Leveraging Simple Tools For Our Craft ...

[manfredvijars]

I came across this and wonder if anyone else sees any relevance to the way we write and present our poetry??
...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMIpxqeoI1c
The storyteller in all of us: Zach King at TEDxPortland

[manfredvijars]

It seems to me that the reason for the rumblings and grumblings about declining membership and lack of Youth in our ranks could be that we're writing and performing to the dead and dying.

Maybe we have lost the will to innovate and our creativity is limited to (and constrained) by the stories we write.

The 'WOW' factor for me in that You Tube clip was the 'simple' tools used in producing "Vines" - 6 second clips - Creatively ...

The extent of our usage of everyday tools (Smart phones and Computers are everyday tools) are mostly of a shaky vid of someone performing on stage (from the back of the hall)

I too am guilty of all of the above.

The writing is the easy part. Getting our works "Out There" is the challenge. Publishing a book can be expensive on your own, even with POD. Then, how do you distribute? Pretty much the same for a CD.

We live digitally now. This means there are opportunities to reach a World-wide audience. But it requires creativity on our part.

Or maybe we're locked into a 'used-by date' mentality so our creativity and innovation is wayyyy behind us.

With the accelerating demise of our current crop of Bush Poets, I can't help but wonder if our Craft will simply "Rise Without Trace"?

[Maureen K Clifford]

Great clip and such an enthusiastic and well spoken young bloke - not an uuuhm, you know or like during the whole spiel. Totally agree with his concept as well - but suspect a lot of oldies just don't have the know how to do it although anything can be learned if you want to do it enough.

Certainly good food for thought though.

[Jeff Thorpe]

It's a perplexing issue isn't it Manfred. The you tube clip is definitely worth watching and, as Maureen says, technology issues can be overcome if we have the will to do so.

Apart from ABPA postings, I circulate most of my poems to about 50/60 people by email, not all of whom are old and grey. I get responses each time and some tell me they've forwarded them on to others as well. I constantly ask those "on my list" if they don't want any more but, have yet to get a knockback so, feel they are well received. My daughter (in mid 30s) once posted one of my poems on her Facebook page and was inundated with good feedback so seemingly, younger generations are not divorced from our style of poetry.

I've been surprised at the responses I've received just from emailing. Maybe Facebook and Twitter will spread the message more - I'll have to seek help from grandchildren to get in the game.

Jeff

[manfredvijars]

Good comments Jeff, and see, by simply emailing, you're leveraging the technology extending your readership.

Digital allows us to expand our boundaries, but it does require a learning curve. However there is hope, see how comfortable we all are here with our computers - so all is not lost ...

There are a heap of digital poetry presentations around. Sadly the Bush poetry types are among the more boring ones. Mine also fall into the boring category - but I am working on changing that.

I understand that as we get older we get tired, not just physically, but tired of keeping up - we don't see the need. We also become more critical of 'form'. I do feel that some of us are more concerned about looking for flaws in the bricks rather than enjoying the building - and that's amongst our own. Imagine how we can be towards other poetic types. ...

Interestingly, a few 'free-versers' have complained to me about much the same thing that we do - lack of youth in the ranks. Yet, I look around and see enthusiasm at Slam and Beat poetry events of mostly - YOUNGER participants and audiences. Even their digital presentations have verve ... The younger poets are certainly talking, maybe it's US who not listening (they do have a semblance of rhyme and metre).

I don't think our genre is ready to lie down and die just yet - but relying on traditional means to disseminate our works means we are writing and performing to diminishing audiences ...

[Maureen K Clifford]

Very well put Manny - another thing to perhaps think on is that if we constantly knock these other groups - and I don't know why that is, and we whinge about failing growth in our own ranks and yet don't come up with a suggestion for change, and also don't offer support to our own groups by posting anything ourselves - then the problem is not 'them' but 'us', and there in lies the problem.

We become like a magpie pecking at the intruder he sees in the cars side mirror - no matter how much aggression he shows that pesky invader wont go away and he wastes so much energy trying to repel it, nothing changes until he does.

[Terry]

Hi Jeff
I was very taken with your way of sharing your poetry by emailing it to 40 different people.
I have felt for a long time now that many of us have become almost secretive with a lot of ours.
I think that the rules of some written competitions have played their part in this.
I can remember when I first started posting on this forum a lot more poets were posting their poems,
as well as entering them into comps.
In Fairness some comps will allow published poems and they are the ones we should be giving priority to in my opinion.
There are other reasons as well of course; some wish to save them for a book later on.
I always smile when I see the rule not published for a profit; unless you are doing an awful lot of performing,
most of us can forget about making much of a profit if any.

Anyway I like your way of spreading the Bush Poetry word mate.

Cheers Terry

[Bob Pacey]

Facebook, Facebook ,Facebook that's a start and go from there,


I send my poems to wherever I think they will be appreciated fishing, camping, chat sites, newspapers, magazines and radio stations you name it and the response is usually good although a few editors have thought that they could improve on my writing ( rudeness in the extreme ) so they tend not to publish any more after they get the short shift.

I live on the internet ( Nigel no life ) but there is so much out there that begs to be read you cannot afford not to stay connected.


Bob

[Terry]

Yes Bob I can see the wisdom in that.

I've always thought that poetry was meant to be shared,
However you go about it.

And at this moment in particular I think that those of us who love Bush poetry,
should get on with doing just that.

I just might need to creak into the Twenty First century Mate.

Terry

[Catherine Lee]

In Fairness some comps will allow published poems and they are the ones we should be giving priority to in my opinion....I always smile when I see the rule not published for a profit..


I totally agree with you Terry - to be honest I have never really understood the reason for this particular rule, and it does make things very difficult at times.