I have been attempting to develop my creative practice. I figure the best way to develop it is by doing so when I moved to Coconut Grove to house-sit I endeavoured to write, or do something creative every day. This went well for the first couple of weeks and then I got involved in other short-term projects, creative ones to be sure.
One of these was participation in "The True Blue Straight and Narrow Normal People's Club". It was great fun getting to know the other members of the cast. There were moments that were challenging and which caused me to question what messages I am giving through my performances and what messages I want to give. In particular there is a scene where I bash the prime minister to death with my banjo. Given my songs and poetry that oppose violence I had to sit with this and think it through. I realised I was perhaps being a little 'precious' especially seeing the song I sang in the show was a parody of BDSM.
I believe reflection is a valuable tool in developing any practice. I consider myself an "arts for health" practitioner so reflection on the content, messages and ethics of my art is important. I resolved my dilemma about being violent by separating myself from the role. I had no dilemma about my song. As a sex positive feminist I believe in freedom of sexual expression.
To share some to my creative practice here are a couple of the poems I wrote while at Coconut Grove.
ABBOT STEW
Abbott, rhymes with rabbit
And like that pestilent creature
He shows no regard for the damage caused to the
environment
Or ecological balance
Abbott, rhymes with rabbit
In a frenzy breeding
Bigots and fear-mongers,
Racists and haters.
Abbott, rhymes with rabbit
And so too does he hide out in burrows
To avoid those who want rid of him.
Abbott, rhymes with rabbit
But I don’t think he’d taste good in any stew
Regardless of the amount of red wine added
Copyright Shirley (Shel) O’Toole 2015
SUFFER NOT THE LITTLE CHILDREN
Sometimes I shed tears for the children in detention
centres
The children in refugee camps
The children whose lives have been torn apart by war
Suffer not the little children.
Why then a world plagued by war
Our children are worth so much more
Than the horror they live in everyday
which is constantly reinforcing to them
There is no other way
Violence normalised
populations desensitised
children traumatised
life on earth cannabalised
Copyright Shirley (Shel) O’Toole 2015
