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Our State of Growth

Hey all! Katie here. I’ve had the pleasure of re-joining the Neo team – helping with social media. Some of you might remember me from my chat committee days pre-2011. I’ve been on and off the site since, though admittedly due to life circumstances I’ve spent more time away.

In a state of rebuilding my own life, I’ve been welcomed back lovingly to this amazing site. I’ve affectionally called Neopoet my poetic home for close to ten years. Many of my closest Internet friends have come from here. Much of my growth and inspiration bloomed as a result of constructive critiques and feedback I always received. It warms my heart to scroll through the Stream and see familiar names.

That’s the thing about virtual homes. It costs nothing to come back into the door, sit down at the table with a coffee and some scrap-paper poetry ideas, and join the shenanigans of fellow creative minds.

Ironically, Neopoet itself is in a state of growth right now. We’ve expanded out into social media, something that wasn’t overly prevalent back in my days. We had Facebook, but Neo hadn’t expanded into Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest. There was a solid group of regulars who always straggled back despite where the world took them. And newbies simply seemed to find their way in.

After what I’ll deem the “Great Site Crash of 2011”, that solid group seemed to scatter. Even after Neopoet was back up and running, there were many who didn’t come back. There were others, such as myself, who spent time in a revolving door because of adversities. You know, bad relationships, spiraling mental health, job changes, sick parents; all those things life likes to throw at us.

But, when I did return as a regular, it astounded me to see these familiar names still plugging away at this site. You know who you are. You’ve been here all along, welcoming the newbies and giving solid critiques and carrying on the shenanigans, in the Stream or behind the scenes. Still holding this place up with stacks of poetry, glitter and love. You’ve been the pillars of this community.

Some solid advice I got about building an artistic community came from a writing conference last month, when a guest speaker spoke about her years in creating writing communities here in Canada. She reminisced about how she used to want the perfect writing community to simply appear. For someone else to come along and start it.

“Then build one.” That’s what she was told. And so, she did. She went on to help start multiple writing conferences and groups in Alberta.

Writing is an isolating hobby/career. We spend endless hours at keyboards and hunched over notebooks, mapping ideas out and scribbling lyrics. Communities, whether physically or online, are vital to bringing writers together and giving us a place to fall. Where we can have a group of friends who understand the sting of rejection letters or writer’s block or being so burned out by life it’s hard to write. This is what Neopoet has been to many people for many years. Back when I was here ALL the time, it was the first site I logged into when I got home from work. Not Facebook. Not Yahoo Messenger. It was Neopoet. Anyone else here remember that indigo backdrop of the chat room that felt like coming home no matter what the hour was? It was my favourite time of day.

We want to maintain that during this period of growth. Those roots are who we are. What we are wanting to do is recruit more users. So, I’m calling on you Neo old timers, to call on your writer friends, whether they used to be here or not. I’m calling on newer members who might know interested poets in a crevice of the virtual world who could use a writerly home.
Let’s make Neopoet THE place to be for poets again. I’ll keep the coffee on and glitter on hand to celebrate. I’m just ecstatic to be back.

Editing stage: 

Comments

I used to live for the nights I had chat coming up! I got to see all my friends from around the world, and it was the best part of the week. With Facebook and the other social-media sites, we can still communicate on line, but it's not the old days. However, that is the point that you are trying to make.
This isn't the old days! Let us older members make room for the newbies and sound the horn of triumphant return, for the elders! We are still a vibrant community that loves it's members like family!

There is value to commenting and critique, tell us how you feel about our work.
This must be the place, 'cause there ain't no place like this place anywhere near this place.

So glad to see your shining self !!!

Thank you, gentlemen. I am genuinely thrilled to be back. Time that passes can be a friend or an enemy to us, yet I am glad it has remained a friend for Neopoet. You veterans are a huge part of the heart and soul of this community, there is no doubt about that.

Chat was such a riot, wasn't it? I am sure the revival of the chat room will be one big party when it comes. In the meantime, there is still much we can do to party in Stream, on social media and elsewhere. I am also open to suggestions and feedback regarding our social media. A community is never built or rebuilt by just one person. <3

- Katie

Neopoet Social Media

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sometimes I think just the fact that
so many of us know how magical this
place was at one time is enough ...
but then I can't help but believe we can
help make it that way again.

tip-o-the-hat

I could NOT have said it any better myself, old friend.

- Katie

Neopoet Social Media

author comment

Seeing you guys whether it's been from the beginning or you just have arrived is an amazing situation. Katie welcome back home your family has missed you Yes you heard me right we here are family. We might not be here all the time but we know what this place has done for us. I cannot say it better than Katie did. It has been a distinct privilege and honor serving as a trustee but also fighting alongside you guys for a better website and community. We don't ask this everyday? If this place is somewhere that you have grown as a writer and as a person do not deprive the experience to somebody else who might be in the same place you have been. We can make this site flourish like it used to in the past with all of you and your opinions The sky is the limit. Thank you Katie for having this important conversation with our community. We are so glad you're back and to all who have come back welcome home we missed you and can't wait for more awesome poetry and critique.

Thanks, Greeko. Can you believe we've been friends for like ten years now? It's madness. Now it's your turn to make me cry - the last five or so years have been so hard on me and I really lost myself. I kept coming back and forth from Neopoet because it was always my place to fall. My home. My family. Nowhere else have I ever felt this level of acceptance, friendship, love and support. I have so many precious memories from this site.

Anytime someone tells me it's "just a website" I say "No. Stop right there. No, no, no. It is so much more." Because it is. It is the walls I come to after a long day. It is the hometown I never had, coming back when my life falls apart and the familiarity fulfills my soul. It is the foundation of the writer I have become, truly. I can still name the writers who so influenced me, and most of them come from here. I cried when our dear friend Steven (Orgami) passed away a year ago. He was one of those veterans who was part of the community's heart and soul. We were Facebook friends and fellow Canadians for many years. That's family. We celebrate our victories. We grieve the losses. Some of us drift away, and those of us who need this place most always come back.

- Katie

Neopoet Social Media

author comment

Welcome, Love Roscoe...

Roscoe Llane,

Religion will rip your faith off, and return
for the mask of disbelief that's left.

Thanks, Roscoe.

Neopoet Social Media

author comment

"Writing is an isolating hobby/career." Ayup! From Bohemian London through the salons of Paris to the Beat cafes of New York poets have always needed a community to flourish and we have it now, including those cities and many more in Africa, Asia and here in the Antipodes, 24/7.

People whine about the demise of poetry but between the web and rap and Rowlings never have so many people been writing and reading, in at least one supportive community, Neopoet.

Man, we've got it good!

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

This community was built on something amazing and magical to begin with. We just need to keep carrying that and letting those isolated poets know we are for them.

- Katie

Neopoet Social Media

author comment

Coming back Katie.
Like it when I meet people with positive thinking.

❤❤❤❤❤❤

Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words
........Robert Frost☺

Please follow me on Instagram
https://instagram.com/poetry.jo?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Thanks, Rula <3

Neopoet Social Media

author comment

is the ruthless elimination of the inessential whilst quantum leaps of meaning.

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

Truth.

- Katie

Neopoet Social Media

author comment
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