Please click on the audio symbol above if you 
want to hear me explain how I wrote 
The Land of Blue.

I talk about how I sometimes find it helpful 
to start with a piece of music, some artwork 
or a poem which moves or inspires me.
I also explain that I find poems a safe place 
to explore difficult things, like sadness –
poems help me talk about things 
that I might find difficult otherwise.

Why not find an artwork that moves you and use 
that as a starting point for writing a poem?

Think about how the artwork makes you feel... 
What does it make you think?
What shapes, colours and textures can you see?
What sounds come to mind?

Try going through each of the senses in turn: 
sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell.

Then, when you've finished writing, take a break 
before coming back to edit.