Autumn – a time to prepare for renewal

an update from This Wild Feeling

The first rule of blogging/substacking/maintaining friendship is regular communication. I’ve been ok on the friendship front but not so good on the blogging front. This is for the very lovely reason of being on holiday. For the last couple of weeks I’ve been travelling around Andalusia, exploring exquisite Moorish palaces, a monument to infinity and light as well as spending time in Donana national park where I was lucky enough to see the spectacle of storks gathering for migration, black kites, booted eagles and many more birds I’d never encountered.

It’s been a busy two weeks and has taken the inevitable toll on both physical and mental health, but the nourishment far outweighs the challenges and has given inspiration for projects old and new.

There are many poems already written about the Mezquita in Cordoba - it's one of the most inspirational places I've visited and I hope to add to them.

Highly commended in the Geoff Stevens Memorial Prize

While I was away I learned my pamphlet, The daughter of a man who loved birds is highly commended by the judges of Indigo Dreams’ Geoff Stevens memorial prize. This prize attracts hundreds of entries and to be selected from the long list of some fifty books to have my work placed so highly is a wonderful feeling.

Those of you who follow my blogs may remember that this pamphlet was also longlisted in the Mslexia poetry pamphlet prize and Alchemy Spoon pamphlet prize. These listings show there’s something there – but also show that I need to tweak and polish to make it irresistible to the judges of the next competition I enter. I’m hopeful that the poems emerging from my time spent in Donana will bring the sprinkle of magic that’s needed.

Another pamphlet on the way…

As well as perfecting Daughter (and how aware I am of the irony in that statement) I’m also working on another pamphlet that explores body image and disordered eating, with an element of exploration into the roots of the challenging relationship so many of us have with food. This is a difficult pamphlet – it’s draws on experiences I’m only just beginning to address and sharing it with others has taken a huge amount of courage. I hope it will create connection and offer support to those in similar circumstances.

Kathryn Anna Writes Bespoke

I’m so thrilled with the progress of my microbusiness Kathryn Anna Writes Bespoke. It’s challenging and takes a lot of faith to keep believing that this is a way to bring in a little extra money, but this faith is paying off. I’m a little short of my targets in terms of orders, but I’ve learned a lot about the ins and outs of marketing, building websites and how to build a relationship with my customers. It’s heartening to draw on the skills learned in my pre-M.E. life and I’m proud of the fact that I keep going despite the sense of uncertainty.

I do miss the ease of working for copywriting agencies, but times have changed and I’m hopeful that for now at least AI cannot write bespoke wedding poetry! The privilege of helping people express their love, sorrow and joy is beyond measure, and the fact that people trust me with such milestone events is a wonderful thing. This year my poetry prints have helped celebrate numerous weddings, milestone birthdays, anniversaries and two new jobs! It means the world to have my words as part of so many occasions knowing the prints are on people’s wall is an honour. As I move into writing poems that will be gifts for Christmas, this feeling of being part of significant moments in people's lives continues to grow.

What’s next

I’ve spent the morning doing a bit of financial admin for mum, tying up loose ends from before my holiday and working on two new poetry orders. I’ve also spent some essential time with my planner working out where to prioritise my energy for the next three months. This time of year is challenging, with many sad anniversaries and the new pressure of hosting Christmas, but I’m determined to protect the time I need. I’ve planned in time to work on Daughter, time to enjoy my new course with the Poetry School, and time for an excellent new course with Wendy Pratt through her Notes from the Margin substack. Choices have to be made and they’re not always simple, but as I block out these spaces in my diary, I feel my shoulders loosen, my breath become steady – the words are returning home.

Thank you for reading - do consider subscribing for irregular updates, occasional poetry films and sometimes real life poems. I may return to more regular substacking if time and energy allow in the new year. Thanks for being here!

Until next time,

Kathryn

xx