What If Hell Is Just A Sauna

Hello, curious readers and worldwide creators. 👋🏼

In the last blog, I mentioned that I sometimes use magnetic poetry or written prompts to inspire my creativity.

Today, let’s talk about the most important exercise and the simplest form of inspiration there is: just LOOK AROUND.

How many people truly notice what’s in the room or what’s happening around them? Not many.

If you aim to be an artist, your number one job in life is to do just that — PAY ATTENTION. Don’t just glance at an object or a situation. You have to “pick it up” inside your mind, turn it over and over, look at it from every angle and in every possible light.

So if you’re looking for another writing exercise, here it is:

wherever you are…look around, choose one person/situation/object that is RIGHT THERE — beside or in front of you — and write a poem or short story about it.

I recently traveled to the Oklahoma City area for an entire week, and every day, I made myself do this exercise.

One morning I was sitting in a coffee shop (OF COURSE I WAS ☕️☕️☕️☕️😂), and when I looked down I saw a bunch of letters that had been etched into the table with a knife — you know, the way young lovers like to leave their mark together by cutting their initials into things?…

Anyway, when I studied the table, the two letters I happened to focus on were: A and W.

So those two letters became my exercise material for the day, and this is the poem that resulted… ⬇️

****

A & W

But not the root beer brand.

Instead, two characters carved

into a coffee shop countertop,

slasher-movie-style letters

scratched into posterity

for any of the future caffeinated

who care to notice.

Andrew and Wendy?

Alison and Winston?

Anna and Winona?

It hardly matters.

Someone had someone else.

They had each other.

I do not add any initials

to this permanent wooden

display of partnership.

There is no letter to go with my J,

ampersand sandwiched in between.

All I bring to the table

is myself. “But I am enough,”

I think as I once again

carve that truth into my consciousness,

engrave it inside the walls of my heart.

****

Thousands of stories and poems are all around you, just waiting to be recognized and brought into physical existence.

Go hunt them. Pluck them out of the air. Bring them to life, artists…if you dare. #ThatRhymed📝 🖊💻

My trip to Oklahoma was not for pleasure, but it wasn’t exactly for business, either. It was, however, NECESSARY. I was doing something very important from 8-5 each day…but before and after those hours, I did see a few of the local sights.

And I searched for the best coffee shops.

DUH.

For any who visit the OKC area, THIS was the clear coffee winner… ⬇️

⬆️ It’s called EVOKE, and it’s in downtown Edmond, Oklahoma. Once I discovered it –> black coffee and one of their excellent pastries, EVERY morning. You better believe it. 🏃🏻‍♀️

Café Evoke. GET YOU SOME. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 👍🏼👍🏼 🙌🏼👏🏼

Here are some other snapshots taken during my travels…