When I wrote a recent blog post about an open mic in the very busy Union Inn in St. Ives I mentioned the benefit of stepping outside of one’s comfort zone (see more here).

Prior to that I’d had the amazing experience of performing at the Eroica Festival in Bakewell, Derbyshire (see more here).

So now I’ve been home for a couple of weeks, gone out to work in the daytime, headed out to a familiar open mic night (see the previous post about Shindig #23 here) and to some extent dropped back into my comfort zone.

It seems that its time to step outside of my comfort zone again so I’ve done something I’ve not done for a very long time. Something I last did when my confidence as a poet and as a performer really wasn’t ready. Back then as a “novice” there was little to no pressure but now I’ve got my own expectations to meet, I need to satisfy my own perception of quality; so this time there will be pressure. This time it will be outside my comfort zone.

Yes I’ve entered a slam. Huddersfield round of Superheroes of Slam – Bar 1:22, 7th October.

Not just turn up on the night an think OK I’ll give it a shot, but entered well in advance, early enough to need to prepare, to need to know I will give it my best shot. Winning or losing won’t matter (he lied!) but I’ll need to feel that I’ve done myself and my material justice.

So a new deadline looms and creativity not so much sparks but gets dragged kicking, panicking and screaming into action….