25 Comments
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James Freitas's avatar

Thank you, Neil, for this insight into your creative process!

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thanks James and much appreciated!

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Jamie Millard's avatar

Love it! Keep inspiring. We need you ❤️

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thanks Jamie and much appreciated!

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Heidi Zawelevsky's avatar

Thank you for sharing your writing process with us, Neil! The template and formula that you utilize and have designed come across as fresh and new every single post. Love it.

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Neil Barker's avatar

You're welcome Heidi and thanks!

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Sara Oyela's avatar

Beautiful photos. And I enjoyed reading about your process.

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thanks Sara and much appreciated.

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Sarah Teresa Cook's avatar

What a great behind-the-scenes peek!

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thanks Sarah and much appreciated!

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Pamela Leavey's avatar

Excellent reflection and insight into how you write your posts and your Sijos! Thank you so.much for sharing your process. As artists we all arrive at these things differently.

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thanks Pamela and muhc appreciated!

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Nancy Kong's avatar

It is amazing to see your thinking / meditation process. A lot of reflections then articulate in sijo way. Thanks Neil for sharing this process. It helps to have a clear mind day by day… wonderful…

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thanks Nancy and I hope this is helpful.

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Janelle Hardacre's avatar

A privilege to see your creative process. Thank you, Neil

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thakns Janelle and much appreciated.

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Ann Collins's avatar

It’s moving to see how the poetry emerges near the end of a long chain of physical and meditative events. . .the flower that blooms slowly. Thank you for sharing this Neil.

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thakn Ann and much appreciated. I had not written out my process until recently and nice to get it out of my head and see it visually.

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Emma Liles's avatar

What a great peek into your process Neil. I like that your walk in nature is the requisite. I think it’s beautiful how you have created a space where you can share experiences, revelations, and questions that come up during an activity that you love and would do regardless. It was nice to see some photographs again (like the rabbit and squirrel), and also the bald eagles and ravens, I haven’t seen that one before.

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thanks Emma and much appreciated. Those walks in Nature have been such a great experience. That photo with the Bald Eagle, Raven, and Crows is one of my favourite experiences.

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Tania Tyler 🌿's avatar

Thank you for sharing your process, Neil. Saving the Sijo for last and after a period of reflection is a wonderful way to alchemize your Nature experience.

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thanks Tania and much appreciated. I like how you put that as alchemize. It is a great description.

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Jos T's avatar

Neil, have you managed your attention and focus to develop your nature walks?

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Neil Barker's avatar

I have improved my attention and focus over the years and both have really helped develop my appreciation for Nature on my walks. I like to think of both as works in progress and each moment is a chance for appreciation.

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Jos T's avatar

That sounds perfect. I am sometimes out there, as a shimmering stand of golden aspens, or a whole flock of Cackling Geese determinedly flying south, or the busyness itself of first-rain tunneling nutria, but mostly I am just easing myself out of my work day, attending to my breath, feeling my footsteps, making peace with my jangly mind.

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