Small World Small Wonder

My Small World Small Wonder poetry workshops are about to roll out in Young, Goulburn and Yass in that order, over the next few weeks. We will be exploring people and place in our own small worlds. 

The focus is on small poems (or brief prose) from quick glimpses and fleeting observations to the small detail. There may be poetry around the corner or right at your feet. Beginners and the more experienced are invited. Includes young people 16 years and over. 

Dates & Venues: 

Young: Saturday October 25, 10 am – 3 pm The Ibis Room, Young RSL Club, 42 Cloete Street, Young Goulburn: Saturday November 8, 2025, 10 am – 3 pm St Brigid’s Hall, 36 Vernon Street, Goulburn 

Yass: Saturday November 22, 2025, 10 am – 3 pm Yass Library, Comur Street, Yass (Please check whether it’s still in the old library or in the brand new one.) 

Bookings essential: www.humanitix.com or contact Lizz Murphy on 0428 005641 or lizzmurphy7@gmail.com Cost: $35/$20 (concession)/$10 students 16 years and over. 

This project is supported by the Country Arts Support Program, a devolved funding program administered by Southern Tablelands Arts on behalf of the NSW Government.

BOOK NOW 

— I'D LOVE TO SEE YOU

CRAFT + DESIGN CHALLENGE

And that’s a wrap — 

Some fabulous work created by almost 400 artists and makers during July thanks to the Craft + Design Canberra Daily Creative Challenge 25. Thirty-one days of creating in some shape or form, on the theme of ‘Rewilding.’ All the participants produced really impressive and inspiring bodies of work. You can see it all on Instagram. Including stuff by me. Writers welcome so there I am – infiltrating as as one friendly voice said.

The theme fits well with my current poetry project. (Tell you later.) I wrote draft prose poetry, semi-memoir (as poetry often is) and micro poems/haiku, sometimes combining them with quick splashy paint sketches as a (desperate) way of presenting them visually (not that that’s essential). Some days I produced art & text works which I do periodically — acrylic paint on small canvases with either found text or original haikuish pieces. It depended on what time I had that day or whether the daily word prompt had me flowing or floundering. 

Mostly motivating though occasionally frustrating, like when you come up with a great response to a prompt one day, only to find it fits a future prompt even better dammit. 

So … 16 small art & text canvases, a bunch of haikuish bits, a sprinkling of prose poetry drafts. Plus my Instagram account has moved from ‘No posts yet’ to 54 posts and 341 followers (I was so lagging) including many amazing creatives — thank you all. 

Prompt: Propagation 
Size: 13 cm x 13 cm #cdccreativechallenge25

I’m very grateful to Craft + Design Canberra for this opportunity. It came at the right time. Just when I’m pushing hard at getting back into the swing of writing and thinking about those same subthemes in a Binalong to Canberra context. (Prompt words included: water, moon, abundance, rejuvenate, nest

twined, rhythm, naked, feral ...) A big shout-out to artist daughter Aroona Murphy who still keeps a close eye on the Canberra arts scene all the way from Ireland, and brought it to my attention. 

So July challenge … I guess that’s a wrap! Or is it … have already started on art & text on canvas versions of the sketchy pieces. Let’s see what the end of August brings. And PS: regional poetry workshops rolling out soon — Yass, Young, Goulburn.

Prompt: Rhythm — Take 2
Size: 13 cm x 13 cm
#cdccreativechallenge25 

Prompt: Rhythm — Take 1
#cdccreativechallenge25