Somebody's Book Launch

I went to a book launch this afternoon at the Old Butter Factory Gallery.

I went for several reasons. And one of them was not because I knew the author ...because I didn't.

I'd received the general email invitation several times and each time I thought I'll just see what I'm up to on Sunday afternoon and made no commitment. I didn't RSVP to assist the organisers planning. I didn't check if any of my other writer/ reader  friends were attending.

I also didn't completely let go of the possibility of going.

For some reason or other I was curious. Something was drawing me in.

Something was compelling me to attend. So I did.

And I'm rather glad that I did.

In addition to catching up with a few people that I know I had the opportunity to listen to an excellent conversation between the author and another published author from the region.

Questions about the story, actually writing the story,

the journey of getting the story on paper, about the drafting and publishing process and more were all interesting.  But today to me they seemed more poignant. I felt like I could identify a little more with the process. Of course I'm a long way off publishing a novel. It's not even on my radar.

 I have realised today though that it might be on my far-dar. 

Given that I've only just managed to summon the time and courage to squeeze a short story into an envelope on a journey to an unknown reader, you can imagine how silly I felt (quietly on the inside) about being titillated by the idea that I may attempt a novel in the future.

(The very far-dar future :-).

Beside that far-dar possibility I also spoke to a couple of friends who I've known now for a few years, not closely, just occasionally meeting in different circles or community projects. And both of these lovely women are also exploring the world of writing. One has established a blog to share some of her other creative muse, and one has already written 20,000 words of her first novel and has never written anything before.

 

 I was so inspired by these two quiet, creative lovelies in my midst.

Over the past month, as I have decided to commit to actually be a writer, several little windows of connection and sharing have presented to me. These latter two based on our short conversations in a conducive environment (i.e. book launch), have led to a soft igniting of some connections based on our shared creative unfolding. 

It's all about taking little steps in the right direction. I'm glad I followed the hunch to just attend the launch today. It was a good 'feeling'. It was an unintentional networking opportunity. Perhaps for the three of us as we continue to explore, unfurl, unfold or basically just turn up to the page, we can support and celebrate each other. Quietly and gently of course until we are strong and / or confident enough for a little bit more attention.

So I'm grateful for the invite to a book launch of  somebody I didn't know.  

And  yes I bought a book. Of course I did :-)

Love Dawn

Small fire at our feet

With Moon's

Cloudless clarity

Stillness cupped

Star bright canopy

We sat

With words

Or quietly

Small fire at our feet.

 

With Moon's

Vast light night time sky

Constellations

Softly sliding by

We sat

With words

Or quietly

Small fire at our feet.

 

With Moon's

Smiling sixpence face

Ascending east

to north to west

We sat

With words

Or quietly

Small fire at our feet

 

With Moon's

Beams of silver light

Dancing in our

Eyes tonight

We sat

With words

Or quietly

Small fire at our feet.

Seriously Sick

I'm almost embarrassed to admit it, BUT, I felt so nauseous.

Stomach-grindingly, anxiety-ridden type of  nauseous.

Yep! I felt seriously sick as I sealed the envelope, 

wrote the addressee details for the competition on the front and then 

slipped the entire package into the mail box.

Off she went,

 a crisp white, brand new, blemish-free C4 envelope; 

carrying eight A4 pages with a freshly printed, hot-off-the-dawn-press, 

first-time-in-how-many-decades, 

dawn-short-story, 

snuggled inside.

So I did it. Yey! I crossed the line.

 I did what I've been telling others to do for years.

 (Which is "Just do it!")

The whole process did make me have a look at myself though.

I mean seriously?

This morning I had some last minute typo's to attend to, a few sentences to re-structure,

 and a couple of new paragraph breaks to re-consider. 

No big deal except that you could just go on forever.

With grinding gut and considerable fluffing I soon realised I was procrastinating 

and kind of self-sabotaging.

But why?

The obvious responses presented themselves:

 fear of being judged, fear of making a mistake (friggin' typo's),

 fear of any consequences really (good or bad).

I could see 'I' was trying to protect 'Me'. 

(The 'Me' that went to primary school where others laughed and scoffed at her stories, 

The 'Me' that got jeered at by a classroom of 9 year olds because of her accent.)

That 'Me' really needs to let go of her precious little-self and 

embrace her 'pen-mad' BIG-SELF.

OK Done! Please stop re-appearing. We're over.

 (Seriously such deeply embedded, incredibly dumb-ass patterns we carry sometimes.  SShhh.) 

And then the BIG ONE. Oh Yeah! Fear of the unknown. 

I'll say it again "Fear of the unknown".

I'm not afraid to say it "FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN".

Sensitive, silly me - for feeling like that. Cool, clever me - for realising that. 

Big brave me -  for sharing all of that with all of you.

 I don't know what's going to become of my 

sleek swan-like C4 envelope and her slender contents. 

And of course it doesn't matter. 

Where she goes, whose desk she lands on, who reads her virgin content and 

what they think of her inky inner prose is a story still waiting to unfold.

I've done my bit. I've contributed. I've bitten the creative bullet. 

I've moved on to the next shiney & new step. 

The 'seriously-sick-man-just-do-it' shiney step that is. ;-)

Enough for now. 

Tomorrow, less prophetic and more poetic. 

I promise ;-)

Love Dawn

x

Tonight's the Night

I'm on the way to getting some of my closet hobby out in to the big wide world.
I'm about to take the step... well press the publish button really.

Sometimes I get the urge to write so I scribble a few bits and pieces down. Occasionally the barely legible scribbles get a little extra love and are picked up, re-arranged, dusted off and given a place on my lap top.

I started this blog in 2011 and I have hardly used it BUT I'm so glad it's here. I'm so grateful when the create-a-blog surge/urge arrived two years ago I got on for the ride. I had no intention of being public.

In fact the thought of sharing my word-play with others was frankly terrifying.  Thanks to some very supporting friends and family, and my own realisation that I've already crossed the line in FB world anyway, I've decided to press publish and share right here on 'blog' world.

I've felt this excitement start to swell over the last week or so. I've made a personal commitment to write more regularly and to commit to a few writerly goals. (Don't panic I won't put everything on the blog, I'm not so brave.)

Today the beautiful sun shone between exciting plumes and petticoats of cumulus clouds,
the river ran plump with the abundance of autumn rain and standing out in the beauty of it all I simply decided "Yes. Just Do It".

So from now on when the moment or the inspiration takes me you may be among the first to know. :-)  Tonights the night.

Jus' Sharin'
Dawn

Getting Excited

Yep! Something's happening. I can feel it. I'm feeling inspired.

 This week I've written a short story. In fact I believe it's the first short story I've written for many years. So many years I'm not even sure where any of the historic attempts are. But the MAIN point is this: I'm going to submit it to a couple of competitions. I have NEVER EVER done this before. It's NEW!

Recently I spent some time travelling in New Zealand (where I grew up). I visited ageing relatives and hooked up with old schools friends.

Visiting the old country with new eyes was fantastic. Laughing, joking, reminiscing with old friends added to the joy. Consequently I have plenty of new fodder to write about, new ideas to play with and, well, I'm inspired.

Like I said I can feel it. This excitement bubbling up inside me. Not a ferocious passionate fire that I may have had in my 20's or even 30's. No this is more a steady flame that would like to twirl around the fire in a steady dance that can be sustained and not burn out. This is a new energy. It is mature, insanely creative, and ready to tango.

Oh yeah!

I'm off to quickly jot down some more short story, prose or poetry ideas....while they're here flickering through my veins; tickling me on the inside.

More soon.
Love Dawn

Rain Shine

Felt it

That fine pattern

Shower upon my

Beige autumn skin.

An offering

Soaking in

My skin still dancing

Twirling

Within.

Tiny pearls cling

Sparkle

Dissipate

Soak in

Beige autumn skin

Receives

Offering.

New day begins

 Cleansed

Fresh

Rain showered

Nature blessed

Smiling

Rain shines within.

I'm Back....Looking Forward

Yey! I'm back.

I've re-found my 'dawnspace', revived my interest/will to write and realised what this blog is all about. And no it's not all about me...well some of it may be. But mostly it's for me to develop, deepen and share:

the joy, inspiration and realisations  

I experience when I spend time in nature.

Now that could be a walk in the park, observing a thunderstorm from the safety of my home, lazing at the beach, walking in a forest, sitting at the edge of a desert or standing arms and heart wide open upon the highest peak of  a range: simply anywhere that I can step into and foster a conscious deep connection with the wonder of the natural world.

Seeing and feeling 

the patterns and peculiarities in nature

 weave stories, songs and dances that 

reflect aspects of my own tapestry, 

unravel my own sense of being,

 connect and celebrate with me 

this gift 

of life.

There may be poetry. There may be prose. There may be simple or profound philosophical inquiry. There may be pictures and photos. Oh and I hope there will be some fun and laughs.

And right now 

as my toes curl 

into the ground 

beneath my feet

 I feel mySelf  

lean forward; 

stepping in to 
this new 

dawn space.

Looking forward...