Hi, I’m LB Sedlacek. I’ve been publishing “The Poetry Market Ezine” for the past 20 years! I just decided to end it after 20 years because I need to have more time for other things that have come into my life. “The Poetry Market Ezine” was a monthly online email subscription newsletter just for poets with poetry markets, contests, and news. Usually, I would review a poetry book or chapbook too. I always signed off here and there with “Here’s wishing you poetical success.”
But what does it mean to be poetical? What does success in poetry really look like?
I have a friend who used to talk about someone she knew who was an artist and who believed in living your life through art to express art. Okay, what does that mean? I believe it indicated supporting other artists and also attending arts events of all kinds - theatre, art shows, poetry readings, concerts, etc.
Wouldn’t you as an artist prefer to be surrounding yourself with other art related activities along with your own? Yep, there she goes talking about inspiration ... again.
But I digress (and this isn’t a post about inspiration). I believe in experiences. I studied acting while living in Washington, DC - I went to a theatre school in Georgetown of all places. Later on I went to graduate school in theatre and communications. When studying acting, you learn several techniques. One is method where the actor believes in really experiencing what the character goes through to play the part.
Experiences to me are key to my life as a poet. I am inspired daily (not just by gazing off into the sunsets which I often do ... one of the benefits of living in the mountains is that you can see distance for miles hence very pretty skies, stars) by life itself from things I observe to conversations I have to things I read and even by some of my dreams (I have had some vivid dreams!). I also have other interests, responsibilities and jobs so I am doing many other things besides thinking about poetry all day. It brings me into contact with other possibilities that I wouldn’t have without them.
Traveling and Swimming, besides reading, are two of my favorite things to do (can’t do much of either right now with the pandemic, but before that I did them both all the time) and from there I wrote many place poems. Same with my love of taking pictures and then writing about them (see @poetryinla on Facebook or Instagram) which is pretty much my own version of ekphrastic poetry.
I like to listen to music, too. I like to draw. I enjoy the theatre. It’s all a good blend, it really is.
Your success as a Poet is what you make it. You have to grow, not be afraid, fly, have writing rituals, envision succeeding, say yes to opportunities, get out an experience art and life, and take off on your second, third or fifth act.
I may not be publishing my poetry ezine any more, but I will continuing to provide Poem Critiques and I will keep writing. I’m simply ready to take off in a new direction. I’m simply ready to find success in a different way.
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