I know I go on about the courses at Arvon a lot but today was quite revealing. I accidently popped my Arvon notebook from a course last year into my bag instead of my equally bulky Myslexia diary! Suddenly, with an unexpected hour to kill after aqua at the gym, I found myself re-reading all my notes, discovering poems I had started and not finished.
It was like having a mini-tutorial from Jean Sprackland and then another one from Jacob Polley. (I’ve just bought his latest book by the way ‘The Havocs’ and love it. This is Jacob Polley’s third collection and it has been shortlisted for the TS Eliot prize! He is a fantastic poet and an encouraging tutor as is Jean)
Although I wrote and finished some things up there in lovely Lumb Bank, there were lots of things I just could not manage. Naturally some people whizzed ahead and finished a lot more than I did. But whey hey … great to discover something else to work on. Makes an Arvon course even better value!
You can check out my video diary about it if you like. But did I really allow myself face my own camera, with no make up, in bad lighting, late at night? But gives you the general idea!
Now to finish a few poems – plenty of competitions in the wind!
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By the way one of the inspirations at the poetry pop in this week in Rottingdean was to choose an item from a box that I had filled with odds and ends from around the house.
We then wrote a description of it without pausing for 4 minutes. The next bit of the process is to write a poem, from the point of view of the item chosen, in 10 to 15 minutes!
If you don’t have as much clutter in your house, just pick an item from the cutlery draw, something from the bathroom cabinet, an ornament, something from a jewelry box, something from the shed, anything really!
We had some gems, particularly the poems about the basket, the dragon and the train. Some will be displayed on our poetry door in the Open Art Cafe very soon. We don’t aim to be genius poets but we have fun!
Beginners and apprentice poets welcome. 
This is the video diary, 9 minutes long, the pheasant with attitude is great!
I love your blog, Ann, such a rich mix of idiosyncratic perspectives and creative inspiration. I am going back to the Caerleon Writers’ Holiday this summer, not as exclusive (or expensive!) as Arvon but I learned so much last year. Can highly recommend.
Thank you for your interest, the course sounds interesting, will check them out. have fun Annx
Just checked them out. Wow which one did you do I wonder?
I know Alison, she used to be the poetry advisor for the SWWJ and I often judges poetry comps for Writers News.
But Arvon has the edge for me because there so many tutors to choose from, but in truth when it comes down to it one just has to keep at it and write! X