The great thing about this, however, is that I have learned to find inspiration from just about everything around me.  I wrote a poem about chewing gum because I asked my 4 year old daughter what I should write about.  She has an obsession about gum and made her suggestion.

I can’t say that every poem I write is a masterpiece.  There are those that I love more than others.  There are stories that I enjoy more than others, and I don’t always have time to work on the latest chapter of my novel, but I have learned to take nearly any topic or thought and turn it into a poem or a string of sentences that I am willing to share with the public.

Inspiration can be found in any tangible object, or in a strand of conversation.  A song on the radio.  A news broadcast.  The people in our lives – especially friends and family.  All of these make good topics for poetry and stories.  The trick is looking closely enough at the world to care enough about it to write.