9 Ways to Feed Your Creative Spark
When you were little, you had a creative spark deep inside you. If you were lucky, your parents and teachers knew how to nourish it and make it grow. Even if that little flame was neglected, don’t worry, it is still there, waiting to be fed and to burst through into your consciousness.
Do you remember the nursery rhymes about Old Mother Hubbard? There was nothing in her cupboard and so her poor dog went without supper. Don’t let your creative spark feel the pangs of hunger! Let’s start filling that cupboard.
Here is a list of ways to stack…
A new walk
Not long ago, I was walking the dog down our usual route when a motorist stopped and chatted. She turned out to be a near neighbour and we had much in common. Her aunt and uncle had previously lived in our house. We plan to have a coffee in the garden soon and catch up on more local news. It is still forbidden to have visitors indoors.
We talked about walking, a pursuit that she was also interested in. She revealed that there was a way to access the forestry land down in the valley which I hadn’t been aware…
I believe it should be
I am laying down my investment with every word I write.
Each sentence amounts to time which I have put aside, and within that sentence you will find many truths about me. You can learn about my beliefs, laugh with me at my humor, think about my reality and dip your toes into a swirling pool of fantasy.
Why do I call it an investment?
It may or may not pay me back with money, so it is hardly a reliable financial investment. Luck may be on my side, but even if it isn’t, there are many other benefits.
First of all, I am making a repository…
An inadequate response to the writing challenge
Our esteemed Illumination boss Dr Mehmet Yildiz, asked us to complete a writing challenge. He asked us to share our aspirations, concerns, desires, struggles, and it seems anything else about writing. There were clearly delineated prompts:
Prompts for your story
Here are ten prompts to build your story.
1 — As a writer, my major pain points and struggles are ….
2 — As a writer, my desires and aspirations are …
3 — Here are my top five stories which received the most views…[Add a paragraph introducing each story]
4 — Here are my great stories that did not…
The tumble of words
We live in turbulent times. That is in no way a unique statement.
Has there ever been a time in history which was without turbulence?
Nations and communities pitted against each other are common themes throughout humanity.
Men of power rely on turbulent events to shift the direction of political change. Donald Trump bit off more than he could chew on that fateful day when crowds stormed the Capitol building on 6th January 2021.
The unexpected voices of dissent punctuate quiet lives and drag communities into conflict.
As a writer, history and contemporary events offer enormous resources which can be…
My attempt to understand an intriguing man
Editor’s pick from Illumination focusing on clothes
I don’t know about you, but I can’t stand shops that have neatly segregated the colors of the clothes they sell. All the yellows on one rail, the blues on another. I usually walk out with nothing.
On the other hand, a charity shop has multicoloured stacks of clothing, all different styles, sizes and shapes. It is a joy to rummage through everything. I often leave the store with something completely unsuitable, but I simply had to buy it. I can justify these silly purchases because the money goes to a good cause.
Reading Medium is a bit like visiting…
Why do you think that is so?
Think about all the famous magicians you know. I bet you visualized people like David Copperfield, Penn and Teller, Dynamo, Houdini, Paul Daniels.
All definitely male.
Where are the female magicians? Why are they so hard to find?
Let’s look at some of the possible reasons.
- Historically women who delved in magic were called witches, not magicians, and tended to be burnt at the stake or drowned. Not a great role model. Certainly not many young girls would have been expressing an interest in performing tricks in front of an audience in Medieval times.
2. Boys got magic kits for Christmas, girls got dolls. A bit of a…
remaining professional under challenging circumstances
Those of you who know me will be aware that I was a doctor before I retired. I worked as a General Practitioner in the UK. It was a busy, demanding life which required a quick mental turnaround. There were always more patients to see, more prescriptions to sign, more telephone calls to make. Sometimes the days passed in such a blur that processing what had happened didn’t really occur until I was lying in bed trying to get to sleep or not
This is the story of a man who made rather more of an impression on me than…
I grew up that evening
When I was a student at University, the constant flux of new faces and experiences was almost too much to handle. Having been educated in an all girl school, I was a bit at a loss with how to cope with boys. It was a steep but enjoyable learning curve, punctuated by elements of uncertainty, stolen kisses and alcohol.
My social circle had expanded from a tight knit girls only group to infinite possibilities. There were parties to go to, philosophical discussions over soup and sandwiches, camaraderie over shared projects, residential field work courses and a sense of freedom which…
Thewriteyard
I used to be something else, but now I can hold my head up and say I am a writer. Retired doctor. Passionate about empowering people. Editor of Illumination
