the creative minimalist
Once upon a time, I had a creative plan, to create new music while finishing an old music project. That fairy tale came to an unhappy end. In this week’s vlog, I take a look at lessons learnt from a failed creative plan
Despite an inner craving to avoid rules and regulations, I have been contemplating how to bring a little order to my creative life. In this week’s vlog I wonder if a creative rule of life might be the answer.
The gloomy weather amplifies all the negatives; missed deadlines, slipped habits etc. How am I dealing with these creative and life failures? In this week’s vlog, I give a little thanks to get a little sunshine.
Into February and despite the weather not quite being springlike I have been inspired by the festival of Imbolc for a creative nudge. FAWM and festivals combine in this week’s vlog, and also a little poetry.
I want to create it all! I have far too much clamouring for my attention, from social media to hundreds of unfinished creative projects. How can I create what I want and need to create? This week’s vlog explores how I am attempting to create all the create!
3 steps that are helping me reach my creative goals. This vlog looks at what works in my planning, to-dos and habit tracking. After just a few weeks of the year, I am already noticing what does and doesn’t work.
The things you see when out on a walk.
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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I have the amazing privilege of living within walking distance of the sea. If I need to reconnect with nature I can be standing next to the untamed wilderness of the ocean in minutes. I can be face to face with its beauty and its danger.
This week’s creative prompt is waves. Each week we begin with a single word and expand it to inspire writing fiction, journaling and other creative activities. These creative prompts, are to give me, and anyone else who wants to join in, some inspiration for creative work, personal development and even a little self-care.
The word waves can mean many things. It can be the waves upon the water, a friendly gesture or a way of upsetting the status quo. All variations on frequencies and ripples in different settings and situations. And if we think in terms of frequencies, then everything we can see is down to waves.
wave (singular of waves)
— verb: move one’s hand to and fro in greeting or as a signal, move (one’s hand or arm, or something held in one’s hand) to and fro, convey (a greeting or other message), instruct (someone) to move in a particular direction by moving one’s hand, move to and fro with a swaying motion
— noun: a long body of water curling into an arched form and breaking on the shore, a ridge of water between two depressions in open water, a shape regarded as resembling a breaking wave, a sudden occurrence of or increase in a phenomenon, feeling, or emotion, a periodic disturbance of the particles of a substance
Wave(s) can be used as a verb and noun
move to and fro, move up and down, wag, waggle; swing, shake, swish, sweep, swipe, brandish, flourish, flaunt, wield, flick, flutter, ripple, flutter, undulate, stir, flap, sway, swing, waft, shake, quiver, oscillate, move, gesture, gesticulate, signal, sign, beckon, indicate, motion, nod, bid, vibration, oscillation, undulation.
stillness, calm, unmoving, static
waves, for me, are something moving, there is motion.
Let the prompt ‘waves’ inspire you in any area of creativity that you are interested:
A Fiction Writing Prompt exploring the word waves to stretch the literary muscles. No rules. No word counts. Simply write and explore. It’s time to let your creative writing skills free.
I face the Waves, but would I cross them or be engulfed?
When I look at the sea I can feel so much potential. There is energy from the waves themselves, the thoughts of travelling across them and the danger of riptides and currents. When I look at the waves I feel inspired.
That’s what inspired this prompt. We begin with the waves in front of your protagonist and their potential. Let’s explore…
The context for this prompt is entirely up to you. It is set in the first person as this can make it easier to describe feelings and emotions, however, feel free to change this. The challenge here is to capture and describe the two potential outcomes, one positive and the other not so, from the perspective of the protagonist.
Enjoy and may the words wash upon the page like waves upon the shore.
Set a time limit, use the following random prompts and write a short piece of fiction.
I am a bit of a worrier. When I stand on the beach and see the waves I can let the feelings of being overwhelmed and the fear of the unknown take hold. Exploring my fears and worries in my journal often follows a visit to the beach. And journaling is the perfect place to dream of travelling across the waves to distant shores and lands where dreams become realities. Again, either literal or metaphorical.
I now have ‘waves’ written on the board above my computer. I am confident it will inspire me on my creative journey this week. The uniqueness of each wave is an inspiration, each can have a different frequency or amplitude, an almost limitless range.
Let ‘waves’ inspire your music, photography, and painting this week.
As always, these creative prompts are optional and entirely open to your interpretation. Use them as a starting point for a short story, a moment in your journal, something a little more grandiose or any creative project or idea.
As mentioned before, this isn’t a ‘challenge’ but the prompts can be used that way if you want. If you do create anything using them, I would love to see or hear about it. Leave a link in the comments below or tag me #thecreativeminimalist on any social platform.
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
At times, my world, or life, feels a bit like a paradox. On the one hand, I love science and fact, understanding how and why things work and exist. On the other, I believe in the supernatural, the unseen, the literally unprovable. And it is that unseen aspect that we will explore.
This week’s creative prompt is spirit. Each week we begin with a single word and expand it to inspire writing fiction, journaling and other creative activities. These creative prompts, are to give me, and anyone else who wants to join in, some inspiration for creative work, personal development and even a little self-care.
Spirit means many things, as can be seen below. Yet the main aspect I want to explore is its unseen nature, and how close the unseen and the seen really are.
When Paul writes in the New Testament (Galatians 5:22–23) about the Spirit, an unseen entity, he explains that although the Spirit can’t be seen, its fruits or its practical application in life is visible. The unseen and the seen are a lot closer than we think. It’s the same in most belief systems, through both good and evil actions.
And spirit isn’t limited to religion. The word is used in business, sport and other activities to inspire actions and make choices.
spirit, spirits, spirited
spirit — noun
verb; (spirits, spiriting, spirited) convey rapidly and secretly
Spirit can be an Individual or mass noun and is used with or without an adjective. It also has a related verb.
soul, psyche, inner self, inner being, essential being, ego, id, ka, atman, life force, animating principle, vital spark, breath of life, ghost, phantom, spectre, apparition, wraith, shadow, presence, temperament, disposition, character, nature, personality, complexion, mind, heart, attitude, real/true meaning, essence, substance.
body, flesh
spirit is summed up for me as something unseen. And I believe it can be both personal and inanimate.
Let the prompt ‘spirit’ inspire you in any area of creativity that you are interested:
A Fiction Writing Prompt exploring the word spirit to stretch the literary muscles. No rules. No word counts. Simply write and explore. It’s time to let your creative writing skills free.
“That’s the spirit,” they said. Little did they know what spirit was leading me..
I wanted something fun and open for this writing prompt. Although the speech and response are quite direct, the context isn’t. We touch on an action of some sort and an unseen reason why our protagonist, who is also our narrator, is acting this way.
That’s what this prompt is all about, explaining how and why someone is acting in a certain way. So let’s explore.
The context for this prompt is entirely up to you. You could go down the supernatural route of unseen angels or demons, jinns or other animistic beings. Or, another more literal spirit in the form of alcohol. There is also the possibility of a previous event that leads to feelings being revisited, creating a spirit of fear or anxiety or bravery.
Enjoy and may the spirit of literary creativity enable your words to flow on the page.
Set a time limit, use the following random prompts and write a short piece of fiction.
Sitting down and writing in a journal is an important part of my day. I look back and review what I have done. I do my best to think about why I have done something. What was driving me? Why did I do this or that? What was the spirit within prompting and inspiring? The reason for this is to try to understand the reasons and then change my actions for the better if needed… and that is quite often.
I now have ‘spirit’ written on the board above my computer. I am confident it will inspire me on my creative journey this week. Life is a mix of seen and unseen things; creativity is a mix of unseen inspiration within and its seen creation.
Let ‘spirit’ inspire your music, photography, and painting this week.
As always, these creative prompts are optional and entirely open to your interpretation. Use them as a starting point for a short story, a moment in your journal, something a little more grandiose or any creative project or idea.
As mentioned before, this isn’t a ‘challenge’ but the prompts can be used that way if you want. If you do create anything using them, I would love to see or hear about it. Leave a link in the comments below or tag me #thecreativeminimalist on any social platform.
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
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
It felt like this one flower had captured the radiance of the sun… and just realised I posted this on a Thursday.
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
To say the world and therefore life has been a little complicated and messed up over the past few years would be an understatement. From Climate to Covid, Vaccinations to inVasions these times are not quite as straightforward as some might like. And my mind struggles to find any simple solutions. And so…
This week’s creative prompt is Tangle. Each week we begin with a single word and expand it to inspire writing fiction, journaling and other creative activities. These creative prompts, are to give me, and anyone else who wants to join in, some inspiration for creative work, personal development and even a little self-care.
Not only is the world a little tangled but my own life feels the same. Like a piece of string that appeared straight and stretched out is actually twisted and rolled up into a ball. It can be unpicked I am sure, but at the moment everything feels entangled… and I love that version of the word.
When things get tangled, untangling is the only thing to do if you want to get anywhere.
Tangle, tangled, entangled
tangle — verb; twist into a confused mass, make complicated or confused or become involved in a conflict
noun; a confused mass, a confused or complicated state or a fight, argument, or disagreement
tangled — adjective; twisted together untidily, complicated and confused
entangle, snarl, catch, entwine, intertwine, intertwist, twist, ravel, knot, enmesh, coil, mat, jumble, muddle, disorder, web or come into conflict, become involved, have a dispute, dispute, argue, quarrel, fight, row, wrangle, squabble, contend, cross swords, lock horns
untangle, disentangle, unravel
Tangle is summed up for me as a mess. Fortunately, most messes can be cleaned up.
Let the prompt ‘tangle’ inspire you in any area of creativity that you are interested:
A Fiction Writing Prompt exploring the word tangle to stretch the literary muscles. No rules. No word counts. Simply write and explore.
It was a mess, distinct yet entangled. It needed sorting.
When things get messy we have a choice, leave it or clean it up. Depending on the situation one may be easier than the other. Some messes are more serious than others, they may have far-reaching consequences both for ourselves and others.
That’s what this prompt is all about. There’s a mess and your protagonist has decided that it needs to be cleaned up. So let’s explore.
The context for this prompt is entirely up to you. The challenge is to create the mess and work out how to sort it. This is what all basic plots are. There is a situation and your character or characters have to resolve it. The situation can be personal, major or minor, or it could be on a global scale. The choice as always is yours.
Enjoy and may your words flow untangled as they first create and then resolve the messy situation.
Set a time limit, use the following random prompts and write a short piece of fiction.
When I get in a mess, and I often do, I open up my journal. I write down how I feel, any relevant details and then see if I can work out what to do. However, it is easy to think that everything that is tangles is negative. Sometimes we want or even need to be entangled. Being tangled can be intentional and good for the soul.
I now have ‘tangle’ written on the board above my computer. I am confident it will inspire me on my creative journey this week. Life is messy and tangled and life is art and art is life; entangled creativity.
Let ‘tangle’ inspire your music, photography, and painting this week.
As always, these creative prompts are optional and entirely open to your interpretation. Use them as a starting point for a short story, a moment in your journal, something a little more grandiose or any creative project or idea.
As mentioned before, this isn’t a ‘challenge’ but the prompts can be used that way if you want. If you do create anything using them, I would love to see or hear about it. Leave a link in the comments below or tag me #thecreativeminimalist on any social platform.
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