darren r hill

the creative minimalist

As we begin the new year of 2025, I’m excited to share my collection of journals with you in this week’s vlog. I have a new daily planner, as well as music and fiction journals, and various vocabulary notebooks.
Read more…
My word of the year for 2025 is odyssey. It both a journey with a destination in mind and plenty of wiggle room for distractions.
Read more…
I found myself thinking about how it is perfectionism created by myself, which, ironically, destroys my creativity. This week’s vlog examines how I must embrace the unknown and let creativity flow.
Read more…
Hello worlds! I have found myself in a creative rut, my creativity has become automated and feels unnatural. This week’s vlog is all about beginning to rewild my imagination and creativity.
Read more…
Hello worlds! I made a video for my song “We’re not Actors” from the album “The Same Old Fear”.
Read more…
This week’s vlog looks at how we may need to change our minds or opinions to get truly creative. And it all starts with the question, when was the last time you changed your mind?
Read more…

New Music on Music Monday

Due to a series of fortunate events, I was motivated into putting more of my music out into the world. A few years ago I released Pilgrimage and possibilities, and Transformation and freedom on Bandcamp. Since then, I have shared the music on Patreon. I have used it as background music on my YouTube videos and allowed others to use it. (And if any of you would like some music, please ask, it is a pleasure to create and share.)

Back to the series of events. Dianne Fago Art used one of the tracks from Transformation on a recent video. Now YouTube has an automatic copyright infringement detection tool. This clever AI goes through any music and video at the upload stage and flags content that belongs to someone else. This enables the copyright holder to get their fair share of advertising royalties. In theory, this is good. In practice, it doesn’t always work.

As Dianne was uploading her video, the music was flagged as belonging to someone else. Unfortunately, that person wasn’t me. The AI had got things mixed up and now there is the rigmarole of sorting it out. To point out that the AI had got things wrongs, I uploaded the piece of music to YouTube, and it didn’t get flagged. Here it is…

This isn’t the only incidence. I remember another piece of mine being flagged a few years back. Things should have improved by now, but they haven’t. Just the other week, someone on YouTube was going through a similar infringement issue when a singing bowl they were playing live was spotted by the AI. I know some people are afraid of Artificial Intelligences taking over the world, but I think it might be a way off.

Back to the music. Having remembered I had those two albums on Bandcamp, I decided to share them further. I jumped over to distrokid, where I was planning on releasing some music later this year, and set up an immediate release. If you follow the links below, you’ll now find Pilgrimage and Transformation on all the major (and many minor) streaming platforms. From Apple and Amazon to Pandora and Spotify, whatever music site you use, you’ll find my music. Alternatively, simply search for this temple eden and you’ll find me.

Transformation and freedom

Pilgrimage and possibilities

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

28 June 2021
My July Journal Set-up

A quick look at my July journal set-up. I have my bullet journal in my Traveller’s Notebook and my blog journal in another. In addition, I have my music and art journals. I also have another little journal that I am pondering its use.

Darren and Dianne Discuss: here’s the most recent video when this video was made:

https://youtu.be/qSIEx1sxkHc

27 June 2021
The Moon — Weekly Creative Prompt
Welcome to the new complete weekly creative prompt. We begin with a single creative prompt word and expand it to inspire fiction writing, journaling and a host of other creative activities. These creative prompts, are to give me, and anyone else who wants to join in, some focus to our creative work.

Last week’s prompt revolved around the solstice, and our word was the sun. It would be unfair not to follow on with a prompt regarding the lesser light. As I write these words, there is a full moon outside. A full moon also means that there are spring tides. These tides are the highest because the moon joins the sun in exerting a gravitational pull on the earth’s oceans – it is a time of extremes. May there be an extremely creative tide near you this week. Therefore, this week’s creative prompt is:

Moon — the natural satellite of the earth, visible (chiefly at night) by reflected light from the sun

this is a practical definition, yet I like the way it hints at the moon still being visible during the day

Let the prompt ‘the moon’ inspire you in any area of creativity that you are interested:
- writing fiction
- journaling
- art journaling
- songwriting
- photography
- painting
- composing
- blog posts
- art therapy
- anything that could use a little nudge to begin
Let’s expand the word a little further…

Fiction Writing Prompt

The Fiction Writing Prompt aims to stretch the literary muscles. No rules. No word counts. Simply write and explore.

As the moon appeared from behind the clouds, everything changed

Writing Prompt Expanded

Being able to describe how something changes is a key writing skill. There are three elements, the initial state, the change, and the result. The skill is to avoid simply saying A through B to C. And the more elements in our writing that change, the more skill and the bigger the challenge.

This prompt is all about using the moon’s appearance as the trigger for our prose.
- Why is the moon so important?
- Is the change for one person or more?
- How do the characters feel?
Do we have a couple having a romantic walk under the moonlight? Has a crime been revealed by the light of the moon? Does the moon trigger the change from a human to a werewolf? The choice is yours. Let the moon illuminate your writing and may you have fun.

Journal prompt

Journaling allows us to hold conversations on paper. From private diaries to creative art journals, we pour out our deepest thoughts. The moon provides plenty of things to write about in our journals. It conjures up connotations of madness, lunacy, and even werewolves. The new and full moon can be used in planners for setting goals and realising dreams. And the idea of light in the dark can inspire infinite art journal pages.

Questions to answer, thoughts to explore or images to create in your journal:
- A white page with darker colours added, or a black page with light applied?
- Beneath the light of a full moon, are there hidden aspects of yourself you’d like to address?
- Have you thought about using the lunar cycle for setting monthly goals?
Theory of General Creativity

I now have ‘the moon’ written on the board above my computer. I am confident it will inspire me on my creative journey this week. I am hoping it will drive me to finish a track I am working on called ‘The Sun and the Moon’. Another thing I would like to do is a little more photography. I’d love to take a decent picture of the moon, perhaps this prompt will inspire me to head outside when the light fades.

Let ‘the moon’ inspire your music, photography, and painting this week.

Finally…

As always, these creative prompts are optional and entirely open to your interpretation. Use them as a starting point for a short story, something a little more grandiose.

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 on any social platform.

Original moon image by Pexels from Pixabay

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
26 June 2021
Summer Solstice Blessings and some music

Blessing to you all on this Summer Solstice

Today is the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the Winter Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. I wrote a piece of music inspired by the Solstice and I am sharing aversion of it with you today. You can listen (and watch) below or click through to watch on YouTube, where you could also subscribe to my channel if you would like.

21 June 2021
Sun — Weekly Creative Prompt
Welcome to the new complete weekly creative prompt. We begin with a single creative prompt word and expand it to inspire fiction writing, journaling and a host of other creative activities. These creative prompts, are to give me, and anyone else who wants to join in, some focus to our creative work.

The Northern Hemisphere is about to reach the summer solstice. The solstice marks the day of most sunlight. The Southern Hemisphere is about to mark its day of least sunlight. Last week’s prompt was all about stars, this week we will be looking at a star, your star. So, this week’s prompt is:

Sun — the star round which the earth orbits

when I think of all that the sun represents and can mean, this dictionary definition feels so dry

Let the prompt ‘sun’ inspire you in any area of creativity that you are interested:
- writing fiction
- journaling
- art journaling
- songwriting
- photography
- painting
- composing
- blog posts
- art therapy
- anything that could use a little nudge to begin
Let’s expand the word a little further…

Fiction Writing Prompt

The Fiction Writing Prompt aims to stretch the literary muscles. No rules. No word counts. Simply write and explore.

Today we celebrate. Our god is powerful. Yet we know, from this day on, the sun’s power will wane.

Writing Prompt Expanded

I normally give as much freedom as possible in these writing prompts, I think it is the punk in me that doesn’t like anything too prescriptive. However, this prompt has context. It is the summer solstice. Worshippers are celebrating. They are thankful that their god is supplying their needs. They also know that in a few months their god will weaken and be less helpful.

This prompt is all about describing the feelings and emotions of a culture long gone and distinct from our own. We may still celebrate the solstice and other celestial events, but we also know a lot about science. The characters in our writing prompt don’t.
- How do you feel at this spiritual celebration?
- Why do you think your god loses power, is it a lack of your people’s faith?
- How do the others in your ‘tribe’ act? Do younger people celebrate differently from the older members?
The writing perspective is the first person. This makes it easier to explore the feelings and possible confusion of the character. The challenge is to convey the emotions felt using language and metaphors that are specific to that ancient culture, but which will be understood by a modern reader. It is a challenge, but one I hope you’ll enjoy.

Journal prompt

Journaling allows us to hold conversations on paper. From private diaries to creative art journals we pour out our deepest thoughts. The sun gives us so much. It brings us warmth and light and pretty much sustains life. Its gravity keeps us (earth) in place and the earth’s orbit helps us mark time. All of this is before you get to the science and sheer size of the sun. Through the ages, the sun has had its fair share of worshipers; in ancient cultures, on the beaches and in the green movement. It also works very well as a metaphor in many situations.

Questions to answer, thoughts to explore or images to create in your journal:
- What emotions do you feel when the sun warms your face?
- When the sun doesn’t shine, how do you feel?
- What words come to mind when you think of the sun?
Theory of General Creativity

I now have ‘sun’ written on the board above my computer. I am confident it will inspire me on my creative journey this week. It has reminded me that I wrote a piece of music called Solstice last year. I have wanted to develop and share that again, so let the inspiration shine forth. The light from the sun is also a core aspect of outdoor photography and a common theme in painting.

Let ‘sun’ illuminate your music, photography, and painting this week.

Finally…

As always, these creative prompts are optional and entirely open to your interpretation. Use them as a starting point for a short story, something a little more grandiose.

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
19 June 2021
Rediscovering Reading: Salvation book review

Memory is not always reliable. Now, no comments about my age. A few years back I was reading three separate science-fiction trilogies, jumping from one series to another. I enjoyed them all, and continue to read what each author releases. However, jumping from one brilliantly conceived universe to another, back and forth, over three series was a little too much for my tiny little mind. Therefore, and that brings me to the point of this paragraph, if I know an author is writing a trilogy, I will wait until I have all three books and binge them.

My current binge is the Salvation Sequence trilogy by Peter F Hamilton. I am a big fan of his epic space opera, and this trilogy promised more of what I like. This nerd can’t resist, aliens, FTL travel and books that include a timeline for clarity. I have just finished book one; Salvation, and before I get too far into book two wanted to write a quick review.

Talking of book series, I began reading Salvation after a difficult journey through books five and six of The Expanse. I found both of those, especially book six, tough going. I hate to admit it, but by the end of that book, I had almost lost the ‘joy’ of sitting down and picking up a book. That isn’t to say I dislike The Expanse, and I will return to the series, I just struggled. However, all that was quickly forgotten as I was launched into the Salvation Sequence.

In the nearish future, the earth has been visited by what appears to be two alien species. The predominant alien race has stopped by during a religious pilgrimage to meet their god at the end of the universe. They are friendly and offer to share their medical advances with humanity in return for energy to create their antimatter fuel to continue their journey. All very friendly. Meanwhile, in the far future, another group of genetically modified humans are training. Their mission is to continue their fight for survival against an aggressive alien race who have chased humanity across the stars.

Meanwhile, back on earth, or actually on a planet that earth people hang out on, an of unknown origin alien spaceship has been found. In it are a group of humans in suspended animation, but no aliens. A group of interested parties go and check it out. We learn more about these interested parties and a lot more, through lengthy flashbacks. We also learn about the visiting aliens, the two distinct cultures that humanity has divided itself into and all the technology that is now commonplace, along with some interesting social commentary.

Salvation jumps between the far future and near future timelines until… well, no spoilers, but there was a nice twist in the final few chapters. Setting things up nicely for book two; Salvation Lost.

So, an enjoyable read and if you want to read it yourself here’s an affiliate link to Amazon UK and Amazon US. Back to book two for me…

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

16 June 2021