Audio Mission Statement

So, here we go again. Another mission statement. The audio version of this statement (along with the rest of the podcasts) can be found at anchor.fm/harryisapoet, or on spotify.

Here's the quick version - I'm planning on trying to record my whole back catalogue on a semi-regular basis as a podcast. Probably one/two a week - I'll update this once I get going and figure things out.

I've been wanting to do this for a while. After all, if I have a choice of performing one of my poems for someone or sending them a written link, I'll pick performing every time. And this was less work than making them videos (which is still a future aim).

So, here we go. Another poetry adventure. I'll still be writing a fresh weekly poems  over at harryisapoet.blogspot.com. I've also made a facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/harryisapoet/) that will automatically post my new written poems, and hopefully will be set up to post my new podcast too.

A small extra note. For the next podcasts, I will record the poem, then I'll add any extra thoughts/context at the end. Some small insight into how I was feeling, or any way I would differ in approaching the subject now. In this statement though, it feels right to end again with (a slightly abridged version of the) Ira Glass quote that helped start me on this journey way back in January 2013.

"Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through."

Statement over. If you're still with me, I look forward to the journey over the coming weeks.

Signed,
A somehow still naïve Harry, who is now a little more certain than seven years ago that he can call himself a poet.