Two Years

Today marks two years of this blog. That’s two years of posting an original poem almost every day, some ventures into short fiction, a few pictures, and a few more traditional blog posts. Seven-hundred and seventy posts over seven hundred and thirty days.

At its most basic, Dionysian Blunderbuss is a chronicle of the greater part of my daily writing practice. I posted something nearly every day, even if that post was only a brief explanation of the circumstances around me deciding not to post a poem.

Over the previous year, I’ve discovered some techniques I know I’ll be carrying forward in my writing, and in my teaching this fall. I’ve written a few of what I consider to be my best poems. And I got a couple of poems published!

So, What Now?

I have a few developed thoughts about how I would like to move forward from here, and a few ideas I am still mulling over.

1. I want to continue posting poetry here, but I think this past year has taught me some limits. Forcing myself to write a poem every day at the best of times was a fun challenge, at the most mediocre of times impractical, and at its most frustrating, just another task I had to do without much desire or interest to the point that I might take the day off.
   
   Writing shouldn’t feel like a chore, so I might be slowing down my posting schedule to several times a week, and not always poetry. Maybe eventually I’ll settle on a specific day of the week for poetry posts … like Meter Mondays and The Thursday Verse … or maybe it will happen more organically.
   
   
2. I’d like to share more thoughts on writing and writing process. From mid-September to November, on Monday nights, I am teaching an Adult Education course on creative writing that focuses on poetry and flash fiction. It’s going to be a fun way to share my knowledge with those who sign up, but I would also like to chronicle some of that teaching and learning journey here.
   
   To that end, in addition to insights and thoughts about writing, I’m thinking of posting writing exercises for people to try. Perhaps we can get a little more of a community going here. What all of this looks like will take some more planning though. I’ll keep you posted.
   
   
3. I never finished the poetry zine I set out to make this past year. I don’t consider that a failure. But I do recognize that with the wealth of poems I have here, it’s time to consider putting together some kind of zine or small chapbook of revised versions of a handful of what I consider my best. If I am going to make that a project on the nights I’m not posting here, then I may as well illustrate it too.
   
   I will post progress “snapshots” of that project here to try to stay motivated, so expect more art and random photos as possible standalone posts.
   
   
4. I still post paintings and drawings on Instagram, but only once or twice a week. That being said, I think I’ll make art, and the craftier side of my hobbies more of a part of what I put here, possibly even more frequently than Instagram.
   
   I am also considering posting paintings for sale here … but that’s something I’m still only considering.

Thanks To My Readers

This is not a successful blog. 500 hits in a month makes a good month for Dionysian Blunderbuss. 

That being said, I am deeply appreciative of those of you who come here daily or weekly and peruse my writing. Moving forward into year three, just know that you will be rewarded with a wide variety of options that still include poetry, prose, photos, art and more.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

A Short Break?

Last year, I took a week or two off from posting after my first anniversary post. I don’t know that such a defined hiatus is necessary this time. You can probably expect something as soon as this weekend. I’ll be finishing a painting commission and embarking on a flurry of other, smaller, artistic ventures that I’m sure I’ll be bursting to share.

Here’s to the beginning of year three!

Cheers!

~MS