at the slack of the tide

As the seasons begin to turn, there's something in the air that invites us to begin again. Spring has a way of doing that - nudging things back to life, making the world feel newly possible. And if you are someone who feels a creative pull, that feeling can be quietly electric.

Beginning something creative rarely looks the way we imagine it will. There may be no dramatic moment of inspiration, or sudden clarity. More often, it starts with something almost embarrassingly small. Picking up the pen. Pulling out the paints. Sitting down, for no particular reason, and deciding to make something - anything - just to see what happens. Not unlike a seed that has no idea yet what it's going to become.

That in-between moment, like the slack of the tide drawing back, can feel like a pause or an emptiness, but it is also a making-space, a chance for a bit of mucking about, for curiosity to lead, for play without too much purpose.

That's the secret of creative life: showing up is most of the work. Not waiting until you feel ready, or skilled enough, or certain of where it's all heading. Just giving yourself permission to be in the middle of something unfinished, something still finding its shape. Spring doesn't wait until conditions are perfect. It just begins.

Creativity isn't a destination you arrive at fully formed, it's a practice and a willingness to begin, again and again, and to trust that something worth making is already on its way or that there's fun and learning in the playfulness of experimentation.
Deb has written more about this idea and you can read it here, from the introductory essay 'Poetry Projects to Make and Do' Nine Arches Press

With Bishops Castle's Walking Festival fast approaching in May, our bookshop manager, Jane, had the idea of recreating the local hills, including Bury Ditches as seen in the photographs below, in papier mâché, layered with vintage maps of the area to create a window display celebrating nature, the Shropshire landscape and the joy of walking.

As with all acts of making, it has been something of a journey: moments of doubt, moments of uncertainty, and then that familiar turning point when you step back and think, hang on… this might actually be rather wonderful, a reminder of what can happen when imagination is given room to wander.
 

Extract from Daed-traa, featured in Inspiration

I go to the rockpool at the slack of the tide
to mind me what my poetry’s for.

It has its ventricles, just like us –
pumping brine, like bull’s blood, a syrupy flow.

It has its theatre –
hushed and plush.

It has its Little Shop of Horrors.
It has its crossed and dotted monsters.

It has its cross-eyed beetling Lear.
It has its billowing Monroe.

I go to the rockpool at the slack of the tide
to mind me what my poetry’s for.

Jen Hadfield

You can read the full poem here.

We recommend these books for nurturing - or rekindling - a creative practice, whether that means writing poetry or exploring other forms of art. This time of year feels especially suited to beginning something new, or returning to a project you have been meaning to revisit.

 

Read the whole of Denise Leverton's poem, Variation on a Theme by Rilke here.

Our Inspiration Gift Box has been created for moments when creativity feels difficult to access. Inspired by the sections of our bookshops and our Poetry Prescription anthologies, it was designed to awaken the senses and gently encourage new ideas.

Inside, you’ll discover a pocket-sized poetry anthology, a poetic prescription, and a chocolate treat - each chosen to nourish the mind and kindle creativity.

A gift for the inner life - for the part of us that longs to create, to wonder, and to begin again. The Inspiration Gift Box is a thoughtful way to encourage someone’s creative spirit, whether they are writing, painting, or simply wishing to explore their creativity more deeply.

Sometimes a small gift can say what words cannot: I believe in you. Keep going. Something beautiful may be closer than you think.

And wherever they are, you can reach them because we ship to most parts of the world.

 

This show is an exclusive performance of Alistair's poems, separate from his 3-in-1 piano and poetry performance tour. This is Alistair - like never before - commenting on a world that is accelerating "like never before".

Join poet Jonathan Davidson for a Poetry Walk starting and finishing at The Poetry Pharmacy Lab in Bishop's Castle. Using a circular route, we will stroll along small roads and footpaths, stopping now and then to hear some poems read aloud in the open air. Copies of poems – by various carefully selected poets – will be provided, although participants are welcome to bring along short poems of their own to share.

While the walk will only be a few kilometres and therefore not too strenuous, it will involve stiles and quite possibly mud, so participants will be asked to bring along suitable footwear and clothing. We’ll walk at the pace of the slowest, the better to chat and enjoy the views. The ticket includes a drink and cake at journey’s end and numbers will be limited to 12 participants.