darren r hill

the creative minimalist

  • A Fiction Writing Prompt to stretch the literary muscles. No rules. No word counts. Simply write and explore. There is nothing I can do. My fate is in the hands of the gods. I am helpless. Everything is out of my control. Writing Prompt Expanded Many things that make us anxious and worried are beyond

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  • And so we find ourselves in September. Well, I do, and I am assuming that you are too. Although this year has been full of the weird and out of the ordinary, so perhaps I am just here on my own. ‘Welcome to September’, I said as I looked at my junk journal and created

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  • A video flip through of my junk journal and an update with my planner. Plus a little trip to the beach to deliver a creativity tip. Shop: Planarchy and Stuffhttps://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/darrenrhill

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  • The incense fell straight and created these columns as it burned. Little creative accidents are nice when they occur. But creativity can also involve hard work and effort. In a bid to both motivate and make myself accountable, I thought it was time for some creative field notes. What exactly am I creating? Website(s) This

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  • A Fiction Writing Prompt to stretch the literary muscles. No rules. No word counts. Simply write and explore. The detective walked up to the store worker. “So you saw the man running away? Can you describe him?” Writing Prompt Expanded A key skill in writing is the ability to describe someone. All of the characters

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  • A quick flip-through of my current journal and junk journal set-up, and a brief look at some of my art bits and pieces.

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  • 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

  • Stars — 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.

    Ever since humanity first walked on the planet, we have looked up. And as the sun sets and the greater light travels over the horizon, the sky darkens, and the myriad of tiny pinpoints of light emerge. Our previous prompt was clouds, and if those clouds are missing from the night sky a remarkable light show can be seen. Therefore, this week’s creative prompt is:

    Stars — fixed luminous points in the night sky which are large, remote incandescent bodies like the sun.

    This is a plural definition of the singular I found in the dictionary. What I find interesting is the use of the word fixed because stars just like atoms are anything but that.

    Let the prompt ‘stars’ 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.

    They say the stars can predict the future. All I want to know is where you are.

    Writing Prompt Expanded

    The motions of the stars fascinated us before we began to grasp the mechanics of gravity. We put meaning and prediction into their motions. They guided us and prompted us. Today, we understand that life on this planet is controlled by gravity and other natural forces just like the stars. And yet, we still look to them. And occasionally, some of us, enquire.

    This prompt is very open. The sentences uttered offer little context. So, the challenge is to dig deep and use your imagination.

    • Who is the narrator looking for?
    • Are they out looking at the stars when they say these words?
    • Are they skeptical about astrology or an ardent disciple?

    The writing perspective is the first person, but beyond that, the setting and context are yours. I wondered whether the narrator is on a planet while the person they seek is traveling among the stars. Is the narrator one of many out looking for a missing person? These are just a couple of ideas that jumped into my mind. And you could always look to the stars for a little inspiration.

    Journal prompt

    Journaling allows us to hold conversations on paper. From private diaries to creative art journals we pour out our deepest thoughts. It only takes a layer of black paint or gesso followed by a little splattering of a lighter colour to make a simple vista of stars. White gel or paint pens can do the same. We can use them to write upon our starry background as well.

    Questions to answer, thoughts to explore or images to create in your journal:

    • Do you believe there is a connection between the stars and our destiny?
    • What do you think about the theory that our very atoms were forged when older stars exploded eons ago in our universe; that we are stardust?
    • How do you grasp the magnitude and size of the universe, that each pinpoint of light is a sun just like ours (some, if not most of the night lights are in fact galaxies and not single stars)?

    Theory of General Creativity

    I now have ‘stars’ written on the board above my computer. I am confident it will inspire me on my creative journey this week. Not only that, but I find stepping outside, barefoot if possible, and looking up into the night sky a truly humbling yet positive spiritual experience. To me spirituality and creativity are closely linked, they may even be different facets of the same force. The vastness of space and the beauty of the flickering lights upon the night sky are an inspiration for so much of my creative process this week. May it be for you as well.

    Let ‘stars’ 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. Please leave a link in the comments below or tag me @darrenrhill or #thecreativeminimalist on any social platform.

    Original Milky Way image by Free-Photos 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

  • Clouds — 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.

    In an unscripted moment of serendipity, I opened my window and the sun wasn’t alone in a glorious blue sky. This could mean a change in plans. There are a couple of things on my to-do list that requires a clear sky, well, I require a clear sky. The serendipity is that these prompts were chosen several weeks ago. Some prompts are linked to calendar events, while the majority are random. Today’s prompt was supposed to be one of those random ones. Coincidence? Of course, or perhaps… Therefore, this week’s creative prompt is:

    Clouds — a visible mass of condensed watery vapour floating in the atmosphere, typically high above the general level of the ground

    clouds don’t need to be water or even literal, but for our creative process we start with this reality

    Let the prompt ‘clouds’ 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 as we explore the word clouds. No rules. No word counts. Simply write and explore.

    I felt the gentle breeze on my face as I looked toward the horizon. In the distance, for the first time in forever, I saw clouds. - fiction writing prompt

    I felt the gentle breeze on my face as I looked toward the horizon. In the distance, for the first time in forever, I saw clouds.

    Writing Prompt Expanded

    As space agencies explore our solar system and beyond, one thing they constantly look for is water. Water is essential to life as we know it and can also be used to create fuel and oxygen. Water is plentiful on our planet, even if we don’t distribute it around. The clouds in the sky are one way we know that water in the form of rain may be on its way. Rain can come at the right or wrong time. This is why clouds are used as a metaphor. The sun isn’t there, it’s cloudy, something is wrong.

    This prompt is all about seeing the clouds and describing what they represent for your character.

    • Are the clouds real or metaphorical? At what point in your narrative do you reveal this?
    • Are the clouds welcome or feared?
    • Are you on earth or a distant planet or moon?
    • Being careful not to mix metaphors, describe your character’s feelings in terms of clouds, rain, and storms.

    The setting and everything else is open to your imagination. Remember this is fiction. Draw on memories and feelings, but don’t get lost in your own past. Writing can be very therapeutic in exploring our past. Being able to step aside and view past events dispassionately and write about them is helpful. However, if past storms in your life have not been confronted, please find someone to talk with and seek true healing. All storms pass eventually.

    Journal prompt

    Journaling allows us to hold conversations on paper. From private diaries to creative art journals we pour out our deepest thoughts. Clouds, their various meanings and associated metaphors are often part of my creative, and in particular, journaling process. I quite often relate difficult times with cloudy skies… which I find interesting because I love looking at a cloudy sky and exploring the shapes and textures.

    Questions to answer, thoughts to explore or images to create in your journal:

    • Do you have any metaphorical clouds in your life you need to explore?
    • What shape do you most associate with clouds?
    • Explore the texture of clouds by using various media

    As with the writing prompt above, journaling will help to deal with cloudy days but do seek further guidance and help if you are finding it difficult to see sunny days.

    Theory of General Creativity

    I now have ‘clouds’ written on the board above my computer. I am looking forward to seeing how it will inspire me on my creative journey this week. The way clouds can mean so much, from fluffy pillow textures to thunderheads threatening destruction, offers a variety of creative options. And the fact that they do eventually drift away means I might get to complete the items on my to-do list.

    Let ‘clouds’ 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.

  • Remember to turn up – Vlog

    A vlog update where I use remembering to turn up to create as an excuse to take a walk to the beach.

  • Dreams — Weekly Creative Prompt

    Welcome to the new complete weekly creative prompt. We begin with a single word, a creative prompt, 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.

    I am not the deepest of sleepers. I find it easy to drift off, but I will often be awake again in a short while. Quite often, when I awake fully in the morning, I will be left wondering what memories were real and what ones were dreams. Unfortunately, both drift away quickly, especially when chased away by the morning coffee. Therefore, this week’s creative prompt is:

    Dreams — a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person’s mind during sleep

    there are other meanings, but I like the way the dictionary uses sensations, dreams are so often a fully immersive experience

    Let the prompt ‘dreams’ 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.

    This was not a coincidence. This is precisely what I remembered from my sleep. My dream was coming true.

    Writing Prompt Expanded

    Some of us suffer from motion sickness. It is a very unpleasant feeling and quite debilitating for some. As far as I understand, it is quite often caused by our senses getting confused. They send mixed messages to our brain suggesting, or not suggesting, movement.

    This prompt is all about describing two events. There is the dream element and there is the current reality. Finally, you can explore how to explain how this is all occurring.

    • What is happening?
    • Do the feelings from your dream match the reality before you?
    • How do you explain this apparent premonition?

    This writing prompt allows you to explore any situation. The wonderful thing about dreams is that they can be about anything. Although perhaps the less wonderful aspect of dreams is that they have a darker side. I am sure many of us can remember at least having one nightmare. But this is fiction, remember that all fiction has an end, just like a nightmare.

    Journal prompt

    Journaling allows us to hold conversations on paper. From private diaries to creative art journals we pour out our deepest thoughts. I know there are many who keep a dream journal; a place to record their dreams. As mentioned, I struggle to remember mine, so perhaps keeping a journal or at least a piece of paper by the bed will help. However, why would we want to record our dreams? We know that dreams often contain memories from the past, but are they more than just a rehash of events?

    Questions to answer, thoughts to explore or images to create in your journal:

    • Does your dream relate to something that has happened recently?
    • Do you think your dreams offer guidance?
    • Are your dreams generally pleasant or unpleasant?
    • Do you dream more when anxious about something?

    Theory of General Creativity

    I now have ‘dreams’ written on the board above my computer. I am confident it will inspire me on my creative journey this week. Furthermore, I can recall having quite lucid creative moments when I dream. I have come up with many creative ideas while sleeping. Unfortunately, many were lost as I didn’t capture them. There is something magical about dreams, and I hope that their creative inspiration will find you.

    Let ‘dreams’ inspire your music, photography, and painting this week, and also as you drift off to sleep…

    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.

    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

  • Tangible — Weekly Creative Prompt

    tangible 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.

    This past year has been anything but normal, although whether there ever is a ‘normal’ is open to debate. Let’s just say things have been different to what they were before. Many of the things we took for granted have been removed. Freedoms we were used to, have been curtailed, and we have not even been able to touch many of the things that were at our fingertips before. Therefore, this week’s creative prompt is:

    Tangible — a thing that is perceptible by touch

    This is just one definition. However, my word for the year was tangible because I was looking forward to things becoming perceptible by touch. I wanted to be reminded of that.

    Let the prompt ‘tangible’ 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.

    The atmosphere of depression and decay was almost tangible. fiction writing prompt

    The atmosphere of depression and decay was almost tangible.

    Writing Prompt Expanded.

    Being able to describe a place or situation is a key writing skill. We stretch our writing abilities when we describe something abstract. Mixing our language and using it in unusual ways adds to our composition. Describing something using a different sense to what we would normally use can be a challenge but is worth it.

    This prompt is all about describing something abstract and which can’t be literally touched in such a way as it feels and is perceived as something that can be touched.

    • How do you describe depression as a physical environment?
    • How do you link decay and depression?
    • Tangible hints at touch, how do your other senses react?

    The setting for the scene is completely up to you. As is the perspective; first or third person… or can you use another perspective? The challenge is to have fun describing. Mix as many senses as possible and enjoy your writing. The prompt may be about a dour atmosphere, but you don’t have to feel that way as you write.

    Journal prompt

    Journaling allows us to hold conversations on paper. From private diaries to creative art journals we pour out our deepest thoughts. As mentioned above my word for 2021 is tangible and I explored this in my journal toward the end of 2020. As I near the mid-point of the year, I’ll pour out some more thoughts in the journal, both positive and negative. What does tangible mean for you as we near June?

    Questions to answer, thoughts to explore or images to create in your journal:

    • What would you like to be more tangible in your life?
    • What can you do to make this more tangible?
    • How will you cope with things beyond your control?

    Theory of General Creativity

    I now have ‘tangible’ written on the board above my computer. I am confident it will inspire me on my creative journey this week. It has felt like a lot of the past year has been anything but ‘perceptible by touch’. It feels like my creative adventure has been at the most percolating. It’s time to explore this prompt and also bring it into reality.

    Let ‘tangible’ 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.

    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