Create February Fabulous! - The Darkness: Side Two

Day 4 and 5

The creative challenge continues. It is less challenging now and is turning into something I am very eager to partake in every day. I originally started this because I used to procrastinate massively. I love creating things but I always found an excuse not to do it. I came up with this project to see what would happen if I was accountable only to myself. Then I decided it might be a grand idea to share it. 

Sharing it is proving rather beneficial because I can see how other people create and that in itself is massively inspiring. For myself, I am uncovering some truths that I hope will in turn inspire other people to begin a creative habit of their own. I believe humans are meant to create and when we do, we tend to feel and act much better.

So here is Day 4 and 5. I have found myself returning to my main weapon of choice... words. The poems seem to be reflecting my burgeoning interest in my creativity. I don't spend overly long on each one. Perhaps 30 minutes. I like these short bursts of creativity. I like being kind to myself rather than critical and judgemental. Art needs love and nurturing, that is for sure.

The Shadow Light

Inside ourselves two halves are true
Living back to back
Without them both creates not you
A faded sense of lack

We push and shove one side right down
Pretend that it's not there
And when our faces start to frown
We say we just don't care

The shadow sits inside of us
Protects us from the rain
But when it starts to moan and fuss
We stamp and curse the pain

We blame the clouds, our mum and dad
We swallow all our fears
We point at all that we think bad
And struggle with our tears

But here's the thing, that dark inside
Is actually our friend
The shadow of our self it rides
A mirror to us sends

It shows us where our thinking stuck
It triggers us to deal
The shit we face is just good luck
Another chance to feel

So if you meet your darker side
Today then dance with glee
Embrace it with your arms spread wide
Just listen, look and see

Allow it to flow freely through
It may be fast or loud
The darkness is just cleaning you
Passing like a cloud

Just sit and be and breath and smile
Don't swallow, swear or fight
The storm will pass in just a while
Like day transforming night.

Matt Rivers
4th February 2016

 The Warrior

From humble tales, a boy once grew,

Small of frame, with eyes pale blue.

His hair like straw, reflecting light,

Gleaming sun in the dead of night.

His heart was full and bright with love

With wings so soft and light as doves.

Great plans he had and dreams of gold,

Adventures planned and journeys bold.

But grow he did as seasons passed.

The light inside, it did not last.

He drew into a place of gloom,

Where monsters roamed and sang of doom.

Here he learned to fight and dance,

To stand his ground and take a chance.

He tried to break the monster’s trap

But the beast was strong and kept him back.

Until one day he met a man

Whose light was fire inside his hands.

His skin so dark and eyes so pale,

Wise words he spun into a tale.

The monster that you fight so hard

Lives within your mind my child.

When you fight you give him power,

Forever over you he’ll tower.

Instead approach him softly slow,

Your heart stretched wide with all you know.

Embrace that many coloured beast,

For all he needs is gentle peace.

He stood and all at once could see

Just how life was meant to be.

He took the monster in his arms

And spoke brave words of love and calm.

Just then the sun through clouds did crack

His light and plans came rushing back.

But now the wild inside him thrived,

An infinite sea of dreams they dived.

Matt Rivers

5^th February 2016

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Create February Fabulous! is an idea or challenge to try and show up with your own creativity every day for the month of February. It is a simple idea. The creativity can take any form, and take any amount of time. Any media, any discipline, the only condition is to have fun. No critics, no judgement, just a celebration of our own unique human quality of creativity. You are encouraged to share your projects anywhere you like (only if you want) using the hashtag #createfebruary. Join the Facebook group, share on Instagram, blog about it, invite friends to some daily creativity. Let's see what we can create together. 

Matt is a singer/songwriter, musician, poet and writer of words. He is exploring the forests of consciousness, time and space, and surfing the waves of thought, love and being. Getting lost and wiping out are adventures in themselves!

Create February Fabulous! - The Darkness: Side One

Day 3

Create February Fabulous! is developing very nicely. Today has been a mix of writing and photography. It is not without its challenges as today's poem will attest to but that is the journey I was hoping to walk.

The little community of creative people around this project is slowly growing and people are contributing to the creativity in beautiful ways. Sewing, felting, poetry, photography, illustrations, baking, growing babies and growing ourselves! We are inherently creative beings and some great conversations are starting to blossom.

The Darkness

When darkness falls and comes for you,

He knocks on doors, it’s creepy true,

He slides through cracks and drips down pipes

And floods the cellar in the dead of night.

The darkness grows inside your mind

You search in vain but nothing find…

You start to tremble, moan and jerk,

The creeping doom is such hard work.

The moon has gone, the sun no more.

Shadows spread across the floor.

He fills your bones with a sense of dread.

You clench your jaw and bang your head.

He’s closer now, you feel his breath,

Cold and fog, it smells like death.

It’s all too much, you start to run,

This life has been too short of fun!

But wait, what’s this? A chink of light?

There’s hope still yet in the dead of night.

Tip-toe you step toward a flame,

A mirror dark reflects your name.

You stand and gaze upon yourself,

Dawn glimmers like an inside wealth.

The night you brought is clear to see

Waiting for you patiently…

Matt Rivers

3^rd February 2016

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Create February Fabulous! is an idea or challenge to try and show up with your own creativity every day for the month of February. It is a simple idea. The creativity can take any form, and take any amount of time. Any media, any discipline, the only condition is to have fun. No critics, no judgement, just a celebration of our own unique human quality of creativity. You are encouraged to share your projects anywhere you like (only if you want) using the hashtag #createfebruary. Join the Facebook group, share on Instagram, blog about it, invite friends to some daily creativity. Let's see what we can create together. 

Matt is a singer/songwriter, musician, poet and writer of words. He is exploring the forests of consciousness, time and space, and surfing the waves of thought, love and being. Getting lost and wiping out are adventures in themselves!

Create February Fabulous! - The Bag

Day 2

I have doubts. I have fears. I have little voices telling me I am ridiculous and stupid. I have critics that tell me I am not good enough and plenty of demons on my shoulders telling me that I am not qualified to be an artist, not talented enough, not clever enough and not motivated enough. My darker side is trying to protect me. It is doing this based on information I was told when I was very little. None of it is true but the voices carry on.

I set out to just create something once a day and share it but I have a feeling this blog will begin to become something cathartic as well as showcasing what creative projects I am up to. I hope the whole project may inspire someone to explore their creative side too. We may smash some blocks together along the way. I plan to be as accountable and open as possible.

That said, I spent all day ill in bed with my demons. They poked fun at me whilst I let go of a whole load of baggage and snot from the last few months but in the end, my own challenge got the better of me. I sat and wrote my journal which always helps to clear out the dark thoughts and leave a nice space for a spot of creativity. I think it is like warming-up before exercise. Today I wrote a poem and this blog. Here it is. Happy creating! 

The Bag

I am picking up the pieces of all I used to be,

Looking in the mirror at a man that once was me.

A tattered bag of empty thoughts is slung across his back;

Histories etched in borrowed lines cross his face like cracks.

That man, that shell that I once was, no more inside me lies.

This sack of jokes and broken dreams has nothing more to hide.

The burdens that once crippled me have faded into dust.

I can no more see what it was that turned my bones to rust.

That sack of mine is full of junk that I no longer need

I think I’ll leave it by the way, the earth for which to feed.

Beneath it all new power grows, like nature in the Spring,

Renewed by love and time and hope, when birds return to sing.

So in this mirror I find myself, looking eye to eye,

Seeing who I really am that makes this man inside.

My present self stands tall and strong, monument and proud,

Upon the edge of everything, unfolding in the crowds.

Through every age we’ve fallen down, got up and tried again,

Determined to uncover the trueness of our names.

The time is ripe, the time is now, it has always just been so,

But drop that sack of junk you must to set your life to glow.

Matt Rivers

2^nd February 2016

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Create February Fabulous! is an idea or challenge to try and show up with your own creativity every day for the month of February. It is a simple idea. The creativity can take any form, and take any amount of time. Any media, any discipline, the only condition is to have fun. No critics, no judgement, just a celebration of our own unique human quality of creativity. You are encouraged to share your projects anywhere you like (only if you want) using the hashtag #createfebruary. Join the Facebook group, share on Instagram, blog about it, invite friends to some daily creativity. Let's see what we can create together. 

Matt is a singer/songwriter, musician, poet and writer of words. He is exploring the forests of consciousness, time and space, and surfing the waves of thought, love and being. Getting lost and wiping out are adventures in themselves!