Poetry and Puppets Enhancing the Storytelling Process

I am on a quest to make some puppets for an upcoming storytelling in January! I haven’t made these since my children were little, and then I don’t think I was very ambitious.

Pinterest has been wonderful  for inspiration and I have now set up a special pinboard devoted to this topic.

There are so many ways to make puppets! Some are simple, a combination of socks and paper plates.

See more of this work at Ordinary Life Magic

The process for sock puppets is beautifully broken down in this image.

(Image and some great instructions are at Dragons Are Seldom)

Some are absolute works of art.  See more of this work at  Puppetheap

It is still based on a sock puppet design but it is taken to another level!

This one is just magical, but I can still see some sock puppet influence in it.

But my quest shows me that I could also make interactive props, like masks and head toppers.

Okay so I am inspired.  The design process begins.

First to decide which poems and stories I will do, and therefore which props are needed.

Will I go for a mixture of all of the above?

Will I enlist the help of my artistic daughter?

Once my designs are done, it will be off the craft shops, and a rummage through materials we also have lying around the house.

This is going to be fun!

A big thank you to all the pinterest people,  craft bloggers and artisans who either share the process of how to make these or who just inspire me with the artistry of their puppets.

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Innovation

I am currently trying simultaneous narratives as suggested by Hazel Smith in The Writing Experiment, Strategies for Innovative Creative Writing – and having a great time innovating my poetry practice with this kind of structure.

I love the idea of a poem that can read in three ways!

I can’t share this work yet as I am submitting it to places for publication or competitions, but yesterday was a fabulous poetry morning, and I drafted a long piece with a series of poetic variations drawing upon some of my favourite plants and music.

How do you innovate your poetry practice?

 

#innovativewriting #useful #poetry #story #novel working with #structure #sound #surrealism #realism #satire

Poetry Journal

Today I am beginning to keep a poetry journal again.

It’s a way to unpack the day and approach things with creativity and imagination -a sheltered place for daily writing exercises and ideas.

Today’s topics Pokemon Go and Ladders of Music.

Also I’m aiming to read a new poet a day.

The pictured journal was made by my daughter for Mother’s Day.

I want to hand write as well as type some of my poetry journal.

I wrote this for my facebook status statement today.  I think it needs to go in my poetry journal as something to keep reflecting on.

“Music – a ladder for the soul, a ladder to optimism, a ladder to a smile..”

Do you keep a poetry journal?

Walgett 1993

We drive past
two large churches

round cement

red slates with apple green
wood walls

run down
caravans with tin shed
attachments

a naked child
drinking juice

dogs everywhere.

Now we stop.

We’re at Nellie’s house
full to the brim of
children.

Nellie smiles
hugs us
and as if she has read
our thoughts on what we have seen
she says:

‘These people await houses
I adopted three children …’

She takes us to visit
the neighbourhood
including her mother who is
a 103

She is calmness
cadence circles

21 November 1993

Reading through the journal entry accompanying this fragment I am struck by the the story of Nellie. We went with another family, the Tais, to meet her. Now I travel back in time and meet her at her front door. In my journal account she emerges as the backbone of her community. She is ‘calmness cadence circles.’ She cares for the sick, avoids bingo, loves fishing, and knows and loves her community.

She had just become a Baha’i and we were visiting her to see what kind of support she needed , and came home so impressed by her family and extended family. We discovered a true world citizen, in a tiny town on the so called ‘fringes of Australian society, ‘ and what’s more she could teach many about the abundance of human spirit, patience, generosity and forbearance.

I find myself wondering what became of the people we met on that trip as shortly after we moved and we never met them again. Yet, they are in my heart and I hope that their lives went well. Walgett, for me will always be somehow spoken through the spirit of Nellie.

(c) June Perkins