For me the lockdowns were disruptive in some ways, but also cleared out space I had been devoting to living in a community, and I instead found an online writing community that led to an influx of poetry. I also restarted my first blog. This was a tradeoff and I saw the balance shift when I could spend time with people again; I’ve only written a fraction of the poetry I did in 2021. But it was a starving time in other ways. Tricky!
I think that's lovely and I'm a little jealous - although in reflection I can see what happened was quite productive for me. It disrupted my flow but led to finding a community on insta and then to this. I was angry at the time, but less so now. We also felt cursed because we were already struggling to make friends in a strange city. Lockdown didn't help! I hope you're finding space to write now?
Mysterious how these things work! I’m glad you can see some positive outcomes. I was lucky enough to feel settled in Cambridge at the time, though I had to rely a lot on my introvert powers. In Grenoble I haven’t built up enough many social obligations yet so I see a sort of similar gap for writing to fill, haha. My writing energy is currently going mostly to Substack. I do miss the poetry headspace.
Oh my, I've just looked at some photos of Grenoble and oh the mountains. You must be inspired by those. I'm trying to turn substack into an engine for writing what I want to write. I hope you can find your headspace for more poetry.
Love this writing, Simon. The Tangents, of course. But I loved the piece that described Substack, introducing the readers to this place. The reflections on creativity and lockdown - super interesting. I have railed against the notion of being 'locked down' Of course we followed the rules - and our life was disrupted; minor things ... house sale delayed, plans for our vanlife put on hold for 8 months ... nothing compared to many who had a dreadful time. Creativity enhanced - time was the great gift. Oh, and a beautiful granddaughter in the March of 2020, tears flowing with happiness to be a grandparent. I finally decided my post-world-of-work purpose and slipped gently into a life of encouragement. I haven't written about it but your way of running through your journey in this way is a nudge in that direction. Thank you.
Oh I'm happy you had something of a creative flood from those times! Plus a granddaughter into the mix! It was poorly timed for us, right before having a baby in a town without our support network. And then oh my having a baby no one could see or cuddle, with no baby groups, that was super tough too. Anyway, starting to feel like ancient history now. Let me know when you write about those times.
Really glad I found your blog. The plague year was certainly the great disrupter in many ways. While the world shut down outside, I shut down inside, battling health issues, infertility, and mental health crises. But it was the year I finally started writing the book I'd been wanting to write for years. I also found the courage to share my writing publicly on instagram, which has been an enriching experience.
Ah that's great about your book. Some good things do eventually come out of bad times, even if not immediately or even for a long time. Great to connect here. Who'd have thought five years ago we'd all have this strange experience in common?
I know that feeling. I pushed my blog towards “notes on my consumption” during the pandemic. But I may steal your word Tangents because it’s more accurate on the random riffs I’ll go on. At least when I actually publish them. Cheers!
Simon, this is such a wonderful post. I love the way you tied everything together. It's weaving threads that lead in heartfelt direction. I'm glad our conversation about the pandemic drought brought you to write about yours. I've been thinking of writing about my experience as well. I have a feeling there are others here who went through the pandemic drought.
Thanks Pamela. I think what I didn't touch on was how dull and flat life became through the pandemic, so little that was new and unexpected. Things to spark your creativity. I do like this space a lot, there seems a lot going on... It's invigorating.
Things did feel dull and flat during the pandemic. This space has so much to offer, but I feel the community is what makes it inspiring and invigorating. There's no place for a writers like a room filled with writers sitting around talking about writing, and life, and love, and nature and the list goes on....
October has been especially apologetic to us in Nebraska this year. After the awful heat and drought we've had, the cool temperatures and rain were just what we needed. We've gone fully into sweater weather, harvest is wrapping up, and apples are everywhere.
I love the idea of a season being apologetic. Doffing its cap and saying forgive me, I seem to have forgotten who I am. Here's a bunch of apples to say sorry.
I'm under an October sky, listening to you read as I wander across the field on my way back from work. It's really windy out here and the larks can only just be heard over the battering noises whistling around my ears. The sky in October feels different to me; the light is limited to fewer hours each day but when it's there, it's clearer and sharper. The blue is less rich but it is more appealing than the searing blue of summer. I adore autumn. Obviously.
Obviously! That's lovely. We've lost some of that light today, but yesterday is was quite something. Like you say, so clear and sharp. Crisp leaves too. Perfect.
Great post. I also love the painting. And I'm a fan of Antony Gormley's work. I've been lucky enough to see his work around the world. But not (yet) the Angel of the North (and I love angels). Guess I'm too much of a southerner...
Thanks Jeffrey. When I lived in Oxford, there was an unnerving one of his on a roof in Broad Street. Looked like a jumper, and gave you the chills if you caught it in the corner of your eye. I'm also a big fan of angels. Need to share some of Paul Klee's at some point. Oh, and I'm learning the hard way that I'll never be a "true" northerner!
Being/becoming a northerner sounds like hard work! By contrast, it's dead easy to be a southerner 😄.
I also used to glimpse a Gormley rooftop figure in Hong Kong, near our office. As you say, unnerving. In fact, when there was an exhibition of such figures in the city a few years back, there was some official nervousness, given that suicide rates had been rising among young people in previous years. Perhaps they felt that the statues would give people ideas.
I had my supper under the sculpture on Broad Street on Monday. It's funny but despite living in Oxford for the whole of my life, I only spotted it in the summer. I was taking my youngest to the Natural History museum and doing the usual mum thing if trying to engage him in looking around for things that are interesting and there it was, staring out across the rooftops. I actually stopped dead in my tracks. I found a lump forming in my throat as I stated a conversation about what he was doing up there. I now visit every time I go into town. He's endlessly fascinating.
Ah so it is still there! Slightly terrorising people. That street gets so many tourists and new students, it must be constantly taking people by surprise.
Do you find it scary? I think he's quite reassuring. We concluded that he's dreaming, like the spires around him. I'm not sure what he's dreaming about, but he's above a lot of the grubbier elements of city life, so perhaps he's dreaming of a nice drink in the union garden?
Even after living in (the south of) England for 4 years I was unaware of the Angel of the North until I took a road trip up there and saw a painting of it in Airbnb decor. I still didn’t know what it was but was really taken by it, and gradually figured out it wasn’t just a whimsical painting. However we didn’t manage to go see it in person, so I’ll have to go back. I would say the same about Sycamore Gap, but alas.
It's a bit out of the way, and is sort of situated to be seen as you come up the M1. I do like Anthony Gormley's work, there are pieces all over the UK.
For me the lockdowns were disruptive in some ways, but also cleared out space I had been devoting to living in a community, and I instead found an online writing community that led to an influx of poetry. I also restarted my first blog. This was a tradeoff and I saw the balance shift when I could spend time with people again; I’ve only written a fraction of the poetry I did in 2021. But it was a starving time in other ways. Tricky!
I think that's lovely and I'm a little jealous - although in reflection I can see what happened was quite productive for me. It disrupted my flow but led to finding a community on insta and then to this. I was angry at the time, but less so now. We also felt cursed because we were already struggling to make friends in a strange city. Lockdown didn't help! I hope you're finding space to write now?
Mysterious how these things work! I’m glad you can see some positive outcomes. I was lucky enough to feel settled in Cambridge at the time, though I had to rely a lot on my introvert powers. In Grenoble I haven’t built up enough many social obligations yet so I see a sort of similar gap for writing to fill, haha. My writing energy is currently going mostly to Substack. I do miss the poetry headspace.
Oh my, I've just looked at some photos of Grenoble and oh the mountains. You must be inspired by those. I'm trying to turn substack into an engine for writing what I want to write. I hope you can find your headspace for more poetry.
Yes indeed! A good place for place writing. Thank you, same to you!
Ekphrasis = what a beautiful word
Marvelous word. Great idea. Art inspiring art.
Oh and also I love the painting!
Simon, what a beautiful and open letter. You find in dark corners the greatest beauty hidden and waiting to grow. Thank you for sharing.
Many thanks Ben.
Love this writing, Simon. The Tangents, of course. But I loved the piece that described Substack, introducing the readers to this place. The reflections on creativity and lockdown - super interesting. I have railed against the notion of being 'locked down' Of course we followed the rules - and our life was disrupted; minor things ... house sale delayed, plans for our vanlife put on hold for 8 months ... nothing compared to many who had a dreadful time. Creativity enhanced - time was the great gift. Oh, and a beautiful granddaughter in the March of 2020, tears flowing with happiness to be a grandparent. I finally decided my post-world-of-work purpose and slipped gently into a life of encouragement. I haven't written about it but your way of running through your journey in this way is a nudge in that direction. Thank you.
Oh I'm happy you had something of a creative flood from those times! Plus a granddaughter into the mix! It was poorly timed for us, right before having a baby in a town without our support network. And then oh my having a baby no one could see or cuddle, with no baby groups, that was super tough too. Anyway, starting to feel like ancient history now. Let me know when you write about those times.
Really glad I found your blog. The plague year was certainly the great disrupter in many ways. While the world shut down outside, I shut down inside, battling health issues, infertility, and mental health crises. But it was the year I finally started writing the book I'd been wanting to write for years. I also found the courage to share my writing publicly on instagram, which has been an enriching experience.
Ah that's great about your book. Some good things do eventually come out of bad times, even if not immediately or even for a long time. Great to connect here. Who'd have thought five years ago we'd all have this strange experience in common?
I know that feeling. I pushed my blog towards “notes on my consumption” during the pandemic. But I may steal your word Tangents because it’s more accurate on the random riffs I’ll go on. At least when I actually publish them. Cheers!
Ah do it! We need more tangents in the world!
Your writing is just gorgeous! Thank you for your words!
Thank you! And thank you for reading!
Simon, this is such a wonderful post. I love the way you tied everything together. It's weaving threads that lead in heartfelt direction. I'm glad our conversation about the pandemic drought brought you to write about yours. I've been thinking of writing about my experience as well. I have a feeling there are others here who went through the pandemic drought.
Thanks Pamela. I think what I didn't touch on was how dull and flat life became through the pandemic, so little that was new and unexpected. Things to spark your creativity. I do like this space a lot, there seems a lot going on... It's invigorating.
Things did feel dull and flat during the pandemic. This space has so much to offer, but I feel the community is what makes it inspiring and invigorating. There's no place for a writers like a room filled with writers sitting around talking about writing, and life, and love, and nature and the list goes on....
October has been especially apologetic to us in Nebraska this year. After the awful heat and drought we've had, the cool temperatures and rain were just what we needed. We've gone fully into sweater weather, harvest is wrapping up, and apples are everywhere.
I love the idea of a season being apologetic. Doffing its cap and saying forgive me, I seem to have forgotten who I am. Here's a bunch of apples to say sorry.
Thank you for that beautiful post!
Thank you for reading!
I'm under an October sky, listening to you read as I wander across the field on my way back from work. It's really windy out here and the larks can only just be heard over the battering noises whistling around my ears. The sky in October feels different to me; the light is limited to fewer hours each day but when it's there, it's clearer and sharper. The blue is less rich but it is more appealing than the searing blue of summer. I adore autumn. Obviously.
Obviously! That's lovely. We've lost some of that light today, but yesterday is was quite something. Like you say, so clear and sharp. Crisp leaves too. Perfect.
Great post. I also love the painting. And I'm a fan of Antony Gormley's work. I've been lucky enough to see his work around the world. But not (yet) the Angel of the North (and I love angels). Guess I'm too much of a southerner...
Thanks Jeffrey. When I lived in Oxford, there was an unnerving one of his on a roof in Broad Street. Looked like a jumper, and gave you the chills if you caught it in the corner of your eye. I'm also a big fan of angels. Need to share some of Paul Klee's at some point. Oh, and I'm learning the hard way that I'll never be a "true" northerner!
Being/becoming a northerner sounds like hard work! By contrast, it's dead easy to be a southerner 😄.
I also used to glimpse a Gormley rooftop figure in Hong Kong, near our office. As you say, unnerving. In fact, when there was an exhibition of such figures in the city a few years back, there was some official nervousness, given that suicide rates had been rising among young people in previous years. Perhaps they felt that the statues would give people ideas.
Yeah turns out I didn't even have to live in the south to be a southerner. Too easy!
I'm not surprised about the statues!
I had my supper under the sculpture on Broad Street on Monday. It's funny but despite living in Oxford for the whole of my life, I only spotted it in the summer. I was taking my youngest to the Natural History museum and doing the usual mum thing if trying to engage him in looking around for things that are interesting and there it was, staring out across the rooftops. I actually stopped dead in my tracks. I found a lump forming in my throat as I stated a conversation about what he was doing up there. I now visit every time I go into town. He's endlessly fascinating.
Ah so it is still there! Slightly terrorising people. That street gets so many tourists and new students, it must be constantly taking people by surprise.
Do you find it scary? I think he's quite reassuring. We concluded that he's dreaming, like the spires around him. I'm not sure what he's dreaming about, but he's above a lot of the grubbier elements of city life, so perhaps he's dreaming of a nice drink in the union garden?
Well obviously I prefer your take! It's been a long time since I have seen him.
Even after living in (the south of) England for 4 years I was unaware of the Angel of the North until I took a road trip up there and saw a painting of it in Airbnb decor. I still didn’t know what it was but was really taken by it, and gradually figured out it wasn’t just a whimsical painting. However we didn’t manage to go see it in person, so I’ll have to go back. I would say the same about Sycamore Gap, but alas.
It's a bit out of the way, and is sort of situated to be seen as you come up the M1. I do like Anthony Gormley's work, there are pieces all over the UK.