I've been sending a lot of poems to various journals. Feeling some of the work could be better, but that insecurity is part of what I must get over. Similarly, I was going to sell my drawings for three or four dollars, but I was told by a very good artist that I should sell them for fifty bucks!!! So, I'm going to go to an art co-op meeting tomorrow at noon and doublecheck on that with other artists who do shows at galleries and stuff. It seems a bit high as I'm a beginner, but I am learning a whole lot from visual artists about marketing work in terms of overhead costs, confidence in your product and includingcosts of things like education, postage, materials etc. and I realize I recently really underrated myself re: teaching a workshop at a public school. I said I'd do it for 200 dollars, when I should have said 500. So from now on I'm going to double plus money figures for honorariums and stuff. I have written quite a bit and drawn quite a bit since I am no longer working. It feels good, though I'd like to have poems with more pizazz linguistically. Recently someone showed me his poems, hidden from others for years and let me tell you, they are phenomenal-- best stuff I've read in YEARS! This guy will be publishing soon! But he built up his collection and crafted it very carefully. Some of the most beautiful poems I've ever read and I do have a doctorate in poetry and have kept reading poetry 12 years after I earned the doctorate. So overall, I've been underestimating myself, and this is why I'm sending work out even though I don't feel it's perfect. I have been enjoying the creative process both visually and poetically very much of late. I feel good things are coming.