Hi everyone,

Well, it’s the 26th of June and this is my first post of the month.

No poems, no musings about films I’ve watched, no updates on anything. Truth is, I’ve been suffering from an intense lack of inspiration. When I look back to the beginning of the year, I was churning out poems and bits and pieces left, right and centre. I was gripped with a flurry of invention that seems to have ebbed away over this period of lockdown. When the lockdown started, I had an idea that I would document it in poetry and be able to get loads done; I would have the chance to look at The Ardenna Crossing and make some more headway with that. That hasn’t been the case. I look at what other people are doing and how creative they’re being and I just feel like a complete failure because I have none of the drive to do anything. I get through the day and I just want to collapse on the sofa, drink Coke and eat rubbish.  Granted, I’ve been working at school or from home pretty much the whole way through and I’ve been preoccupied with that in some ways, but that’s just one of my go-to excuses for the haze I’ve been in when it comes to writing anything for myself and I don’t know how to kick start this process again.

I promised the good people at 25YL an article about Alien: Isolation and I’ve been sitting on that for two weeks now without even making a start.

I’ve encountered writer’s block before but this is something completely different. It’s more like a permanent ennui; a persistent cloud or a nagging headache that refuses to budge.

Sorry for the navel gazing but I thought it might help if I voiced my feelings on the subject. Maybe writing something like this will be the impetus I need to re-engage with this hobby that has given me so much pleasure and fulfilment over the past few years. One piece of good news is that I am in contact with someone who is putting some of my poetry to music. I sent him a few audio files of me reading my poems and he’s been busy putting a score over them. So, that’s interesting and what I’ve heard so far seems pretty good. Can’t wait to share them with you when they’re done.

Thanks for reading,

Richard