Why I love the prom

creating space for things to happen

I really love Morecambe prom.

I spend a lot of my work time working with ace people who want to make cities and towns greener and better for the people who live there. This involves a lot of thinking about how we design environments, and how we re-design them in ways that make sense to how we live now and what we will need in a time of climate chaos. It turns out, that in today’s age of digital silos and distrust of literally everything, creating these environments can be highly contentious. I never would have believed that 15 minute neighbourhoods (i.e. easy access to green space and local amenities for everyone) would be so divisive- but these are the times we live in. Perhaps in another life, I would have done an urban planning degree.

Morecambe prom is 4 miles long, very wide, very flat and well lit. In the few short months I have been here, I’ve seen people use it for rollerskating, roller ski-ing, bagpiping, opera singing, street festivals, kite flying, personal dance parties, plays, solo guitar playing, Michael Jackson tribute busking act, meditating, hoverboarding, as well as the usual cycling, walking, wheeling, running etc. I’ve said it before, but it does feel like one big invitation to play.

I know that my experience is different and perhaps a bit naive compared to folks who have lived here for years, who will have seen the various ups and downs that befall a northern seaside town. I believe the prom in its current format was redone just a few years ago. I don’t know how that was received at the time, but as someone who has just moved here, I genuinely love it.

For me, it’s just a perfect example of how if you create space, make it as inclusive as possible, things will happen. Often things that you never even thought of, because humans are weird, but that’s my favourite thing about it. I love that someone thought to put in a few stone tables and chairs next to the seawall; again- an invitation, nothing prescriptive.

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After a few months away from things, I’ve been trying to open up some space in my weeks for writing and music again. It’s easy when working full time with 2 kids to end up with zero time leftover for anything, once the endless housework is done, kids have been cajoled into homework, laundry laundry laundry laundry etc. I’m not saying my husband does none of these things, I’m just saying I personally find it hard to find the time and headspace. But I generally feel a lot better about everything when I do.

I’ve been reading “Daily Rituals; Women at Work” about the creative rituals of women over the years (but I realise this my own form of procrastination. I will endlessly read about how to be creative rather than make something myself!)

It’s an interesting book- a follow up to Mason Currey’s first one, but he realised that there was a huge imbalance of his representation between men and women. The introduction explains how it was harder to simply document the rituals of creative women, because less information exists and the routines have to be more flexible.

I enjoyed this nugget of wisdom from Carole King:

“The key to not being blocked, is not to worry about it. Ever. If you are sitting down and you feel you want to write and nothing is coming, you get up and you do something else. Then you come back and try again. But you do it in a relaxed manner. Trust that it will be there. If it ever was once and you’ve ever done it once, it will be back. It always comes back and the only thing that is a problem is when you get in your way worrying about it.”

So yes, whilst I know that opening up space to be creative is what I need to do, and am inching my way towards again, it’s not straightforward or easy. And I have a fairly privileged and easy life. Can’t help thinking that, like the prom, it’s easier to make things happen if someone else creates the space for you to start with. But most of the time, women have to make that time for themselves (and deal with the pervasive guilt that follows!) So, I’m trying to prise open some space where I can; I have booked onto a couple of workshops and started to spend a few minutes each day writing before work. I’ve written some truly, truly terrible poetry. t’s not much, but it’s a start! Let’s see what happens.

Much love

Em

p.s. Couldn’t think of a good prompt this week, but here’s a video of one of my favourite things to watch instead…