the creative minimalist

darren r hill : writer, minstrel and journal keeper

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Journaling to a song


It’s easy to write a song. Ideas arrive from every which way. I might be reading, jamming, hear an interesting sound, fall in love, fall out of love… all of these could be the inspiration. All of these could be my muse when she1 decides to turn up.

I’ll find a melody, a line, I’ll jot them in the journal – currently a Moleskine but it varies. I’ll then potter. On the guitar, on the keyboard, in any variety of apps, I’ll sculpt the sound.

I’ll arrange and jam, jam and arrange. I’ll record and rerecord. I’ll stop, start, start and stop again. Eventually, I might have a song, an arrangement that I like.

I don’t worry about critics. The biggest critic is sitting here typing these words. I scare myself with the negative thoughts concerning my creation. But create it I have. It’s time to share. It’s time to let the world hear what I have created…

… but will anyone want to listen

1 Yes, my muse is female, probably the deepest relationship I have with anyone from that gender… and quite often a metaphor for my personal relationships too.

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The valley of victims – a map of pilgrimage and possibility

the valley of victimsIt looked promising. The path led this way: ‘all roads lead to here’. But having entered what appeared to be a lush, fertile valley we find ourselves trapped. The land is no longer the pleasant place we thought it would be. We are in the valley of victims.

The valley has no way out. The slopes on either side are steep. The end of the valley rises in a similar way, blocking our way forward. It might be possible to climb out… if we were experienced mountain climbers with the fear gene removed.

We’re trapped by our own thoughts and feelings and fears. By all the things that have happened to us in the past that we are carrying with us. We see ourselves as the victims. We are held here by the things others have done to us. They happened yes, but the only power they have is the power we allow them.

The way to get out of the valley of victims is to back out. We need to go back out the way we came. If we carry all the negative stuff with us we’ll find ourselves trapped. We become victims of our past. We don’t need to stay in this valley, there is plenty more to explore.

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Don’t let fear stop your creativity

Don’t let fear stop you reaching your creative potential. The latest Imaginality video encourages you to create and share.

If you want to hear a little more of the music I have been making, then take a look at This Temple Eden. All the information can be found there, along with some free music to download and enjoy… and even donate if you’d like.

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Mid-week crisis

Someday’s I feel good about things. Those days I bounce out of bed, rush through the necessary things and then get stuck in to the tasks ahead. My list will be ready and waiting and I face the day with a sense of purpose.

Today, I didn’t have that. I woke and just didn’t feel like getting out of bed. There was no particular reason I could put my finger on, but I just didn’t feel like the day would be a good one. The past few days have been really productive and life in general has been positive and things are looking good.

It is possible, that I am just feeling a reaction to that. Just a simple, well things can’t keep going well, you need the odd down day, or less proactive day to smooth things out; to keep things on an even footing.

Or is that my subconscious trying to hold me back? Is there an element of a self-fulfilling prophecy coming through. If I feel like I won’t get anything done and moved on, then I won’t. I will struggle and find things difficult

I’m writing this  as I sit and begin the day ahead. I am determined not to let my thoughts stop me from achieving the tasks and goals that I want and need to achieve. I haven’t planned a ‘rest’ day and I have several things that need to be completed, so time to get on and do them.

The only excuse for a mid-week crisis is created by myself, therefore time to un-create and motivate.

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New beginnings

All good things come to an end, yes it’s a cliche but every so often I think I can get away with one. As summer ended and autumn began there was more change in the air than just the season. The possibility to leave the publishing job that I had loved for over 16 years was offered. This coincided with an underlying desire for change that had been simmering in my life for a while, a desire that wasn’t limited to ‘the day job’.

So I spent some time considering options and weighing up the pros and cons. Finally, taking a very deep breath, I decided to take the offer and leave.

Now, as autumn turns into winter I have worked out my notice period and have stepped out into a brave new world. I have got one job, more of which will follow shortly, and I am setting up a very interesting and helpful service for small businesses. All of which will be spoken about on here in the next few days and weeks.

For years I had feared making such drastic changes to my life. It would appear that the most frightening thing was thinking about the decision.

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