Poetry Friday is here!

“What is Poetry Friday?” you ask … please visit Renee LaTulippe for her thoughtful explanation. Connect using Mr. Linky at the bottom of this post.

One wonderful aspect of Poetry Friday is that you can write about virtually anything. Yet sometimes, finding inspiration can be a challenge, at least for me.

Image source: Canva

A few weeks ago, I attended the last CT Forum of the season. The topic was “Chefs.” The panelists included: Priya Krishna (NY Times Columnist and Cookbook Author), Marcus Samuelsson (Renowned Chef, Restauranteur, TV Personality), and Gail Simmons (Top Chef Judge, Culinary Expert, Cookbook Author).  Sam Sifton (NY Times Editor and Writer, Cookbook Author) moderated the discussion.

Image source: The Connecticut Forum - The Connecticut Forum (ctforum.org)

To me, the most interesting part of the discussion centered around inspiration. An audience member asked the panelists where they find inspiration for their culinary creativity. Marcus Samuelsson answered that he collects colors and stories. “The clubs, the artistry, and the weirdness” of his Chelsea neighborhood in NY City inspire him. The moment that he finds a food “cravable” (when the first bite is so delicious that he wants to eat more) inspires him to experiment with that flavor profile.

Other panelists talked about the world as inspiration.  Being out in the world, traveling, visiting new places, talking to a stranger at a wedding, and experiencing life were all sources of inspiration for their cooking. The panelists agreed that venturing out of their homes and diving into a new environment invigorated their creativity.

This sentiment rang true to me. Some poets find inspiration in the seemingly ordinary, perhaps Valerie Worth would be a worthy (tee hee) example. That works for me on occasion but venturing out in the world feels necessary. Pairing new experiences with my life-history library sometimes inspires a fresh idea.

I also left the forum thinking that great artwork, whether it be writing, painting, dance, theater, sculpting, music, or cooking, is at its core – storytelling. And storytelling is about human connection and understanding.

And that thought brought a wave of gratitude for the community of storytellers who are Poetry Friday.  Thank you for bravely sharing your stories, your cultures, your observations, and your feelings and reaching out for human connection.

 

Please connect here!

If you have time to comment, I would love to hear about a source of your inspiration!

38 comments

    • Thank you for sharing those sources of inspiration, Margaret! Poetry Unbound sounds like a winner! I will check it out!
  • So perfect that you end your inspirational post with gratitude Tracey. It feels like that’s truly where the need to write begins! Thank you for hosting! I’m in the midst of wedding #6 so I’ll circle back to join in the reading joy later this weekend!
  • I love that you’ve connected inspiration with gratitude. Isn’t that where everything begins? Thank you for hosting Tracey!
  • What an amazing forum, and how wonderful that you had the chance to attend! I love these connections and heartily agree. Food is both sustenance and creativity, a way to show and share love. And yes, it's storytelling. I was just listening to a podcast in which a guest was almost sheepish to "admit" that she was reading a cookbook, but the host said, "Yes! I love to read cookbooks!" Because, of course, the best cookbooks are also full of stories. Full of life. :) ❤️
    Thanks for hosting! 
  • Thanks for hosting, Tracey! We watch several cooking/baking competition shows (the ones without screaming--hehe), but I don't like to cook or bake at all. So it's always extra fascinating to hear about chefs' ideas and inspirations. Thanks for sharing these. It also makes me think about creators who make things that are ephemeral--from food to street art to sand art, etc. That idea of making something and placing it in front of people and then being done with it is so appealing to me. Never having to store physical versions of things...the immediate response you get...so lovely!
    • Yes, I like the shows that are less stressful as well! So true - there is definitely an appeal to ephemeral art, especially cooking. I think that is part of why I enjoy baking - nothing left to judge afterwards. : )
  • Tracey,
    What a cool post! We love Top Chef and other cooking shows. 
    My inspirations are color, nature, and travel.  I also find inspiration in others. But I am careful in how I find it. For example, in making my handcrafted jewelry, I never look at jewelry of others...it gets in my head and I can't get it out. If I take inspiration from another's work (written word) I do it in a broad-stroke way. 
    Art definitely inspires. I should add that to my list of three.
     
    • Yes - I see color, nature, art, and your travels throughout your work, Carol! : ) Thank you for sharing your inspirations and your inspirational work!
  • Tracey, I join you in that wave of gratitude to our Poetry Friday community. I didn't know what I was writing about today (other than post #1,400) until the Ada Limon podcast popped up on my phone. It's fun to be inspired by what appears in our little universe, but like many others have stated, I rely on this community for inspiration too. I love Valerie Worth and your nod to her worthy (Ha! Ha!) poems about seemingly ordinary things. It was interesting to see how you led us down this path of inspiration, following your evening of culinary delights.
  • Tracey, my comment is coming in late. After driving a ways to get to the infectious disease doctor, the GPS did not take us the right way and I was too late for my appointment. Oh well, we are back on the road home. I really liked your post today and I thank you for hosting. There is creativity spilling out all over your post. It was exciting reading about the creative chefs and their perspectives. I am passionate about decorating, fashion, antiquing, and of course my granddaughters and poetry writing. As far as cooking, I enjoy baking and start learning from a very young child when I watched my Nonnie back. I agree with the chef that cravable bites of food are what brings people back to the food. I like playing with flavors and tastes when baking. I have never been able to create Italian cookies like my Nonnie made but I love the stories that evolved from the years of baking. Have a happy weekend.
    • Carol, what a hectic day! I hope event turned out ok. I love all of the things on your inspiration list.  Antiques jumped out at me as a wonderful thought. Touching a piece of history does seem like a great way to get ideas flowing! I bet your Italian cookies are as wonderful as the memories you have of making them with your Nonni! : )
  • I also enjoy Poetry Friday because I can write about anything that inspires me from week to week. I love to cook and eat and love to be inspired by a recipe or a cookbook. I'm glad that I'm reading your blog now, on Saturday at dinnertime because those food journalists have got me thinking! Poets are all about the senses, including taste. Thanks for hosting, Tracy. 
    • That is a good point, Janice. Great poetry does tap into many different senses. I have to try to be more conscious of that when I write. 

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