Getting Closer to A Decision

I have been looking at all of your fabulous entries once again, and WOW!!!!! Holy cow!!!! Everyone did such an amazing job baking this year. Everything looks so good. 🙂

I haven’t made my final decisions yet, but I am getting closer. You are all really making me work this year. And I LOVE every minute of it too. 🙂

Again, I am going to share some of this year’s entries and another bit of inspiration from Punam.

Here is Mel’s interview with Punam:

We knew that this year, we wanted to feature a WordPress treasure, a writer and poet who has been a key part of THE GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE OFF every year. It is always a joy to share with you Punam, the creator of PAEANSUNPLUGGEDBLOG!

Punam, you have a treasure trove of poetry on your website – going back over seven and a half years. We have regularly seen your brilliant interpretation of writing prompts on WordPress and wondered how you keep on coming up with so many great poems. We wanted to ask you about your creativity because you are such an inspirational WordPresser.

Hi Mel. Before I answer your questions, I would like to thank you for inviting me to share my blogging journey.

Our honour Punam!

When did you start out on WordPress and how has your personal creativity developed since you began publishing online?

I started my blog on 28th February 2016 as a birthday gift to my childhood best friend. She had been very insistent that I start blogging and gave me the ultimatum that as a birthday gift she wanted me to start a blog!
I had started writing poems in high school, wrote a few in college and then lost interest in writing.

Years later I started writing again and shared sporadically in a WhatsApp group of school friends who were very encouraging.
It has made a huge difference to my writing since I went online. I have learnt so much about forms, rhyme and rhythm, syllable counting and so much more from my very accomplished fellow bloggers. Being on WordPress has taught me so much more about poetry than what I learnt in school or college.

Punam, how does having a creative outlet to express yourself help you to cope with challenges in life?

Believe me, Mel, it is very helpful. Whether I am ranting, despairing or writing about my joys and sorrows, putting my thoughts into words always helps me de-stress.

Moreover the comments from the community are always uplifting and supportive. My interactions with fellow bloggers reaffirms my faith in humanity. So yes, having a creative outlet definitely helps in facing life’s challenges.

How have writing prompts been a source of inspiration?

I started off by responding to the daily prompt by WordPress. That is where I got in touch with so many bloggers who are friends now. Responding to different prompts not only helps me exercise my creative muscles, I get to meet new bloggers and I also learn so much from fellow bloggers who are so creative. The added bonus is this community feels like family.

Have you ever encountered “writer’s block”? What do you do to ignite inspiration?

I haven’t really encountered “writer’s block” till now. If a prompt leads me to a topic I have already written about a number of times, I do reread my own poems so that I don’t repeat myself. Or if when I have written something that I feel is not worth posting, I leave it and come back to it later and that usually helps.

We know that at times some of us have encountered challenges using WordPress, but what would you say is the best thing about using WordPress?

The best thing about WordPress is certainly the community it has created. I am not very tech savvy, as a result I often struggle with glitches on WP, yet I can’t think of quitting this platform because of the beautiful unconditional bonds we have created here and how it helps me hone my creativity.

Thank you so much Punam – we think you have captured perfectly exactly what we have been celebrating all weekend. How proud we are of this great community on WordPress that has provided a constant flow of inspiration and encouragement and you are a lynchpin of this community. How grateful we are to you for your replies to our questions – full of inspirationan and encouragement for all of us.

And now for some more of our fabulous creations.

See why my job as judge is so challenging this year? And there are still so many more. Everything just looks so delicious!!!!! Gob job everyone. Well done!!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂

Always let your creative juices flow freely. You never know what can happen when you just let yourself be free. 🙂 Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.