Books

I am curious about creativity. One of the main themes in this collection of poems is my exploration of the nature of creativity. Where does it originate? Does it change over the course of our lives, or do we change while our creative energy remains present but fluctuating between obscured, enhanced, or somewhere between?

In these poems I also explore nostalgia; how our experiences shape us; our place in the world and the choice we have at any given moment to change ourselves. I’m intrigued by our ability to observe ourselves, to think about thinking (meta-cognition), and to change our habits, even our underlying way of viewing the world. I believe that the ability to change oneself is suppressed by our culture, or maybe it’s just too much work, I don’t know for sure. But I’m convinced it can be done. First, observe and take responsibility for our personal history and experiences. Second, notice the patterns in that history. Third, choose one’s path forward, and work to encourage the good and minimize the undesirable habits and views.

The title of this book and one poem within it — “Where Before There Were Incandescent Visions” — share the phrase “incandescent visions.” When I first came up with that poem’s title, it represented a theme of passionate (incandescent) curiosity and the yearning to express oneself, and so the nucleus of that poem’s title also belongs in the book’s title. As other poems joined the book, more themes emerged: storytelling, travel, perspective, inspiration, nature, memorials, the challenges of dark times, the arc of our lives, self-improvement, celebration, love, among others… I hope you find inspiration here.