Humainologie creative dialogue team practice is poetry in motion

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” - Winston Churchill

Something broken, or a setback, or a loss, can be the starting point for a creative breakthrough. You already knew that, even before you had seen that quote from Winston Churchill. The idea is developed further in this TED talk about how to become more creative.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY0Pf_pfqCI

4 Lessons in Creativity | Julie Burstein | TED Talks Radio host Julie Burstein talks with creative people for a living -- and shares four lessons about how to create in the face of challenge, self-doubt and loss. Hear insights from filmmaker Mira Nair, writer Richard Ford, sculptor Richard Serra and photographer Joel Meyerowitz. TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances ... www.youtube.com

Charles Bukowski (1920-1994) made a habit of writing a poem every day, about almost anything that happened. A poetry quest might involve writing a poem a day for a month, no matter whether the poem is a good one, and finding that gradually the poems are becoming better and better. A poem can be as short as a haiku or as long as you like.

I’ll append a poem by each of three different poets for inspiration. Try writing a short poem for our creative dialogue team practice next Wednesday October 21, perhaps based on something you experience between now and then.

The Orange

by Wendy Cope

At lunchtime I bought a huge orange. The size of it made us all laugh. I peeled it and shared it with Robert and Dave— They got quarters and I had a half.

And that orange, it made me so happy, As ordinary things often do Just lately. The shopping. A walk in the park This is peace and contentment. It’s new.

The rest of the day was quite easy. I did all the jobs on my list And enjoyed them and had some time over. I love you. I’m glad I exist.

One Art

by Elizabeth Bishop

The art of losing isn’t hard to master;

so many things seem filled with the intent

to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

Lose something every day. Accept the fluster

of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.

The art of losing isn’t hard to master.

Then practice losing farther, losing faster:

places, and names, and where it was you meant

to travel. None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother’s watch. And look! my last, or

next-to-last, of three loved houses went.

The art of losing isn’t hard to master.

I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,

some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.

I miss them, but it wasn’t a disaster.

—Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture

I love) I shan’t have lied. It’s evident

the art of losing’s not too hard to master

though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.

a happening

by Charles Bukowski

he was always a first-rate jock,

I’ve watched him ride for many years

on many an afternoon at Del Mar, Hollywood Park,

Santa Anita.

early this year

his wife committed a terrible

suicide.

those who knew him well said that

he would never ride

again.

and he didn’t ride for a

while.

then one afternoon he

accepted a mount

and as the horses came out

for the post

parade

and he rode into view

the applause

began – a gentle

steady applause – it

continued for many

minutes

and many a sentimental

horseplayer

had to

turn away

to hide the

tears.

then

in that race

he came driving

down the stretch

just to miss

at the photo finish.

all he said later to the

reporters was: “it seems so

strange to come home and

not find her

there.”

since then

he has been riding

with a style and an

abandon that is

unbelievable:

driving through small gaps

between horses

or dangerously along the

rail.

he is now

the leading jock

and

he continues to

win.

people have not seen

such riding in

decades.

he’s the tiger in the

sun.

he’s each one of us

alone

forever

fiercely ignoring

the

pain.

A good quote or line from a movie can also provide the theme for a poem.

“Honor is the gift that a man gives himself.” (from the movie Rob Roy)

“You make me want to be a better man.” (from the movie As Good as It Gets)

“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” - Helen Keller

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

- Maya Angelou

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” - Albert Einstein

“One today is worth two tomorrows.” - Benjamin Franklin

“We do not remember days, we remember moments.” - Cesare Pavese

Soon I will send you a book synopsis and the Zoom link for our team practice on Wednesday October 21.

Arthur