darren r hill

the creative minimalist

In a productive moment, I finished a creative project. In a surreal moment, I decided to interview myself about the challenges, practicalities and what exactly that creative project was. In a recorded moment, I present this week’s vlog about completing a creative project.
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There are times when being creative, writing, painting, making music or any creative activity just isn’t working out. At those times it may be that we need a break, or as I like to call it, meandering with purpose. This week’s vlog explores when and why a little meander might be just what we need
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This past week has been hard going. This creative life of mine was all over the place and a bit of a mess. So, in this week’s vlog, it is time to take a look at mountains as a creative metaphor. The next mountain may be higher, but the view will be amazing.
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How have we done with our creative goals, habits and routines as the first quarter of the year passes? I confess to what I have achieved and not achieved in Q1 as I review and prepare for Q2. Creative successes and habit failures are in this week’s vlog
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Everywhere we look there are adverts and influencers offering stuff to make our lives perfect. I have also been seeing a lot of talk about minimising what we have and what we use in our creative lives. This week’s vlog explores this very issue.
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I have discovered that the biggest barrier to creativity is myself. It might well be the same for you as well. In this week’s vlog I look at three ways to overcome the barriers we create for ourselves.
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Creative Field Notes at Beltane

Fires have been lit for Beltane, a celebration to mark the beginning of summer. It feels like this past winter has been long. It wasn’t particularly cold but it did feel deep and dark. I usually like the winter. I like all the seasons, each has its own unique aspects and metaphors. This last winter carried a shadow. The summer can dispel that darkness.

Creative field notes

I’m working on a new collection of songs to release later this year. My deadline to finish all the recording and mixing is the end of June.

This website is looking and feeling a little tired. So along with a wider branding project, there will be an update for “The Creative Minimalist dot com“.

Related to that will be regular vlog updates and other media-related videos here and on my other social profiles. These will share my progress, offer tips and advice, and entertain you along the way.

I have begun a range of creative and self-improvement habits that I’ll be talking about. These include music, writing and learning activities for each day.

Accountability

These creative field notes are a habit that needs to be kept up. It is time to shine a light on them as summer arrives. It finally feels like a creative fire has been lit and the coldness in my bones is being thawed.

Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
namaste
d
xox

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3 May 2023
Creativity and perfectionism

I take a look at how perfectionism so easily hinders creativity. I also share what I have been creating recently with my adventures through FAWM. Click above or below to watch...

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 February 2023
The importance of a January review

It’s the end of January so time for a review of how things are going, or not going. How are you doing with your intentions and resolutions? I remind myself how important reviews are in the creative process. (Click above or watch below).

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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31 January 2023
How to take the first creative step in 2023

A few thoughts on entering 2023 (main or lunar calendar) and taking the first creative step. Events of recent years have left creative people in a weird place, so a simple thought on how to get going in the new year. Here’s the latest vlog. View below or click the link to YouTube.

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 January 2023
My journal set up for 2023

This week’s vlog is all about the journals I am using at the beginning of 2023. This year I am using a mix of paper and digital planners and journals. I’ll revisit this later to see how I am doing, what has worked and what has changed. Click above to watch on YouTube or below to view here.

Here are links to the software mentioned in the video:
Things 3 (digital to-do list)
Day One (digital journal)
Scrivener (fiction writing software)

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 January 2023
New Year Creative Field Notes

Four days into the New Year here is my Creative Field Notes report. Back to work and back into the swing of things. I didn’t set any specific resolutions apart from being creative. And therefore, so far, I have broken any.

Music

I’m still working on the lyrics of fragments. There are only a few lines left and then the first draft will be ready. Like all poetry and art from the heart, it takes a lot of creative energy and can be quite draining. Well, that’s my excuse for it taking a while.

Creative Writing

Am I writing? Well, I did open up Scrivener, my fiction software of choice, and wrote about 500 words of fiction. I had an idea for an opening line and I went from there. It was good to do some creative writing even if just a few words. The challenge is to find inspiration and motivation to keep going.

pLAnarchy and planning

I seem to have set up a Bullet Journal to replace my diaries from last year. I’m still using Things 3 but the BuJo is my paper planner.

The pLAnarchy shop is a low priority until I sort my own planning out. Once I know how I am planning and what I need to plan, then I can share and create tools for that.

waoao

I have a few freelance bits either in progress or in the pipeline, but not much… if anyone would like some words or other creative media sorted, then drop me a line.

That’s the current state of play and report from the creative field.

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

4 January 2023