleyTown, Dundas, Ontario.  Of all the places, it is my favourite.
​https://spark.adobe.com/video/HyqpaSc_

​My Unstructured NAPOWRIMO, Summer 2016
Because I don't do well with structure when it comes to my creativity...

Apps Used:

• Notes across all Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, desktop Mac)
• iPages (across all Apples)
• Rhymer's Block
• Power Thesaurus
• Enlight
• FrameArtist+
• Adobe Spark

...Ted Talks, that is.

When I feel in need of some guidance, and wouldn't it be great if I could afford professional help? -  but I can't...
so I, like so many others look to Ted Talks for answers - and if you don't, well then you definitely should!

So far, I've learned that I am not just quirky or weird, but I'm 'Multipotentialiate'.  And I am making myself 'Super Better' as I "Live My Legend", and I align my work with my moral compass, or WHY I do what I do...  

​Because I am passionate about the Arts, education, creativity and happiness - yes, happiness - if you aren't happy, then why bother?  Why bother?!.

While we're on the topic...

Ted Talks:
​
​​Emilie Wapnick
Why some of us don't have one true calling
What do you want to be when you grow up? Well, if you're not sure you want to do just one thing for the rest of your life, you're not alone. In this illuminating talk, writer and artist Emilie Wapnick describes the kind of people she calls "multipotentialites" — who have a range of interests and jobs over one lifetime. Are you one?

Jane McGonigal
The game that can give you 10 extra years of life
When game designer Jane McGonigal found herself bedridden and suicidal following a severe concussion, she had a fascinating idea for how to get better. She dove into the scientific research and created the healing game, SuperBetter. In this moving talk, McGonigal explains how a game can boost resilience — and promises to add 7.5 minutes to your life.

Scott Dinsmore
How to find work you love
Scott Dinsmore quit a job that made him miserable, and spent the next four years wondering how to find work that was joyful and meaningful. He shares what he learned in this deceptively simple talk about finding out what matters to you — and then getting started doing it.

Simon Sinek
How great leaders inspire action
Simon Sinek has a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership — starting with a golden circle and the question "Why?" His examples include Apple, Martin Luther King, and the Wright brothers ...​
​

Curiosity. Creativity. Possibilities.... New ventures on my horizon:)...