"Poetry helped me out of very
dark place" - Donegal journalist
17.11.15
A WELL-known Donegal
journalist who worked for many years in Inishowen will
mark the end of one of the "toughest chapters" of his
life with the publication of a new inspiring book of
poetry.
'Dance in the Rain' is a reflection of the difficult
journey Liam Porter has been on over the past number of
years.
The book comes after he set himself a unique challenge -
to write a poem on his blog every day in 2013.
By then he had turned a corner most people didn’t even
know he had to turn. |
“I had lost my job very
suddenly and unexpectedly and after the initial shock it
was all about trying to find work again. But such was
the Ireland of a few years ago there was no work and it
gets harder and harder to take rejection and rejection
over and over.
"It got to the point where I began to wonder if my
family might be better off without me, and it was
through sheer good luck that I managed to pull myself
back from that dark space," said Liam.
The turning point he says, came when he went along in
2012 to an interview for the Discovery Zone – an
intensive start your own business programme – being
offered at the time by the Donegal County Enterprise
Board.
“When I went to that interview I was really knocked off
balance because for the first time in I don’t know how
long, I had people telling me very positively that I had
something brilliant to offer.
I took part in the programme and I learned so much from
all the fellow participants, mentors and guest speakers
and I knew after that I could turn things around. It
wouldn’t be easy, but I felt I had some value again,
something I could build upon.”
As he headed towards the end of that year, Liam looked
for a challenge for the new year that would keep him on
track.
“When I set myself the challenge of a poem a day in
2013, it was never really about the poems. What I was
really challenging myself to do, was to be there the
next day. And then when that was done, the day after
that. |
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Liam Porter. |
I had challenged myself to
another year and with every passing day I inched further
and further away from the precipice.”
He says that he was very lucky that on the darkest of
days he was able to write things down, get it out of his
head. Clear the decks over and over again.
“I was lucky that I had family and friends to lean on –
even if many of them didn’t even know I was laying
full-square across their shoulders at times. I realise
how fortunate I was to be able to steer my way back and
I’d urge anyone who feels any kind of low like that to
make sure they can get some help.” |
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In the years that followed
Liam continued to try to push himself out of his comfort
zone, gaining confidence and self-belief with every new
challenge completed.
One such task was to take part in a Strictly for Deele
College and he says he looks back on that as the final
bright pages in a dark chapter.
“Taking part in the Strictly was incredibly far from my
comfort zone, but I found myself among a great group who
were so fun and supportive and dancing with one of the
most positive, fun-loving and inspirational women you
are ever likely to meet in Sabrina Barnett. As I drove
home after we’d danced that night I remember thinking
that’s the last lines written, you are never going back
to that darkness again.
A few days later Sabrina gave me a gift that bore the
words, ‘life’s not about waiting for the storm to pass,
it’s about learning to dance in the rain,’ and all of a
sudden I had the title for my book.”
Since then Liam has been working on putting together the
poetry and photographs together for his book and while
he took the majority of the photos himself, says he is
very grateful to all those who helped him in the search
for the perfect fit.
“It’s been a labour of love over the past year and the
book is in Browne Printers now ahead of the launch. I’m
looking forward to seeing it finally come to fruition
now and I’d be extremely honoured if people were to come
join us in the theatre for the launch.”
'Dance in the Rain – Poetry and Photographs' will go on
sale priced €20 at its launch on November 26 at 8pm in
An Grianan Theatre, Letterkenny. Everyone welcome. |
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