Poetry Prompt: "Well, That Didn't Go As Planned"

Image by kai Stachowiak on Public Domain Photos

I don't know about you, but the final weeks of 2017 and the first weeks of 2018 have been full of surprises! We were planning to move to a new space in February, but things happened very quickly and we had to move before Christmas. I also received a financial settlement this past week that I'd been waiting five and a half years for. I've also had several days where I made plans for myself only to find out my husband had made plans that included me.

The unexpected, the unplanned can affect us in different ways. We can sometimes get angry or upset that want we wanted didn't happen (or didn't happen as we envisioned). Or we can embrace the chaos as just a part of live, roll with it, and trust that the Universe is working in our best interest.

The Prompt:

What unplanned or unexpected things have happened in your life? How did you react/respond? What was the ultimate outcome? Free write for 10 minutes about the unexpected, unplanned things that have occurred and see what comes up.  Look back through what you've written and see if something appeared on the page that you didn't anticipate. (See what I did there?!?)  Turn something you find into a poem

Word Prompts:

Unplanned
Unexpected
Surprise
Chaos
Magic


I wish you words,
Amy McGrath

Poetry Prompt: Chaos

This is a crazy time of year. With the holiday season upon us, we find ourselves busy with family obligations, gift shopping and wrapping, packing and traveling, and confronting often difficult emotions when loved ones are no longer around. Often, the self-care that comes with a daily writing practice or daily creative practice can get lost in the overwhelming lists of things to be done as we close out the year.

I want to encourage you to embrace the chaos by channeling it into your writing. Morgan Dragonwillow reminded me of this just as NaNoWriMo began in November. She mentioned the website 750words, a digital tool for writing daily Morning Pages. (If you're unfamiliar with Morning Pages, check out Julia Cameron's book The Artist's Way or visit her website HERE.) I returned to this daily writing practice online on November 5 and have been consistently writing there every day since.

One thing I have noticed in my own daily writing practice is how often the word "chaos" kept coming up for me. I took this as a sign that I need to lean into the chaos, to embrace it as part of my world right now, and to offer it to you for this week's prompt.

I wish you words,
Amy McGrath

The Prompt:

Consider different ways that you experience or observe chaos. Did you know there's a hair care line called "Controlled Chaos"? I remember a house band from my undergraduate days called "Organized Confusion". 

How do you react/feel when there is chaos around you (excessive noise, clutter, crowds, etc.)? Do you ever experience internal chaos, those times when your mind is racing in many different directions and you can't seem to focus on any one task long enough to complete it? Lean into chaos in your writing. Describe it, tell us how you deal with it, illustrate it with your words. 

Synonyms (Word Prompts): 

disorder, disarray, disorganization, confusion, mayhem, bedlam, pandemonium, havoc, turmoil, tumult, commotion, disruption, upheaval, uproar, maelstrom, muddle, mess, shambles, free-for-all, anarchy, lawlessness, entropy, hullabaloo, hoopla, train wreck, all hell broke loose

Image Prompts:

Chaos in Green and Gold
Acrylic Monoprint
Amy McGrath

Neutral Chaos
Acrylic Monoprint
Amy McGrath

Spiraling Chaos
Acrylic Monoprint
Amy McGrath