Bio
Ronna Bloom is a poet and teacher. Her most recent book, The More (Pedlar Press, 2017) was longlisted for the City of Toronto Book Award. Her poems have been recorded by the CNIB, are featured on Toronto Public Library's interactive Poetry Map, and have been translated into Spanish, Bangla, and Chinese. She has collaborated with health care professionals, architects, and with the filmmaker Midi Onodera. Ronna created the Poet in Residence program at Sinai Health and is Poet in Community to the University of Toronto.
Questionaire
Why did you get involved in this project?
Because I love working with Midi, and I needed something to catapult me into creative action.
Did the one week turn-around for the work help or hinder your creativity?
It helped! Otherwise I'd have dithered and thought. This made me just respond.
How did you feel about working on a project where you didn’t know who you were collaborating with?
Being responsible for only a fraction of the whole allowed me to let go of the rest. Collaboration in general allows for that letting go and also a vulnerability of how others will respond to your/my contribution. Because I'm a writer and am responsible for my poems when I write, there's something freeing about sending something off and letting it become part of a bigger thing. Something less precious about it. My ego can get in the way of just doing the thing and the anonymity is a relief. Then there was the bonus surprise of seeing each finished film!
Has being involved in the project changed your thoughts on creativity?
It has strengthened my sense that for me the best response is no thinking.
If you worked on several videos, what kept you coming back for more and how many did you do?
Not sure. I just liked it.