Would you sell your phone

Photo by Mostafa Mahmo, Unsplash.

Dear Writers, Readers and Creatives,

Happy January! Here’s a poem I wrote in 2019, still relevant, especially for those who made a New Year’s resolution to detox from social media. Listen above, read below or do both at the same time!

SELL MY PHONE

I’m gonna buy a clock 
A big fat clock
With big fat dingers 
Sitting on the top
Gonna set the alarm to half past three
So I can spend the day with little old me

Gonna sell my phone
Gonna close fakebook
Not even going back
For a little look

Gonna sell my phone
Gonna hock my screens
Cos now I got a problem 
With my self esteem
A big fat problem
With my self esteem

You know I used to want to be 
A celebrity 
Have millions of followers 
Following me
At least get more likes than 23!

I used to love being 
Glam on the Gram
Sharing intimate moments 
With my Internet Fam

It used to give me a real buzz
But it didn’t translate into real love
I used to love that dopamine hit
But now it just leaves me feeling like shit

Gonna sell my phone
Gonna close fakebook
Not even going back
For a little look

Gonna sell my phone
Gonna hock my screens
Cos now I got a problem 
With my self esteem

Gonna sell my phone
Gonna lock my screens
Cos I’ve forgotten how to day-dream
Along with the rest of the human race
We’ve lost the art of staring into space…space…space…

Gonna sell my phone
Gonna close my apps
Gonna lie down for a great big nap 
Gonna wake up in the morning to the rata tat tat
Of my old alarm clock 
Bringing me back
Ringing me back
Bringing me back 

To LIFE!

Jan Cornall 2019

The story behind today’s post…

I’m currently on a solo writers retreat /house-sit on the Mornington Peninsular in Victoria, Australia. Combining a bit of work with writing and taking advice from various Substack gurus like the wonderful Sarah Fay, I made an intention to engage more on Substack Notes (which they are all saying is not really social media, but def feels like a close relative!) This led to a delightful exchange with Jennifer Granville of

Jenny's Folly

about our early morning routines. Of course I immediately subscribed to Jenny’s stack and her first post that I read, fabulously entitled Not writing IS writing, contained the following section, graced by an old fashioned alarm clock pic.

16^th JANUARY

I am home and my new alarm clock, bought to keep my phone out of my bedroom, wakes me (at 6:00 am) as planned. What I haven’t planned is whether to meditate, do yoga, go to swim, then come home and write OR write straight away for at least two hours, then meditate, do yoga, go to swim. Can’t make up my mind so retrieve phone from kitchen to see what’s going on, discuss the dilemma with Jan Cornall on Notes, two hours later remember that I have a lot of jobs to do in the garden and resolve to start my 2025 writing/wellbeing regime tomorrow. Still not decided what order to do it in.

Alarm clock! Wow! Right away I told her of the poem I wrote in 2019. Jenny said ‘please send’. Then I had the idea that I could take the opportunity to make an audio of it here on Substack, something I’ve been wanting to try for a while. Et voilà, my first audio recording. Easy peasy, I can recommend it, although I’m nowhere in the league of my fave Substacker,

Chloe Hope

who uses it brilliantly on her wonderful stack, Death & Birds.

That’s enough distraction from me, I must get back to my writing retreat. Here are some pics from my coastal walks and my visit to the local hot springs! Thinking it would be a great place for a group retreat, stay tuned!!

Writing, walking, soaking, exactly what we'll be doing in Ischia and Japan in 2025!

WRITERS JOURNEY NEWS

DRAFT SWAP ONLINE: currently in session. Our 2 week intensive is going well! We have discussed how to format your MS for submission for readers and how to write an engaging and succinct synopsis in preparation for swapping our drafts on Jan 31. Writers are reporting in each day on our Whats App group, spurring each other on.

DRAFT BUSTERS ONLINE: we start our next monthly module on Mon Feb 10. Twice weekly workshops to support your writing process. Motivation Mondays: 10 - 11.30 am AEST, set your goals for the week, discussion on various aspects of writer’s craft plus a meditative writing exercise. Feedback Fridays: 3.30 - 5.30 pm AEST, readings and feedback on up to 1000 words of your writing project. Workshops are held on Zoom. Contact Jan if you would like to join.

FREE WRITING WORKSHOP: we plan so start up again on Sun, Feb16. 4-5pm AEST. A chance to experience my meditative writing technique. Contact me if keen to join.

MENTORING: I’m always available if you need individual help or attention on your draft MS. I have a number of mentoring packages available which can be tailored to your current needs. See here for what’s possible.

UPCOMING JOURNEYS AND RETREATS

The Healing Journey, South East Tasmania, April 3-8, 2025. PLACES AVAIL!

A seaside residential retreat with cancer navigator and researcher Grace Gawler and me. The first three days with Grace offers a safe space for women to explore, discuss and integrate their physical, emotional and psychological experiences with cancer. Followed by three days with Jan on transforming the healing journey into powerful writing. Find all info here. Send expression of interest and request booking form here.

Creative Immersion in Ischia, Italy, May 3-10, 2025 for writers and artists. ONLY 2 PLACES LEFT!

7 nights, 8 days. Five nights staying at the extraordinary Castello Aragonese of Ischia! We’ll be in Elena Ferrante territory, catching a ferry from the Port of Naples across to the volcanic island of Ischia to arrive at our accomodation. Don’t go any further without checking it out here! A most extraordinary environment in which to write and make art. Daily deep dive workshops designed to envigorate your creative process and rapidly progress your work. In collaboration with the Create Escape and Luisa Donati. All info here.

Haiku Walking in Japan, 5 nights 6 days. Change of dates and location!

For writers, poets, artists,creatives. We are still aiming for autumn 2025, but we will most likely be in November instead of December as previously announced. More info coming soon! See our last Haiku Walk pics here.

Check out 21 years of Writers Journey international journeys and retreats. See where we went, what we did here.

Follow us on www.writersjourney.com and Instagram: @_writersjourney

Don’t forget to like, comment and recommend to keep the creative wheel spinning!