02 Feb 2012 No Comments
26th March, 2011
I was so excited to learn that I had come joint second with my submission of 5 poems in the Cinnamon Press ‘Birthday Competition.’ Cinnamon Press is just 5 years young and has already suceeded in winning the coveted ‘Welsh book of the Year’ award in English twice.
05 Jan 2012 No Comments
fragile morning light
window pane, laced with ice -
A new dawn shivers
02 Jan 2012 No Comments
I have decided the 2012 is the year that I will really begin to live my life creatively.
I’ve been following the inspirational Leah Piken Kolidas’ ‘Creative Every Day’ blog and looking at the work that participants have created for a long time now, but at last I have decided to take up the challenge myself. Over the last year I have been learning to live my life more creatively in addition to my regular practice of writing poetry and running a writing group, and I have realised that it makes me much happier so I have picked up the coloured pencils, pastels, the brush again and just started making collage from all the of bits and pieces I have been saving too.
Now that my children are all grown up and have left the nest and there are only my husband, our young granddaughter and myself at home, so I have commandeered the large spare bedroom as my ‘art’ space. This room has a large dormer window facing south and overlooking the sea and a smaller dormer window facing West, I’ve also fitted a daylight bulb so it is a lovely light and airy place to work in. My granddaughter age 6, is mad about art and craft and in also in love with words, she has already had her 2 poems published. My youngest daughter Rebecca who lives nearby is also artistic and writes short stories and poetry so we will do many of these challenges together. Watch this space…
13 Jul 2011 No Comments
Lapidus North Wales first meeting will be on Wednesday 20th July, from 7 – 9pm at Caffir Eifal, Llanaelahearn, nr Pwllheli. If you would like to learn more about Lapidus or for writing for well being in general go to www.lapidus.org.uk If you would like to contact me for more information about the group or the meeting please email me at karen@justafewlittlewords.co.uk Please put ‘Lapidus North Wales’ or ‘Lapidus group’ into the subject line.
25 Jun 2011 No Comments
Lapidus creative words for health and well being is a membership organsation who’s aim is to promote writing and reading for both personal wellbeing and to support practitioners working with words in healthcare settings. I have been keen to see a local group ever since I attended my first course in ‘Writing in Healthcare’ at the Ty Newydd writers centre in November 2009. See Lapidus at www.lapidus.org.uk
09 May 2011 No Comments
Go to my poems, ‘Look Nanna.’ I am very excited that it has just been published on Poety Space a great little showcase for poets. I met Sue on at ‘A Writer’s Oasis,’ in 2010 at Ty Newydd, she’s a lovely person. She works with writing for healthcare and is a poet herself. I thoroughly enjoyed her anthology ‘Olga’s Daughter’ which is available to order directly from www.poetryspace.co.uk
26 Mar 2011 No Comments
I am getting excited. I am going to take a trip to Ty Newydd Writer’s Centre in Llanystymdwy, nr. Criccieth again next month, (all of 7 miles) to relax at another ‘Writer’s Oasis’ with Penelope Shuttle and Victoria Field. I went to the ‘Oasis’ in February 2010 with the same tutors and some lovely ladies as part of the ‘Writing in Healthcare’ courses I followed… it was fantastic. Not only have I benefited personally, as writing has helped me make sense of stuff that happened in my early life and cope with challenging situations in the here and now but it’s a wonderfully positive way to record and celebrate both little achievements and extraordinary ones, a moment in nature, or even a small act of kindness but I would love to work as a therapeutic writing mentor in the future… To do this I hope to start a counselling course very soon. I used to practice as a complementary therapist some time ago, but chronic pain stopped me giving physical therapy. I have however had experience in working in the voluntary sector in the mental health field since then so I would love to practice as a writing mentor with people for emotional healing.
I have enjoyed facilitating a small community writing group in Pwllheli for over a year and I really love it. I have met some incredibly interesting people through it.
Now I just have to get myself organised and put some of my poetry and writings or links to them here on my blog but I have one small thing that gets in my way. It’s called procrastination. I’ll tell you about it one day.
23 Jan 2011 No Comments
Earlier this year I decided to try my hand at a Nano-fiction competition for the first time. Leaf Books had launched their brand new Leaf Magazine and I bought the first issue and loved it then subscribed for more. Leaf Books have been publishing anthologies for several years and all content is the result of winning and commended submissions to their writing competitions. Last year they began to publish their high quality Leaf Magazine. The magazine is available both as hard copy and as a downloadable e-zine. A great read either way, and a good place to get your work noticed. I was really excited when they got in touch to say that my submission ‘After the Storm’ was accepted and will be published shortly in an upcoming anthology. So now I can add the title ‘Nanoist,’ to my writer’s C.V. That is how they addressed me on my last email and how I love new words. Sounds very ‘Mork & Mindy,’ to me, and if you remember who Mork & Mindy were you must be getting on a bit like me.
22 Jan 2011 No Comments
When I came to think about New Year resolutions, I decided that one thing I’d like to do is turn my attention to my poor neglected website. Being well versed in the art of procrastination I have managed to let it slide but there have been some intersting things happen to me and I have plans for the coming year so I will blog about them under seperate subjects.
08 Jun 2010 No Comments
I received my eagerly anticipated copy of issue 1 of Leaf Books Magazine today which I am very happy to recommend. Leaf Books have been around for some time publishing Anthologies of poetry, short stories and pocket book size short stories that are able to be read in one sitting e.g. on a train journey and more recently nanofiction and the like, all of which have been sourced from wining entries of competitions they have sponsored over recent years. Along with my magazine I received a copy of ‘The Greengrocer’s Apostrophe,’ by Alexandra Fox, a very moving read which was the winner of the very first leaf Book Short Story Competition, originally published in 2005.
There is an interview with and tips on writing from author Jasper Forde, the Literary Festival Guide for this summer, and Best of Leaf: a showcase of prizewinning writing with author commentaries and top tips and more.
I enjoyed my copy very much and hope you will take a look at the website. Hopefully you’ll be impressed enough to treat yourself to a copy or three at www.leafbooks.co.uk
04 Jun 2010 No Comments
is the darndest thing so just write the first thing that comes to mind, then expand on it.
04 Jun 2010 No Comments
Here is my new look site. I will be blogging and showcasing some of my writing and creative stuff and posting some interesting links. Take a look and feel free to leave a comment or suggest a link.