(i) A Chaotic Friend, (ii) Write it down often.

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This description contains a paid promotion in that I use Amazon Affiliate Links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. What happens when wild, chaotic living meets disciplined, daily creativity? This episode examines two contrasting yet complementary paths to meaningful artistic expression.

We begin with Roland Robinson, the Australian poet who lived from 1912 to 1992—a chaotic, wild-haired figure who hiked with my parents and whose intellectual fire never dimmed in my mother's memory. Robinson's life was a beautiful chaos of divorces, affairs, and cross-country journeys, yet this apparent disorder fueled his mission to document Aboriginal stories and myths. His poem "The Sermon of the Birds" exemplifies his dedication to preserving First Nations voices, showing how he channeled personal turmoil into cultural preservation and activism.

The second half shifts focus to Walter Mosley's structured approach to writing. The acclaimed crime fiction author behind the Easy Rawlins mysteries offers transformative advice: make writing your first daily activity. Even changing a single word counts. This simple practice creates an anchor amid life's storms, helping writers overcome the "not creative today" or "too busy" excuses that leave projects forever unfinished. My own journey with schizophrenia illustrates this perfectly—detailed notes initially kept for doctors gradually expanded into material for multiple books, including "The Overlife, a Tale of Schizophrenia."

Both Robinson and Mosley reveal essential truths about creativity: it thrives in both freedom and structure. Whether your path resembles Robinson's chaotic energy or Mosley's disciplined consistency, the key lies in commitment to your unique voice and story. What daily practice might anchor your creative life? What chaos might you transform through your words? Subscribe now and join our exploration of writing's power to capture life's complexity.

References:

(i) Roland Robinson (1912-1992) by Peter Kirkpatrick, Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 19, 2021.

(ii) https://allpoetry.com/The-Sermon-of-the-Birds

(iii) "Devil In A Blue Dress," by Walter Mosley (visit https://amzn.to/4jTMJWB) The link is an Amazon Associate Link/ As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

(iv) “The Overlife: A Tale Of Schizophrenia,” by Diana Dirkby (visit https://amzn.to/454WgW6. #ad #commissionsearned The link is an Amazon Affiliate Link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases)

(v) “Three Kidnapped, Three Siblings, Three Furies,” by Diana Dirkby (visit https://amzn.to/42Z81KY. #ad #commissionsearned The link is an Amazon Affiliate Link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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