Creativity according to: Keith Jarrett
‘You’re never in a secure position. You’re never at a point where you have it all sewed up. You have to choose to be secure and like stone, or insecure but able to flow.’ – Keith Jarrett
Creativity
2017 Live Writing Marathon 4 – Under the Surface
Sometimes it’s easy to take a superficial view and get fed up! No words being written becomes seen as a lack of activity. Not true! No words have been added to “A Journey of Wonder” since Friday. And that feels uncomfortable. Overnight I’ve been wondering what’s going on. Then this morning – in the shower (of … Read more
2017 Live Writing Marathon 3 – Blocked
Here we are – Saturday afternoon and I have not written a word yet today. I am stuck. Now, before I tempt you to think that this is writer’s block: that’s a concept I don’t believe in, so it can’t be that. I had some non-writing jobs to do this morning, so I didn’t find … Read more
2017 Live Writing Marathon – 2
It’s early evening of the first day of the writing marathon. So far so good! I’ve been working, head down and writing for much of the day. To be fair, it took me a while of circling the material before I finally started. After some time, but not too long, going through email and finding … Read more
2017 Live Writing Marathon – 1. The starting line
Friday morning and time to start the writing marathon. This is the second time I have done a writing marathon. The first one took place in August 2015, so there has been quite a gap in between, taken up with figuring out how to turn a manuscript into a fully fledged book (Values Count). Over … Read more
Defining and Overcoming the Inner Critic
It’s having the courage to push forwards with ideas even when the inner critic is screaming in your ear. And that voice is laughing at you. Oh, and asking you if you realise how ridiculous it is to pursue projects that will probably be seen by less than a hundred people. Oh, and many of … Read more
kingfisher’s turn
A poem from the collection “It Begins Like This” (2014) I remember that tree, struck by lightning before I climbed it. The absolute shock of the bark, bitten by electricity And the beat of wing as it caught the night air along the river bank, Nocturnal bird seeking partner as the seasons … Read more
Knowing when to quit
There were only two series of “Fawlty Towers”. Two series of “The Office”. And so on. For many comedy writers it’s about knowing how to quit at the top of the game and go onto something else. Contrast this with the USA approach to comedy series for TV which often run for 10 series or … Read more
Improvisation in the Moment
This post was written before the results of the Presidential Election in the USA: I am sitting at the dining room table. It’s late afternoon. Thanks to the shifting seasons it is already becoming dark. Within a short while we will know the outcome of the Presidential election and whether the planet is safe for now. In … Read more
A Body of Work for the Bin?
The concept of creating a body of work was a concept I had heard of before, but when I came across the book by Pamela Slim, that was where I found the idea expanded upon. This wasn’t just about books or paintings or films or whatever creative venture we turn our attention to. She describes … Read more