darren r hill

the creative minimalist

In this week’s creative field notes, I am getting things done, despite the blips that all creatives have.
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A short exploration of Easter Saturday, weaving a narrative and basking in the ifs of who and what takes place between Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
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The site needs a bit of a refresh, so as they used to say it is under construction. As such things might not look right, work right, or even feel right. But only until everything is new and shiny. After that… who knows.
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This month has been productive despite global chaos, and I have noticed the importance of maintaining a positive and intentional creative practice.
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This week’s creative field notes include how I am keeping up with February Album Writing Month and coming up with a few other creative ideas.
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January has been a difficult month for this creative minimalist. However, the festival of Imbolc is as good a time as any to make a creative new start. This week’s vlog explores recent creative highs and lows.
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Consistent habits can save hours over time when creating.

When I am in the creative zone, I always wish I had more time. The muse can be so elusive that when she does turn up, I want to make the most of it. That’s where time-saving habits come in.

Repetition creates speed

The more you do something the quicker you can do it. Doing the same thing, the same creative processes and practices mean you can complete that particular task quicker. When I started out playing the guitar, changing from one chord to another took time. Now, even when I am learning a new chord shape, I am able to jump from chord to chord with ease. It’s why musician practice scales. It’s why artists doodle. Touch-typing can help writers, even if their first draft is on pen and paper.

Systems reduce thinking

Templates, a set colour palette or your favourite pen and journal are examples of systems. You can put them in place, before you create. The less time and energy you spend thinking means more time and energy creating. Think about systems you can set up to ease your creative workflow.

Preparation beats correction

Having your bits and pieces ready means you don’t have to fumble around sorting them out when the muse turns up. If you have these bits ready it will save time when you realise you’re missing something or you are using the wrong tool. I have lost countless minutes, that amount to hours, because my Logic music template wasn’t set-up correctly. It is easy to forget how to do certain creative tasks, especially with complex software. The more you can bake into a template or into muscle memory, the less time spent asking your search engine, or A.I. assistant for help.

Small gains compound

In short sporting events, like the 100m, the tiniest improvement in starting a race can make a big difference. It is similar in our creative workflow.

Keyboard shortcuts need to be learnt. I noticed time and again I wanted to do the same thing and couldn’t remember how to do it. Keyboard shortcuts are probably the single most effective time saving habit I have and use. Knowing that cmd+c is copy might be second nature to you, but what about forced legato in Logic Pro (shift + backslash), or create clipping mask in Photoshop (option + cmd + G). For me, these and other keyboard shortcuts save me so much time.

Habits beat hacks

A hack is a shortcut to a goal, a hack is a one off event, a hack is really a way to cheat. A habit is something that you can use all the time. I know this is playing with semantics, but the point is, if you can ingrain something into your creative being, so much that it is a habit, then you don’t need to think about it. Bad habits waste so much time, creative habits enable us to save time, and spend that precious resource wisely. We don’t want to think, we want to create.

Creative habits can be tiny. Tiny creative habits can have a huge impact on our creativity.

What are your creative habits?

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.

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22 February 2026
How to start writing a song, or start any art, when you have no ideas

Songs don’t start with inspiration, they start with action, and that is the simplest way to start a song, or piece of art when nothing comes.

Waiting delays creation

Forgive me for stating the obvious, but if you want to start writing a song, or create any piece of art, you need to start writing a song, or creating any piece of art. Waiting for an idea to drop out of the ether is a bit like waiting for the dinner to cook itself without turning on the oven. Most days creative ideas don’t present themselves in neat little packages waiting to be, well, created.

I’m currently taking part in FAWM, February Album Writing Month. I do this challenge every year. I join a group of other like-minded (crazy?) individuals and we write songs, 14 of them, in 28 days. Now sometimes I have a vague idea for a song, but most of the time I am thinking, “ I need something now, or I will fall even further behind schedule.” I can’t wait for inspiration; if I do, I will fail the challenge.

It is the same when I am not taking part in FAWM. I like to think it is in my DNA to write songs and music. I enjoy it and feel content when I finish a song. Therefore, I try to write and create as often as I can. And, quite often I don’t know what I am going to create before I start, but I don’t wait, I start. Don’t wait.

Simple starts remove pressure

Two notes, a chord or a simple phrase is all that is required. Again, this is stating the obvious but, if starting is the problem, then starting is also the solution. We need to be able to break “blank page syndrome”.

For songwriting a series of notes, harmony or phrase is the simplest of starts. For artists, shapes or a mark on the page, for writers a character’s name or a place or the weather. It doesn’t matter how simple your start is, what matters is that starting removes pressure.

Structure helps ideas flow

When I write a song, my mind naturally flips into verse, chorus, verse, chorus mode. This simple structure is helpful. It enables me to hang my melody or phrase in place. I know that the melody will lead into something else. I know that the chords I have will merge with what comes next. That structured transition allows my creative neurone(s – plural surely, Darren) to fire and subconsciously they begin to take the tune and lyrics someplace new.

The structure doesn’t have to be adhered to, in fact most times it isn’t, but it is there to guide. It enables the ideas to sit in a familiar place while they take shape and flow. If you are a writer you could have an opening paragraph structure that always describes the physical scene. Artists could have an undercoat or wash that they can place on the canvas.

These structures might disappear as soon as the ideas begin to flow and the muse finally decides to take an interest. Structure will help when you have few or no ideas.

Starting badly still counts

A melody that goes nowhere, or a phrase that is clichéd, or downright plagiarism, is still a start. The most difficult part of the creative act is starting, but starting badly still counts. It doesn’t matter how poor the start is. It might be polished and a fine creative piece, but 99% of the time, it will need reworking. If art was always perfect the universe wouldn’t have created erasers, gesso and the delete key.

It really doesn’t matter how bad the start is. Editing and second drafts and all forms of corrective art surgery exist for a reason. The important thing is to start, you can edit later.

Momentum follows motion

And you will be editing, because once you start, you’ll keep going. Once I have a melody or chord progression, I will find myself humming it, twisting it, reshaping it, adding to it. Quite often I will have stopped my songwriting session and have to go back to it as I come up with further ideas and developments. Once the creative process is in motion it will gather momentum. It is like a boulder being pushed downhill, once it gets going it will keep rolling.

let’s create

Ideas don’t often line themselves up awaiting our creative attention. We need to go out, catch them and develop them. We need to start, with a simple structure, with simple, even poor ideas, and let creativity flow, and flow it will, given the chance by you.

Let’s create

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.

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15 February 2026
What creative consistency really is

Consistency isn’t about daily output, it’s about repeatable effort.

Daily posting isn’t realistic for most

Life is messy. We have relationships with family, friends, work colleagues, even everyday interactions with passers-by. Interactions mean interruptions. Even the most introvert of us interact at some level. And our most intimate relationship is with ourselves. Our health and well-being can change from moment to moment. We can create routines, organise our lives down to the minute but we can never have total control. Don’t even think about creating something each and every day.

Consistency means returning regularly

Routines can be stuck too but not 100% of the time. Even the most organised of us will face interruptions. It is possible that we might be able to set the alarm so we wake 30 minutes earlier to have our creative time. But even then, one day we might be ill, or a previous late night can upset the rhythm. The point is, to remember that consistency doesn’t mean daily but regular and repeatable.

Systems beat willpower

An open book with a pen, canvas with paints or your guitar on a stand are more inviting than thinking you should write, paint or compose. Having to think about something is using creative energy. Setting up a system where you can be consistently creative is the key. Getting up 30 minutes earlier can be part of the system you set up, along with the tools. Your system can include when, where and what. If you have a system that enables repeatable creative sessions, you’ll start generating creative output.

Missed days don’t ruin progress

Think about 500 words, written regularly. If you do that for five days and then miss a day, you still have the 2500 words written. If your regular creative practice doesn’t produce a cumulative count it will have a cumulative effect; you’ll get quicker, learn skills and techniques.

Because your system is a repeatable practice one missed day means nothing. You will be able to pick up where you left off, or take the next step. One missed day means you’ll simply return the next time you engage your system. Your creative content will be waiting. The muse will be there too and you’ll know exactly what to do. You will keep progressing.

Sustainability matters more than streaks

I had a 1000 day streak on DuoLingo, however that had little to no correlation to my knowledge of Spanish and Chinese. My system for learning those languages was based on a rushed daily interaction with the app. That interaction wasn’t sustainable most days and as such, my learning suffered.

Repeatable can be daily, but it doesn’t have to be. Creating regularly is not about ticking a box as often as we can. Burnout and simply getting fed up with creating stuff are real issues. Our consistent, system needs to provide a safe space to create without pressure. It is no good writing daily, or even regularly, for a period of time, if afterwards you never want to write again.

What is your sustainable, regular and safe creative system?

BLOG STATUS:
☐ not started ☐ drafted ☐ published

YOUTUBE STATUS:
☐ not outlined ☐ recorded ☐ published

STEP 1 – Video skeleton (15 mins)

From your content bank:

Write:

Opening sentence (why this matters)

Would you like to be consistently creative? Well, a daily creative act isn’t the vital ingredient

3 bullet points (main ideas)

Daily creative output isn’t practical

Life is messy and gets in the way. I’m in the middle of several creative projects. And guess what… the TV box has decided to throw a wobbly, and is currently refusing to connect to the router which it can see. Stubborn. It has meant that several things I want to move forward in my own creative practice are getting knocked all over the place.

Regular is a owned by you

We are all different, we can all manage different. What works for someone won’t work for you. Like most things related to creativity, comparison is an enemy. Just because so and so bashes out several thousand words before they brush their teeth each morning, doesn’t mean you can or should

Finding your creative rhythm

If we want to be creative, and by that I mean having something tangible to share, either privately or to the world, finding our own creative rhythm will make the process easier. It should not be measured by closeness, but consistency. The repetition of a creative act develops us and our creations.

Closing thought (one line)

What is your sustainable, realistic creative rhythm? Find what works for you and then create.

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

7 February 2026
The most common reason creative people stall (and it’s not motivation)

Most creative stalls come from unclear next steps, not lack of motivation.

Creative ambiguity is a red flag to the muse. The muse won’t hang around if you are unsure what to do even if your motivation is high. Maintaining high motivation is nigh on impossible. So how can we stop our creativity becoming an unbreachable path?

Motivation is unreliable

My alarm goes off. I don’t really want to get up. Some mornings are different though, I feel energised and ready to take on the world. Unfortunately, my motivation tends toward the first scenario.

The muse is also an elusive creature. There are two views, the first is go with the flow and see what happens, the other is to grab the proverbial by the horns and act. The muse doesn’t stick to a schedule but we can. Being creative isn’t about hanging around and waiting for the muse to drag us to the desk, or wherever we create. It is about going to that place and meeting the muse there, or even summoning them.

Ambiguity creates friction

So, do I do this or that? If we have this discussion with ourselves we are using creative energy the wrong way. In fact we are unlikely to use the energy to create and we will procrastinate on what to do. Getting to the desk in one thing, knowing what to do when we get there is something else. How many times have you placed your writing equipment, lined up your paints or pencils, opened that music creation software and then… nothing? Or perhaps you look longingly at your creative space and think, I’m just not quite sure what to do. Hint: just do something, push through the friction.

Large tasks trigger avoidance

Not knowing what to do is one issue, another is making that first step, or task, too big. If you think of creating something specific for just fifteen minutes you might keep going for another fifteen, and then even longer. But if you know your task will take an hour or more you are less likely to even begin.

I spoke about big goals last time out. It is the same here, your motivation is fine, but sometimes the task is just too big. Ambiguity creates friction, but so do big tasks.

Clear, tiny steps reduce resistance

Knowing what to do and keeping that task short and sweet will remove resistance. I used to have tasks that were too broad, I had tasks like draft blog, or edit blog. Now I have specific, short tasks like write 5 bullet points. Then expand bullet points to 300 – 500 words. Each task is clear, I know what I should be doing. And each task has an outcome, something that is tangible to take to the next step.

I used to have three or four vague tasks. I now have many more tasks, but they are all short and simple. Little steps are much easier than jumps into the abyss.

Progress restarts with clarity

If you know what to do it is much easier. If you are stuck in a creative rut and the muse isn’t on schedule then clarity is required. Projects that have stalled and lost their way can find new impetus. You still have to do the work, but knowing what next tangible step to take, will get your creative journey moving.

Conclusion

It doesn’t matter how small the task is. Work out what it is and then do it. It is easy to blame motivation, and that may be an issue from time to time. However, I have found that most of my creative projects stall due to not having a clear next step. What is your next small step?

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

31 January 2026
Finishing small projects is better than chasing big goals

Finishing small creative projects builds momentum far more reliably than chasing big goals.

Do you have a dream, a wild hopeful dream? I’m talking creative dreams here, not world peace or a long-lasting Man Utd manager. Perhaps new year resolution creative dreams, goals that will make your future horizon bright. Perhaps to be a successful author, or a recognised musician, songwriter or performer. It is good to have those sort of big goals, they are reasons for you to do things, the reason for you writing or making music. But those goals are big. That horizon may be way off. The way to reach those goals is to build momentum. Small creative acts and projects are the blocks, the stepping stones toward the big goal.

Big projects feel motivating but stall easily

The bigger the goal, the easier it is to feel motivated. It’s why resolutions are make us feel good. This year I will be x, y and z. It’s also why they stall very quickly. We see a glorious destination, but don’t quite know the steps toward it.

Small finishes train follow-through

Each step we take toward something brings us closer. Remembering that a journey is made up of steps is vital. Counting those steps encourages us and trains us to keep going. If you want to be a great author, you need to decide what your regular steps equivalent will be. I will write 500 words each day. And when you complete that, celebrate.

Completion builds confidence, not quality alone

It doesn’t matter how bad the content you create is. When you are working toward a major goal the important thing is to complete the little steps. Over time you should improve. You should notice an improvement with what you create on day 100 compared to your tentative meanderings on day 1. Having completed the 100 days, or 50, or even just 10 you’ll begin to notice changes. You learn as you finish each creative step. The more you make the more confident you will become.

Momentum comes from closure

Stories can be broken into chapters. Finish a chapter and you’ll find a desire to write the next. Finish the recording of one song and you’ll want to mix it, or remix it, or move on to the next track for a collection of songs. And this multiplies. A paragraph becomes a scene, becomes a chapter becomes a book, becomes a sequel, becomes a trilogy. A melody, encourages a harmony, dances a rhythm, begets a chorus, extends to a song, a recording, an album. Finishing one creative project leads us to the next creative projects.

Small doesn’t mean insignificant

500 words, or 300 words or even less, each day, is not insignificant. Just 100 words a day means you’ll have 36,500 words at then end of a year. One melody a day will give you enough ideas to fill many a songbook. Small creative acts. One chapter. One song. One blog post. Or a number of words, or an amount of time spent creating. Each of these are small, but they are far from insignificant.

Create something now

Choose to create something small, name it and block a time to do it. Then, when it is done, celebrate and repeat the process.

There’s nothing wrong with having the big motivational goal or dream, but the small creative habit is what creates momentum to reach that goal.

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

25 January 2026
Wheel of the Year

The seasons come and the seasons go, just as it ever was. Earth orbits around the sun, the moon around this little planet, life ebbs and flows. We mark this in seasons, in stages, in festivals. This is my sculpted sound celebrating the Wheel of the Year as imagined and realised by this temple eden.

A crescendo of simple, melodic soundscapes that capture the ecstasy of the seasons and festivals in the Wheel of the Year.

Explore the thinness of Samhain, of reaching through the veil, of being the closest to the other side, the liminal, a threshold.

Feel the hibernating, yet beating heart of the Winter Solstice. Beneath our feet life lies dormant, awaiting and biding its time. It prepares for birth, gestating while the darkness prevails.

It is time. Life is ready. The first tentative glimpses of light and life. Seek the blessing of Imbolc for the future, for the harvest, for life itself.

A state of balance, equality. The Spring Equinox when light and dark stand together. At Spring the direction is forward, toward abundance, toward the light. The innocence of childhood and the exuberance of youth are held in check, before life’s biggest change.

Be possessed by the energy of Beltane the fire dance. Life in all its abundance, finding its path. Embrace change, embrace growth, toward fulfilment, toward promise.

Magnify the zenith of the Summer Solstice, as the light reaches its most powerful. Feed from the riches of the celestial energy. Bask in the bounty as darkness recedes to its bit part.

The gift of the land is an echoed refrain from the sowing of the seed. As Lammas brings a harvest of plenty. The light has provided and now as custodians we reap what we have sown. We are mindful that resources are limited, and a finite gift should be distributed wisely.

Finally, once again, we return to a state of balance at the Autumn Equinox. Light and dark again stand side by side. However, at autumn we are falling back. Our journey is toward the dark. We begin to clear away, to store, to bring inside. The leaves are about fall. The Wheel of the Year will turn again, but for this final moment, all is balanced.

The Wheel of the Year is available on Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming services. I hope you enjoy it.

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

31 October 2025