Jane Kenyon - Poet

Jane Kenyon - Poet  1947 - 1995

"Tell the whole truth. Don’t be lazy, don’t be afraid. Close the critic out when you are drafting something new. Take chances in the interest of clarity of emotion."

"Be a good steward of your gifts. Protect your time. Feed your inner life. Avoid too much noise. Read good books, have good sentences in your ears. Be by yourself as often as you can. Walk. Take the phone off the hook. Work regular hours."

                                                          -Jane Kenyon

I'm a big fan and follower of the site Brain Pickings. I find so many educational articles, especially about creativity, artists and about writers.

One thing I have noticed in the many articles I have read, is how frequently artists and writers suffer from mental illness. Perhaps this is not unusual. Mental illness is common, having friends and family members being affected by this illness and people are talking more openly about it.

Jane Kenyon, who I found out about today, was one such person, a gifted writer and poet, that allowed her vulnerability and emotion to deeply resonate from her work, which I think was a beautiful thing.

In her poem called, Happiness in this link  encapsulates her thoughts and feelings so very well.