the creative minimalist

darren r hill : writer, minstrel and journal keeper

By Leave a Comment

Seveneves by Neal Stephenson A review

Seveneves by Neal Stephenson - Book cover

I was intrigued to read this after a comment on Facebook. A friend posted a line from the book and well, the rest is history, or the future depending on how you want to view things – this is science fiction after all.

The Facebook post mentioned a certain period of time passing very quickly at some point in the story. When I took a quick look at the blurb, I thought I’d give the book a go.

The premise is that the moon, for some unknown reason, comes apart. Some hard science follows as humanity realise that the earth will become uninhabitable in the very near future. Seveneves is the story of humanities survival… or is it – I don’t want to give away too much.

As I read each page my subconscious awaited the time jump – at times this made me quite nervous – it was a spoiler.

This is a long book.

The time jump happened a little over two thirds of the way through.

I could relax a little.

I liked Seveneves. It felt real. The science sounded correct – But I am no physicist or cosmologist – and the characters, although at times a little caricature and one in particular based on a well-known scientific celeb, worked well. And, as mentioned with the time jump, the narrative is truly epic (apologies for the adverb).

My one criticism is that it felt a little predictable toward the end. I like a nice twist that I don’t see coming, in Seveneves I saw where things were heading.

A good, long book and, it was nice to read a little science fiction without any aliens, super computers and some form of ftl1 travel. But then sometimes, those things allow a few more twists and turns. I suppose It all depends on whether you like your science more fiction or faction.

1 I use ftl in a broad sense to include wormholes, variations on hyperspace as well as good old impossible faster than light space travel.

Here’s an affiliate Amazon (UK) link to Seveneves

Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
namaste
d
xox
If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

Sign up for my (ir)regular newsletter to keep up to date with my creative adventures, including special offers, and join me on Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Pinterest

By 2 Comments

Finding my authentic voice

Image of hook and chains

It’s my voice

It’s one of many lines from The Man with Two Brains that makes me laugh

Too many ideas competing for my creative energy. It could be my natural propensity to be open to ideas and options… or as I like to say, my superpower of decision inability.

I wonder what I am creating, what voice am I using? What style of music? What style of writing? Sci-fi, horror, fantasy? Am I a singer-songwriter? Am I a soundtrack composer? Rock, pop, indie… ambient soundscapes? It feels like a chain, weighing me down.

A friend reminded me that it is about being authentic.

This vital reminder was what I needed. If I am present, then I create. I have no concern of genre, of style, of being stuck in a box. My authenticity derives from not being bound, and chained by conventions. From being authentic and true, flow my creativity.

My chains fell off

I had forgotten who I was, therefore I had nothing to create.
Now I remember.

Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
namaste
d
xox
If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

Sign up for my (ir)regular newsletter to keep up to date with my creative adventures, including special offers, and join me on Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Pinterest

By 4 Comments

Imbolc and welcome to a new month


One month into 2019 and it’s mostly unseen. There are one or two signs, a flower here and there. But mostly it is unseen. It is there though. The change. The growth. The development. Welcome to Imbolc. An ironic festival if ever there was one. It marks the beginning of spring, and to herald this, the UK is dealing with snow and the US is having fun with a polar vortex – the latest ‘new’ weather word with which to fill the hours of our 24/7 news channels.

One month into 2019 and so far so good. One goal already achieved, several more on the go and the rest lounging round waiting for timings and things to fall into place.

One month into 2019 and I reach the time of FAWM; it is February Album Writing Month. I at least attempt this challenge each year. This year I wasn’t going to bother, but then I began humming and then writing and now have song number one. Just 13 more to go… unlucky for so(me). I don’t know if I will continue, but it is a good challenge and I do have a journal with spare pages from last year. As I say, have journal will write. The challenge is not to let it detract from the other shoots that spring is budding.

One month into 2019 and there are plenty more to go. There are plenty of things I wish I had done more of, or less of, or differently in January. The trick is to learn and attempt the plenty with the wisdom gained. Let’s see how month two goes.

Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
namaste
d
xox
If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

Sign up for my (ir)regular newsletter to keep up to date with my creative adventures, including special offers, and join me on Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Pinterest

By 4 Comments

What to do when the creative well runs dry

River in Cumbria

I am sitting trying to write and my mind is a blank. I am arranging a new song, but the sound isn’t right, it isn’t working. I don’t know why the sound, or the melody or the rhythm is wrong. I am creating the header image for a website, yet the design doesn’t even look like a doodle, less than a squiggle – not even the ravings of a mad man.

In the corner of my journal/planner, I write ‘running on empty’. To add to the metaphor – and that’s ok as long as it isn’t mixed – my creative well has run dry.

What to do when the creative well runs dry?

Dig deeper

You can keep going. You can keep digging and push through. It might work, it can work. There may simply be a barrier that needs crossing. But set a time limit. There is no point digging after a certain time. If there is nothing deeper to find, you need to look somewhere else.

Let the water table return

Stop trying to create and wait. Take a break, a creative holiday. Do something different. A well relies on the water table, on an aquifer, on the natural state of things. A break is often the best or only thing to do.

Find a new well

It might be time to board up and leave the current well. It might be time to move on. There is plenty of inspiration out there, it may be time to seek another source. This is similar to taking a break but more proactive. As one well dries so another well springs forth.

I spent most of last year digging deeper, in an attempt to eke out every last drop. That wasn’t very eco or minimalist of me. And I could only keep digging for so long. I am taking a little break this week, and already things are beginning to come together. But that’s also due to finding a few new wells of inspiration. Adding clarity to my goals has helped a lot. Knowing where to dig is often the key.

May your creative wells provide for you.

 

Sign up for my (ir)regular newsletter to keep up to date with my creative adventures, including special offers, and join me on Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Pinterest

Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
namaste
d
xox
If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

By 1 Comment

My new journal and planner set-up for 2019

It’s a new year and my new journal and planner set-up is taking shape and beginning to work. Here’s a quick introduction to what I am doing and how.

Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
namaste
d
xox
If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

Sign up for my (ir)regular newsletter to keep up to date with my creative adventures, including special offers, and join me on Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Pinterest

Stay in touch