Summer! Some Are Writing Haiku by Kathy Halsey

Happy Haiku for You 

Sometimes in summer, we need to lighten or change our routines. I needed to lighten my mood early this summer after receiving a professional critique that made me feel like I was couldn't write my way out of a paper bag. I actually stopped writing, but haiku came to my rescue!

I sat on the back deck pouting with my journal, observing nature - clematis, sunflowers, and kids frolicking with their dad. I doodled with words. The simple, 3 line, 5-7-5 haiku format seemed safe. I couldn't mess that up, right?  RIGHT.  

My journaling flowed, haiku made me happy. BAM! I was writing. I even used haiku to attack a shelved story, now ready to submit. Switching gears and formats made the difference! 

Join Me in Some Haiku

I'm sharing my haiku and some photos as possible prompts. Join in the fun and share your haiku in the comments. Traditional haiku is more contemplative but some of mine are active. (and may fudge a syllable or 2.) Just play and do it your way.

  

Tall purple iris.

Show off your fascinator.

Queen of the garden.

Garden sunshine blooms.

Follows the sun. Petal power.

Stretch to azure sky.

A smooth oblong stone.

A carefree rock skimmer with

perfect form. Skip . . . splash!

Clematis climbs, winds

its crisscross highway of vines

intersect. Find sun.

Here's one just for fun! Can't wait to see what haiku comes from you!

Summer Writing

By Suzy Leopold

    Summertime is for reading, writing, exploring, and discovering. It includes a somewhat slower pace with outings, travels, and vacations.

    Many educators and students are returning to school this month. Others will hear the school bell ring in September. Soon students will read and write; learn and grow.

    Let’s create a poetree—a cinquain about a tree.

Welcome to the Illinois Prairie

    A cinquain is five-line poem inspired by nature. 

    Here are the steps to write a cinquain poem:

• Line 1: One word title, a noun that identifies your topic
• Line 2: Two adjectives that describe your topic 
• Line 3: Three -ing verbs that describe action
• Line 4: A phrase that describes something about your topic 
• Line 5: A noun that is a synonym or another way to name your topic

    Think about the activities and adventures you participated in during the summer. What memories did you create? Perhaps it was fun in the backyard, a visit to the lake, a museum outing, or even a hike through the forest.

Weeping Willow

    Sharing my example:

Tree

Green, tall

Growing, Cascading, Swaying

Many birds like to nest

Willow

A Robin’s Nest in a Willow Tree 

    If you create and write a cinquain poem, share it in the comments section.

    Happy reading and writing.

Summer Creativity: Get Out & Do Something Unexpected by Tina Cho

 

Golf ball statue in West Des Moines, Iowa

Summer is about over for me, as I head back into my classroom. Every day I have an agenda to make the most out of my summer. But sometimes, taking time to do the unexpected can be a much needed creative outlet for the brain. 

One late afternoon I went with my husband to the driving range. Before we had kids, I used to go quite often with him. But last month, I putted on the little practice greens and enjoyed doing something different. 

Doing the unexpected awakens adrenaline, makes your brain active, leads to new opportunities and passions, can humble you, and improve relationships. 

Doing something unexpected and new can also lead to writing opportunities and new ideas. What's something new you've done this summer? Leave a comment!

The best things in life are unexpected--

because there were no expectations.

--Eli Khamarov

Creativity Stuck? Get Unstuck! ~ Patricia Toht

I've struggled with creativity during the pandemic, and I know I'm not alone. Many friends have admitted the same. 

One author that I turn to when I'm stuck is Austin Kleon. 

All of his books focus on creativity. STEAL LIKE AN ARTIST is about getting started.  SHOW YOUR WORK is about sharing and being discovered. And now his latest book, KEEP GOING, provides strategies to stay creative in good times and bad.

His writing is interspersed with lists, illustrations, and quotes. This quote from Anne Lamott speaks to me:

"Almost everything will

work again if you unplug

it for a few minutes --

including you."

Unplugging by spending time in nature is always good for my creativity. Won't you join me? Step outside and perhaps you'll shake some writing loose!

July in Northern Michigan
Photo by author Alice McGinty

"Who Says?"—a Creativity-Stimulating Question When You Think There's No Solution

One day a couple of weeks ago, I wrote a poem about a child's musings about a waterfall. Then I spent three hours searching for free photos of "a child in a waterfall", and found only two. And both simply felt unsatisfactory.

Dead end. Really?

No—because the open mind I work hard to keep said, "Who says I need a photo?" After a brief wish that I could draw, I said, "But I can cut paper." So while I'm not posting the poem with it, this little paper cut gave my journey from dead-end a fun and surprising turn. 

That's why I don't really believe in writer's block. I believe in turning toward a new direction, even for a moment. It will lead someplace possibly quite interesting and fun—and often to a new idea altogether!

13 Ways of Looking at a Flower

 nature break with Sue Heavenrich

 

 This summer, we Groggers are stepping back from serious writerly posts to try something different. We’re sharing photos and nature breaks and poetry to inspire our creativity – and to have some fun. Today we’re riffing on Wallace Stevens.

as a bud

growing old

from above

from below

from a distance

close up with a magnifying lens

seeing the whole

looking at the center

at the edges - smooth and serrated leaves and petals

by the company they keep: bees, butterflies, hummingbirds

where they grow – in the cracks of a bridge or along the sides of the road

in the morning when they first wake up

after rain

 

I write about nature and the environment. You can find more nature breaks over at my blog, Archimedes Notebook where I post hands-on STEAM explorations every Wednesday.

Finding Your Path . . .

"When you find your path, you must not be afraid. You need to have sufficient courage to make mistakes. Disappointment, defeat, and despair are the tools God uses to show us the way."

                   - Paulo Coelho, Brazilian novelist

The GROG Blog is taking a short summer break. Enjoy photographs, nature posts, and poetry. Our full-length articles will be back soon!

                    - Eileen Meyer