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March 21, 2024:

On the first official day of spring, RF Create is feeling optimistic…. and creative! We’re hoping you are too.

Over the past year we’ve been giving you themes to help guide and inspire, but it occurred to us that many of you will have all kinds of creative stuff just ready to be shared that doesn’t necessarily fit a prescribed mould. So we’re throwing our metaphorical doors open and inviting you to share any poems, photos, paintings and drawings, craft, food, sounds or indeed anything you have created that you’d like others to see.

We know that some of you still love a little guidance, so don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten you! ‘Animals’ is your prompt for the next few weeks; it could be a photo of your favourite pet, something you’ve made, a piece of writing, a collage of animal noises set to a funky original track…there are no limits!

And if you’re up for a challenge and love writing poems, why not get involved in ‘Escapril’… details below, and if you do take part and wish to share any with us, we’ll publish a selection on these pages!

Last but by no means least, please take the time to check out a couple of very different submissions below that we received this month. Karen Wheeler sent us some beautiful 3D card creations from members of the RF Chichester craft club, all taught by a person who uses the service. And thanks so much to Gary Parsons, an Employment Specialist with RF in Surrey, for his honest, optimistic and defiant account of his depression. Truly powerful stuff, with a message of hope.

David Mitchell, RF Create

Escapril 2024

Escapril has been a ‘thing’ on Instagram since 2019 – using a given prompt each day in April (provided by writer Savannah Brown) to see if you can create something short and sweet, long and neat, rough and bold – whatever comes. And some days you might get nothing at all!

We’ve done it in a small group before, using the prompts and not worrying about Instagram, preferring to do this on Whatsapp in a small group.

You can find out more by visiting #escapril and deciding how you might like to use the idea of a whole month of daily prompts.

Surprising what you can do!

Surprising how long a month is too!

If you DO write anything in April using the prompts below we’d love to hear from you. And whilst we can’t guarantee we’ll post everything if you get thoroughly immersed and write 30 poems – we’d love to share some of your little gems with the RF Create audience.

It’s nearly April… knock yourself out!

Backstory: I have been battling severe mental health issues since last July 2023, but this has challenged me constantly since 2019/20. I work at Richmond Fellowship supporting clients like myself but I didn’t take my own advice and step back to think of myself, which was the real turning point. So please remember you have one life; that work phone and laptop will still be here tomorrow, but tomorrow, will you be?

My Thoughts: I am depressed; this is me, my daily struggle, but all I see is resilience. You are allowed to feel messed up inside and out, it doesn’t mean you’re defective it just means you’re human.
What does depression feel like? To me it feels like you don’t want to live, but you don’t want to die; you don’t want to talk to anyone, but you feel lonely. You wake up in the morning and simply want for that night to come. This in short is depression and in the world, I am part of that statistic. There will be days I procrastinate or days I feel motivated, days that I’m sad and shut myself away and break communications with all aspects of life… But this is okay, this is me. I am not letting depression dictate me. I am dictating depression step by step. I will get stronger in myself; it may not be now but in ten years. I know others out there are in a similar situation – I feel you. We got this!

‘WARM’ – WINTER 2024

March 9, 2024:

A puzzle for you – how is it that, during winter, time seems to simultaneously fly by, yet also drag its heels interminably?

Every year without fail, I find myself saying, how are we in March already? It seems we’re no sooner ushering in the new year than we’re seeing the first of the daffodils pop up, and savouring those tantalising, albeit still infrequent, signs of spring weather. January and February have whizzed by in a flash, and good riddance to them. And yet…. didn’t they somehow seem to go on forever? Dark and bleak, shorn of the pre-Christmas glow and colour, the months when winter truly takes its grip.

In our bid to bring some cheer to these grey days, we asked –

“what does the word ‘warm’ mean to you. The roar of a fire, a cosy blanket, a favourite jumper or a mug of your preferred hot drink? The daring story of a kitten rescue from a chimney top by the local fire brigade? Snuggling up to a loved one, or closing your eyes, dreaming of warmer climes and pretending it’s not winter?!”

For me it’s light. During February each year, Bristol hosts a festival in which public buildings are lit up in bright colours, with light-based art installations all over the city. The glow this brings to chilly, dark nights always gives me a lift and feeling of warmth. A few pics I’ve taken at the festival over the years are on the right and below.

A few selections are here, but until spring officially dawns it’s still not too late to submit your entries; whether it be through poetry, prose, arts, crafts, sounds, film or food, we’d love to hear from you!’

David Mitchell, RF Create