Feeling inspired? Building relationships with people is fundamental, and it’s all about conflict and light. In Rio, really good-looking people have the personality of fish; in Thailand, people are blurred and carry lots of equipment; and in the slums of India, waterproof people cast cool shadows underwater. Even in Yorkshire, there are witch-doctors who say hello and invite you to dance among them. Setting is everything. A market or a beach can provide a beautiful background, though a football half-encased in rainbows can be perfect if you avoid standing too far away. In either case, don’t go for the obvious effect, but if there’s a queue, join it, and always be ready to submerge yourself in the dangerous moment. Are you happy now?
About the Author:
Oz Hardwick is a poet, photographer, occasional musician, and accidental academic. His chapbook Learning to Have Lost (Canberra: IPSI, 2018) won the 2019 Rubery International Book Award for poetry, and his most recent publication is the prose poetry sequence Wolf Planet (Clevedon: Hedgehog, 2020). Oz is Professor of English at Leeds Trinity University, where he leads the postgraduate Creative Writing programmes. He remains broadly optimistic, in spite of it all. www.ozhardwick.co.uk
