Work and play, hiding and seeking, dark and light are they opposites?
Work can be turned into play, or play into work, by the approach taken; so many otherwise onerous tasks can be fun if turned into a game.
Hiding an object requires that one must first have sought the object to hide, so that in turn, others may seek and hopefully find; one of my children’s favourite games used to be 'Hunt the Frog', but before they could hunt the little, plastic frogs, my husband had to find innovative places to hide them, and that was only after he located where he had put them away to previously!
As for dark and light: my book “Plimgar to Luminar: Samuel’s Quest” is chiefly about light and dark, and sometimes it seems that they must be opposites. However, in terms of words the answer may be ‘yes’, but in terms of reality, the answer is ‘no’. Light is a ‘something’ dark is a ‘nothing’. Dark is only an absence of light, in other words: darkness only exists where light is absent, or of low intensity, the converse is certainly not true...more darkness cannot “drown out” light since dark has no substance or density.
I remember as a small child being told by my parents that love and hate are not opposites but siblings, passion and indifference being the true opposites. I’m not sure I agree that love and hate are so closely aligned, but I definitely agree that the opposite of passion is indifference. Much of life’s richness is contributed by passion and passion is closely aligned to creativity.
It is a truism that in finding the things we are good at and enjoy, and working at those areas of “passion”, we are most likely to succeed. Being creative and passionate about the task at hand not only renders the task more enjoyable, but also feeds the energy required for the task and ultimately the result.
Self-Centred Creativity
So is all creativity good? Are all things that strike a chord positive? In my view those works that illuminate and reveal truth certainly are. But in some cases creativity is distorted and aimed at manipulation, control and deceit. No matter how strong the connection with such works, the result of their distorted purpose is a shrinking of the human soul rather than growth. We can only hope that the connections we choose will feed our spirits and starve our self-centred impulses.
The self-centred creative, tends towards madness, as obsession arises from over-preoccupation with one’s own thoughts and feelings (even those that may relate to another and give an impression of being other-centred may in fact be self-centred as they focus on how one feels or thinks about that other rather than how that other truly is). Van Gogh’s famous self-surgery was not so much about love, as about himself, what he wanted and how he felt. This is a great danger for creative people, as many are quite introspective and must determine to focus outwardly in order to maintain balance.
When creativity really shines, is the moment that self is left behind and truth takes centre stage. An actor is especially aware of how important it is to put self aside in order to portray another character, but even here, unless the revelation of truth is paramount, the result is loss rather than gain.
Much that is creative, calls out a sympathetic response in us, we can understand how the evil book character became what they are, feel sorry for them, make excuses for them even. The truth is that if they can be excused in our minds, our minor selfishnesses may also be excused: ‘we couldn’t help it’. This makes us weaker and less in control. A book that reveals truth however will allow sympathy for the sufferings of the characters, but acknowledge that each makes deliberate choices in whatever path they take, no excuses.
This truth gives us strength: we also have power to choose, no matter what sufferings come our way. Strength, power and growth, gifts of creativity where the central character is truth.
The self-centred creative, tends towards madness, as obsession arises from over-preoccupation with one’s own thoughts and feelings (even those that may relate to another and give an impression of being other-centred may in fact be self-centred as they focus on how one feels or thinks about that other rather than how that other truly is). Van Gogh’s famous self-surgery was not so much about love, as about himself, what he wanted and how he felt. This is a great danger for creative people, as many are quite introspective and must determine to focus outwardly in order to maintain balance.
When creativity really shines, is the moment that self is left behind and truth takes centre stage. An actor is especially aware of how important it is to put self aside in order to portray another character, but even here, unless the revelation of truth is paramount, the result is loss rather than gain.
Much that is creative, calls out a sympathetic response in us, we can understand how the evil book character became what they are, feel sorry for them, make excuses for them even. The truth is that if they can be excused in our minds, our minor selfishnesses may also be excused: ‘we couldn’t help it’. This makes us weaker and less in control. A book that reveals truth however will allow sympathy for the sufferings of the characters, but acknowledge that each makes deliberate choices in whatever path they take, no excuses.
This truth gives us strength: we also have power to choose, no matter what sufferings come our way. Strength, power and growth, gifts of creativity where the central character is truth.
Why write?
Having struggled at times to encourage my kids to keep a diary or write about what they have learned, this is a question I have had put to me with passion and sometimes tears. My answer has been different at different times, but the reasons include:
writing is a form of communication where you cannot be interrupted;
writing allows time for idea formulation and correction;
writing gives you the opportunity to hear what you are thinking;
writing permits you to rerun situations that went badly and provide a different ending/answer;
writing can connect you with others in a deeper way than conversation.
It seems a little paradoxical that something which allows you to step back from the immediacy of verbal communication, can also bring you closer. Perhaps the fact that on the whole conversation can be somewhat haphazard and tangential, while writing allows more lineal, complete and structured communication is instrumental in permitting this depth.
One of the many things I have learned from my husband is the importance of letting someone you are conversing with finish their ideas. So many people feel quite justifiably unheard because the ebb and flow of conversation overwhelmed the contribution they might otherwise have made. Writing allows us to communicate an idea in entirety, with less chance of misinterpretation and without losing the train of thought. Reading another’s written communication gives us time to absorb the ideas they are expressing and think them over without any pressure to give an immediate response.
writing is a form of communication where you cannot be interrupted;
writing allows time for idea formulation and correction;
writing gives you the opportunity to hear what you are thinking;
writing permits you to rerun situations that went badly and provide a different ending/answer;
writing can connect you with others in a deeper way than conversation.
It seems a little paradoxical that something which allows you to step back from the immediacy of verbal communication, can also bring you closer. Perhaps the fact that on the whole conversation can be somewhat haphazard and tangential, while writing allows more lineal, complete and structured communication is instrumental in permitting this depth.
One of the many things I have learned from my husband is the importance of letting someone you are conversing with finish their ideas. So many people feel quite justifiably unheard because the ebb and flow of conversation overwhelmed the contribution they might otherwise have made. Writing allows us to communicate an idea in entirety, with less chance of misinterpretation and without losing the train of thought. Reading another’s written communication gives us time to absorb the ideas they are expressing and think them over without any pressure to give an immediate response.
How Long is a Piece of String?
Having just spent the last 6 months planning to build a house, we had a crisis of confidence as the builder we had been talking to for the past 2 months informed us that our house was not doable within the budget (a budget we had outlined at the beginning of our conversations). Suddenly the dream of our own new home faded and we began to think of buying an existing home instead. Having spent the best part of 2 years crammed into my Mum’s home, all our stuff in boxes, we are all feeling the effects of limited space, limited autonomy and conflicts of interest. Thankfully we all get along well and most of the time these things are not overwhelming, but the prospect of many more months in our current environment is less than thrilling!
A day of looking at existing homes re-enforced the depressing truth that houses within our budget would not meet our needs in terms of space, warmth, or cleanliness. So it was back to the drawing board, the challenge: to see how we could fit our requirements into 2/3 of the original size, and 100% of our budget.
The string is shorter, the room sizes smaller, no garage and no study, but we may just manage it. There will be no oversizing, no extra height stud and no upmarket accessories, but with a smaller size we won’t need so much heating, and it will be quicker to clean. Definite plusses for domestically challenged heat-lovers such as myself.
Thinking through what I have learned in all of this, I suppose the main thing is that life is full of situations where we must cut away the superfluous nice-to-haves in favour of the essential must-haves. Sometimes the items we eventually cut out are the very things we considered to be essential at the start. It is not until we count the cost of these things that we discover the truly essential.
I will give up the hydronic heating, solar panels and garage, but space to live, study and work is my absolute bottom line. I want a bedroom that does not have to be shared with a child. I want a place for my books and other home educating resources. I want a place for our pictures and furniture. It doesn’t have to be big, or trendy, but a well-insulated, comfortable home is my must-have.
What does any of this have to do with creativity or writing? Only that sometimes the idea we begin with fades into insignificance as the work unfolds and the true core is revealed. Inspiration is difficult to pin down, but finds its own voice in the creative process, eventually drowning out the other voices that seemed to be important. That is when resonance is achieved and the subconscious speaks. I have found the iterative process of cutting back and giving up some of the first thoughts, can be the best thing for a story that has lost its way.
A day of looking at existing homes re-enforced the depressing truth that houses within our budget would not meet our needs in terms of space, warmth, or cleanliness. So it was back to the drawing board, the challenge: to see how we could fit our requirements into 2/3 of the original size, and 100% of our budget.
The string is shorter, the room sizes smaller, no garage and no study, but we may just manage it. There will be no oversizing, no extra height stud and no upmarket accessories, but with a smaller size we won’t need so much heating, and it will be quicker to clean. Definite plusses for domestically challenged heat-lovers such as myself.
Thinking through what I have learned in all of this, I suppose the main thing is that life is full of situations where we must cut away the superfluous nice-to-haves in favour of the essential must-haves. Sometimes the items we eventually cut out are the very things we considered to be essential at the start. It is not until we count the cost of these things that we discover the truly essential.
I will give up the hydronic heating, solar panels and garage, but space to live, study and work is my absolute bottom line. I want a bedroom that does not have to be shared with a child. I want a place for my books and other home educating resources. I want a place for our pictures and furniture. It doesn’t have to be big, or trendy, but a well-insulated, comfortable home is my must-have.
What does any of this have to do with creativity or writing? Only that sometimes the idea we begin with fades into insignificance as the work unfolds and the true core is revealed. Inspiration is difficult to pin down, but finds its own voice in the creative process, eventually drowning out the other voices that seemed to be important. That is when resonance is achieved and the subconscious speaks. I have found the iterative process of cutting back and giving up some of the first thoughts, can be the best thing for a story that has lost its way.
Spit & Polish
How do you get an idea polished and refined? How do you get anything
polished and refined? Effort and repeated abrasion is the typical
method.
The effort part is easily understood whatever the metaphorical application. However, apart from the work and discipline applied to our creativity, our output requires abrasion in order to become polished.
That is where critics are so important. Most people lack confidence in their own abilities when they begin producing creative work. So much of the creative is an expression of who we are at the core, that it can be scary, intimidating or overwhelming to invite others to critique it. But our creativity is always changing and hopefully improving. The input of genuine critics is invaluable sandpaper in the polishing of artistic endeavour. The process of creative development can be advanced enormously with the right critical input. As a writer I know that I prefer genuine specific negative criticism to nebulous, vaccuous praise. The former provides friction. Friction forces the inertia of comfort to be overcome by the impetus of discomfort.
My Dad always said the only way to get shoes really shiny was "spit and polish" the method he learned in the Indian Army. I want to treat negative input as the spit and polish to my creative efforts, to gain all the impetus I can to grow and develop as a writer.
The effort part is easily understood whatever the metaphorical application. However, apart from the work and discipline applied to our creativity, our output requires abrasion in order to become polished.
That is where critics are so important. Most people lack confidence in their own abilities when they begin producing creative work. So much of the creative is an expression of who we are at the core, that it can be scary, intimidating or overwhelming to invite others to critique it. But our creativity is always changing and hopefully improving. The input of genuine critics is invaluable sandpaper in the polishing of artistic endeavour. The process of creative development can be advanced enormously with the right critical input. As a writer I know that I prefer genuine specific negative criticism to nebulous, vaccuous praise. The former provides friction. Friction forces the inertia of comfort to be overcome by the impetus of discomfort.
My Dad always said the only way to get shoes really shiny was "spit and polish" the method he learned in the Indian Army. I want to treat negative input as the spit and polish to my creative efforts, to gain all the impetus I can to grow and develop as a writer.
Dealing with the Unknown
Facing the unknown can be a very uncomfortable feeling. Anxiety, fear, doubt and even despair may accompany the questions in our hearts. However, that is not always the case. I know a lot of people who don’t like surprises, but many who do. So what is the difference between the unknown and a surprise? Mostly time and our expectation. As a child I was filled with anticipation before Christmas and birthdays because although I may not know exactly what, experience had taught me that I could expect good things then. Sadly some children learn to dread such events because experience has taught them that a parent will be drunk/grumpy/violent, or absent.
In the unknown lurk all the possibilities of our imagination. For many the imaginings are dreadful and terrible. Sadly, the things we imagine often become self-fulfilling prophecies. As Job said “What I always feared has happened to me. What I dreaded has come true.”
Some see the unknown full of hope and optimism. Their expectation is that good things are just out of sight.
Most of us have experienced a mixture of good and bad surprises, but for some reason some of us expect surprises to be good things and others see all the pitfalls that go with not being prepared. I am the “surprise me” kind, my husband is the “tell me what to expect” kind. I think that’s why I am less phased by the unknown. I generally imagine that it will all work out for the best. One of my favourite movie lines is: “It’ll be all right in the end and if it’s not all right, it’s not the end yet.” from “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”. I have one relative who lives by the opposite premise, that any good things are entirely temporary aberrations that will soon be swallowed by misfortunes. I suppose we are both right in a way. Life is full of pleasant and unpleasant experiences, following one another by turns. Where we differ is the focus we have. This is a matter of choice and practice. As Viktor Frankl so eloquently put it: “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” and “Everything can be taken from a man or a woman but one thing: the last of human freedoms to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” Even though our choices may be somewhat automatic, we can change our patterns by learning to think differently and respond differently.
I firmly believe that both I and my relative have options whatever life throws at us. This is one of the things I attempt to portray in my characters. I also believe that with practice, my husband will start to like surprises, and maybe one day I’ll see the benefits of being prepared (or not...after all it is a choice!).
In the unknown lurk all the possibilities of our imagination. For many the imaginings are dreadful and terrible. Sadly, the things we imagine often become self-fulfilling prophecies. As Job said “What I always feared has happened to me. What I dreaded has come true.”
Some see the unknown full of hope and optimism. Their expectation is that good things are just out of sight.
Most of us have experienced a mixture of good and bad surprises, but for some reason some of us expect surprises to be good things and others see all the pitfalls that go with not being prepared. I am the “surprise me” kind, my husband is the “tell me what to expect” kind. I think that’s why I am less phased by the unknown. I generally imagine that it will all work out for the best. One of my favourite movie lines is: “It’ll be all right in the end and if it’s not all right, it’s not the end yet.” from “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”. I have one relative who lives by the opposite premise, that any good things are entirely temporary aberrations that will soon be swallowed by misfortunes. I suppose we are both right in a way. Life is full of pleasant and unpleasant experiences, following one another by turns. Where we differ is the focus we have. This is a matter of choice and practice. As Viktor Frankl so eloquently put it: “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” and “Everything can be taken from a man or a woman but one thing: the last of human freedoms to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” Even though our choices may be somewhat automatic, we can change our patterns by learning to think differently and respond differently.
I firmly believe that both I and my relative have options whatever life throws at us. This is one of the things I attempt to portray in my characters. I also believe that with practice, my husband will start to like surprises, and maybe one day I’ll see the benefits of being prepared (or not...after all it is a choice!).
Talent and Skill
Although all of us are creative, we are not all equally talented or skilled. Some technically excellent writers/artists/dancers/musicians are not gifted. Some talented actors/sculptors/gardeners/architects lack the honed skill to really shine. We cannot change the particular giftings or natural talents we are born with, but we can improve our skill and technical ability through application and effort.
Because some natural creative talents are not stretched and developed they are often surpassed by the learned skill of the hard-working technician. So there is hope for us all in our creativity, we can all improve on the base we have and even without natural talent, we can become good in our chosen field, with sufficient effort.
Obviously to keep working hard at developing skill, we must be motivated, either externally or internally. Externally we have critics and co-creatives urging us to do better and internally we have our own desire to improve on what we have done before. None of us remains the same for long, we are continually changing, either advancing through the disciplines we apply, or allowing our abilities to decay through lack of use.
Every week I take (or attempt to take) Dad for a walk round the lake in our city. He is 85 and physically very fit, but mentally decaying fast. One of the things I have noticed is that if he gets exercise, his brain seems to benefit (perhaps due to increased blood-flow, fresh air, meeting other people, or a combination of all 3). However, if left to himself, he would not choose the beneficial discipline of exercise despite having been a marathon runner in the past. It is starting to get to the point where his inertia exceeds my impetus and I see that one day, I too may be unwilling to discipline myself to do better in any number of ways. Knowing that, spurs me on to use whatever span of disciplined existence I may have to develop my skills and improve before decay sets in!
One of the biggest difficulties many of us face is carving out a slot of time to devote to concerns which may bring no obvious benefit to our families or our budget. Somehow the activities and needs of the family, the demands of income earning and commitments to the wider community have a way of sidelining our creative pursuits, relegating them to the bottom of the list. Describing our creativity as work is perhaps a first step in lifting it above the bottom of the ‘to do’ list. Getting the people around us to see it as work may take some time, but in the long run if we see it as work, they will too, eventually.
Because some natural creative talents are not stretched and developed they are often surpassed by the learned skill of the hard-working technician. So there is hope for us all in our creativity, we can all improve on the base we have and even without natural talent, we can become good in our chosen field, with sufficient effort.
Obviously to keep working hard at developing skill, we must be motivated, either externally or internally. Externally we have critics and co-creatives urging us to do better and internally we have our own desire to improve on what we have done before. None of us remains the same for long, we are continually changing, either advancing through the disciplines we apply, or allowing our abilities to decay through lack of use.
Every week I take (or attempt to take) Dad for a walk round the lake in our city. He is 85 and physically very fit, but mentally decaying fast. One of the things I have noticed is that if he gets exercise, his brain seems to benefit (perhaps due to increased blood-flow, fresh air, meeting other people, or a combination of all 3). However, if left to himself, he would not choose the beneficial discipline of exercise despite having been a marathon runner in the past. It is starting to get to the point where his inertia exceeds my impetus and I see that one day, I too may be unwilling to discipline myself to do better in any number of ways. Knowing that, spurs me on to use whatever span of disciplined existence I may have to develop my skills and improve before decay sets in!
One of the biggest difficulties many of us face is carving out a slot of time to devote to concerns which may bring no obvious benefit to our families or our budget. Somehow the activities and needs of the family, the demands of income earning and commitments to the wider community have a way of sidelining our creative pursuits, relegating them to the bottom of the list. Describing our creativity as work is perhaps a first step in lifting it above the bottom of the ‘to do’ list. Getting the people around us to see it as work may take some time, but in the long run if we see it as work, they will too, eventually.
Foreign or Familiar Creativity
What is the fuss about? Why do so many people consider creativity a foreign concept or something other people have, but not themselves? Or something vaguely alternative that might be just a bit dodgy.
I think this comes from the (erroneous) view that creative people are flamboyant, out-there types who live by a different set of norms from everyone else. Of course, many well-known creative people are flamboyant and out-there, but being well-known is perhaps a function of the flamboyancy as much as the creativity.
An average person regardless of their personality type has huge creative capacity, but for most of us the creative side was discouraged because: “It won’t get you a good job/income/life.” Actually having a better job/income/life has a lot to do with being creative. When I was growing up there was a lot of talk about the importance of “lateral thinking”. These days schools emphasize De Bono’s “thinking hats”. What these approaches have in common, is the idea that if we come at things from different angles, we will see more, learn more, understand better.
Creativity is the epitome of approaching things from another angle, letting go of what we’ve done before and exploring new territory. Not that we have to throw the baby out with the bathwater, creativity springs out of what we are and what we have experienced, but in fresh ways and with new eyes.
Creativity is innate and we filter it out at our own peril, turning life from rainbow excitement into dull greys and browns. Perhaps that is part of why so many people suffer from depression. Expressing our creativity fills us with joy. Denying or ignoring it flattens and dulls us.
I think this comes from the (erroneous) view that creative people are flamboyant, out-there types who live by a different set of norms from everyone else. Of course, many well-known creative people are flamboyant and out-there, but being well-known is perhaps a function of the flamboyancy as much as the creativity.
An average person regardless of their personality type has huge creative capacity, but for most of us the creative side was discouraged because: “It won’t get you a good job/income/life.” Actually having a better job/income/life has a lot to do with being creative. When I was growing up there was a lot of talk about the importance of “lateral thinking”. These days schools emphasize De Bono’s “thinking hats”. What these approaches have in common, is the idea that if we come at things from different angles, we will see more, learn more, understand better.
Creativity is the epitome of approaching things from another angle, letting go of what we’ve done before and exploring new territory. Not that we have to throw the baby out with the bathwater, creativity springs out of what we are and what we have experienced, but in fresh ways and with new eyes.
Creativity is innate and we filter it out at our own peril, turning life from rainbow excitement into dull greys and browns. Perhaps that is part of why so many people suffer from depression. Expressing our creativity fills us with joy. Denying or ignoring it flattens and dulls us.
Creative Purpose
All our lives are measured in defining moments. The creative process is a way of pulling such moments out of the daily melee in which they can be so easily lost, and highlighting them, polishing them, bringing out their facets, reviewing their impact. In this way creativity becomes a cathartic process. We can see the point of view of those we do not naturally identify with, as their motivations and assumptions are laid bare. We can understand our own prejudices and inconsistencies when they are portrayed by a character in a book. As we live the lives in the pages, their joys, sorrows, trials, failures and triumphs help us to deal with our own. That is why works of art, books, music, sculpture can evoke such strong emotions in us. They speak to our core, to the "human condition", touching beyond reason to the heart. This heart connection with art (and with creation) is a beautiful gift. Writers, artists, creative people of all kinds, have potential to touch hearts and lives with truth. That is the purpose of all creativity.
Pruning and Paring
Having spent a large part of the weekend denuding the citrus trees of fruit, I have been thinking about the similarities between maintaining fruit trees and improving creative outputs.
The trees have been in Mum's garden for almost 40 years now. Dad always used to spray them for bugs and diseases (until 8 years ago when he was committed), since then they have been fully organic with citrus fertiliser placed around the dripline each year by Mum. The lime and mandarin both have a bad case of sooty mold, the lemon and lemonade trees seem to have escaped that, and have a good quantity of steelblue ladybirds which I assume are munching all the nasty citrus pests.
I started by merely evening up the look of the trees and removing ripe fruit, but by the end I was cutting everything back hard in an effort to remove all the sooty mold affected leaves and branches.
It all reminds me of the "Report of an Investigation" (something like a mini-thesis) I was required to complete during my fourth year at university. At the time I was a bonded cadet with NZTP (the then NZ Tourist and Publicity Dept), and I was majoring in Marketing and Japanese, so the topic I chose was: "Potential for New Segments in the Japanese Tourism Market".
The idea was to produce a useful report of around 30-40,000 words. My first draft was about 150,000. I was extremely fortunate to have a Professor whose former field was English and she gave me some very sound advice as we pruned my work back to something close to the limit.
"Always use a simple word if you have the choice between an obscure, lofty sounding term and a simple one. Always simplify your sentences as much as possible. Usually several short ones are preferable to one long, hard to understand one. Write to communicate, not to impress. The only reason to reiterate someting in a different way is if it is critically important and there's a chance the reader will miss it otherwise. If you want your report to be used, structure it well, summarise where necessary and help the reader to find what they need easily."
Although my writing is now mostly of the creative rather than business reporting kind, I recognise that writing large and then paring back works best for me. I also know that elegant and lofty words may intrigue me, but can sometimes detract from communicating my message. A good table of contents and details kept in appendices can make the whole lot more user-friendly.
So, coming back to the trees, they are mature, have been fed and watered, have been pruned, and next year they will again no doubt produce a bumper crop of juicy, nutritious fruit.
So now I will remember to let my creative ideas mature, stew over them a while before committing them to paper. I will let my mind be washed and fed by GOOD books. I will recraft the words that spill out onto paper, removing the dead-wood. And next year, I may have a book that I and others find refreshing and nutritious to the soul.
The trees have been in Mum's garden for almost 40 years now. Dad always used to spray them for bugs and diseases (until 8 years ago when he was committed), since then they have been fully organic with citrus fertiliser placed around the dripline each year by Mum. The lime and mandarin both have a bad case of sooty mold, the lemon and lemonade trees seem to have escaped that, and have a good quantity of steelblue ladybirds which I assume are munching all the nasty citrus pests.
I started by merely evening up the look of the trees and removing ripe fruit, but by the end I was cutting everything back hard in an effort to remove all the sooty mold affected leaves and branches.
It all reminds me of the "Report of an Investigation" (something like a mini-thesis) I was required to complete during my fourth year at university. At the time I was a bonded cadet with NZTP (the then NZ Tourist and Publicity Dept), and I was majoring in Marketing and Japanese, so the topic I chose was: "Potential for New Segments in the Japanese Tourism Market".
The idea was to produce a useful report of around 30-40,000 words. My first draft was about 150,000. I was extremely fortunate to have a Professor whose former field was English and she gave me some very sound advice as we pruned my work back to something close to the limit.
"Always use a simple word if you have the choice between an obscure, lofty sounding term and a simple one. Always simplify your sentences as much as possible. Usually several short ones are preferable to one long, hard to understand one. Write to communicate, not to impress. The only reason to reiterate someting in a different way is if it is critically important and there's a chance the reader will miss it otherwise. If you want your report to be used, structure it well, summarise where necessary and help the reader to find what they need easily."
Although my writing is now mostly of the creative rather than business reporting kind, I recognise that writing large and then paring back works best for me. I also know that elegant and lofty words may intrigue me, but can sometimes detract from communicating my message. A good table of contents and details kept in appendices can make the whole lot more user-friendly.
So, coming back to the trees, they are mature, have been fed and watered, have been pruned, and next year they will again no doubt produce a bumper crop of juicy, nutritious fruit.
So now I will remember to let my creative ideas mature, stew over them a while before committing them to paper. I will let my mind be washed and fed by GOOD books. I will recraft the words that spill out onto paper, removing the dead-wood. And next year, I may have a book that I and others find refreshing and nutritious to the soul.
Thoughts on Bullying
Today my husband went to school for half a morning with my son. That may not seem like a very unusual thing to many people, but we Home Educate. My sons have both been attending technology classes at a local school once a week for 2 terms this year. They have found it quite eye-opening.
The reason my husband went to observe today is that one child from another school that attends these classes has been intimidating most of the other kids.
I well remember during my own school days (from about the age of 11 on) being a butt of rude comments, exclusion and spitefulness from most of the "in-crowd". Some of us 'outsiders' hung out together and pretended it didn't matter, but to us it did. When on one occasion a new girl joined our class, I became one of those who verbally bullied her. In part perhaps it was the relief of no longer being bottom of the heap. A wise teacher pulled me aside and confronted me with what I was doing, and the new outcast soon became one of my friends.
One of the sad realities of life is that people trample on other people to elevate themselves, those that get trampled become participants in trampling others, if only it means they themselves will not be on the receiving end of more torture.
Bullies continue their bullying because there is greater payoff to bully than not. The bullied either avoid the bully, collude with the bully or oppose him or her. Avoidance is often impossible, the bully senses fear at 50 paces and always finds the bullied somehow, usually somewhere well out of sight of all legitimate authority. Colluding is easy and results in safety. Becoming one of the bullies gives some degree of reprieve (the code of silence descends and no one wants to be the first to break it and draw the bully's focused attention), it is a way out of the trap and gives the bullied person a taste of the drug that the bully enjoys. Opposition however is hard. It requires courage, determination and stamina. These characteristics are not natural to most of us and usually take years of discipline to instill. For any child to oppose bullying they need help, from teachers, or from parents. In an ideal world, all the bullied children would cooperate in opposing the bully, but as we all know we don't live in an ideal world and if you have been hurt or belittled, or seen others hurt or belittled with no recourse, taking the risk to oppose a predictable bully with unpredictable allies is not likely to be the choice of most.
As Edmund Burke may or may not have so aptly pointed out: "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing".
The reason my husband went to observe today is that one child from another school that attends these classes has been intimidating most of the other kids.
I well remember during my own school days (from about the age of 11 on) being a butt of rude comments, exclusion and spitefulness from most of the "in-crowd". Some of us 'outsiders' hung out together and pretended it didn't matter, but to us it did. When on one occasion a new girl joined our class, I became one of those who verbally bullied her. In part perhaps it was the relief of no longer being bottom of the heap. A wise teacher pulled me aside and confronted me with what I was doing, and the new outcast soon became one of my friends.
One of the sad realities of life is that people trample on other people to elevate themselves, those that get trampled become participants in trampling others, if only it means they themselves will not be on the receiving end of more torture.
Bullies continue their bullying because there is greater payoff to bully than not. The bullied either avoid the bully, collude with the bully or oppose him or her. Avoidance is often impossible, the bully senses fear at 50 paces and always finds the bullied somehow, usually somewhere well out of sight of all legitimate authority. Colluding is easy and results in safety. Becoming one of the bullies gives some degree of reprieve (the code of silence descends and no one wants to be the first to break it and draw the bully's focused attention), it is a way out of the trap and gives the bullied person a taste of the drug that the bully enjoys. Opposition however is hard. It requires courage, determination and stamina. These characteristics are not natural to most of us and usually take years of discipline to instill. For any child to oppose bullying they need help, from teachers, or from parents. In an ideal world, all the bullied children would cooperate in opposing the bully, but as we all know we don't live in an ideal world and if you have been hurt or belittled, or seen others hurt or belittled with no recourse, taking the risk to oppose a predictable bully with unpredictable allies is not likely to be the choice of most.
As Edmund Burke may or may not have so aptly pointed out: "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing".
Creative Success
What does it mean to be successful in your creativity? My father was an artist, still is to some extent. Now that he no longer functions well mentally, he must be pushed to draw or paint, but it's still there. He has the perspective, the composition, the artistry, even though he can only hold a 1 minute conversation at best and usually very repetitively. His artistic ability and the skills he developed have not gone. He has not been particularly successful in financial terms as he and my mum have always had the tendency to give paintings away. Every hospital Dad has stayed in in NZ has a painting of his; he gave away many of his expensive art books to the school he taught at; he gave time and energy to helping young bone carvers learn the techniques he perfected over the years, and his ex-pupils speak fondly of their time in his care. He was and is a generous man. Even now when I bring him fruit, he wants to share it with me. Dad shared everything he had without thinking of the cost. He gave away his beautiful violin to a violin teacher so that her pupils could use it. I have regret about that now that I have children of my own, but I know he would not feel a second's regret.
Dad had a few exhibitions during his active painting years, quite a few in the UK, very few in NZ. He wasn't ever very good at promoting himself, Mum did her best on that, but Dad was wary of "gimmicky" things. He could be quite disparaging of artists who employed what he perceived as gimmicks, populist appeal, or sensationalism. Dad gave up a "successful" job as head of art at Isleworth Polytechnic, to become head of art at Wanganui High School in 1973. He never regretted the move, loved going home for lunch rather than battling London traffic, enjoyed being hands-on with the kids and was such a popular teacher (especially with the rebellious kids), that during my time at High School, many kids were nice to me just for his sake!
Even with so many talents (acting, singing, playing guitar, painting, sculpting, bone-carving, teaching) he was faithful to use and develop them all. He loved God, though we argued often over his perception that somehow God had less information about situations that displeased him than he did.
Dad was, in my view, a very successful artist (he never compromised his art for profit), teacher, husband and father. Of course he was not a paragon of virtue he had a temper, was strong-willed and "always" right.
How does this relate to my writing or your artistic endeavours? Only this, to be a successful creative person does not necessarily mean making a lot of money, or even being widely popular, it is about being honest, being loving, making the best of what you have and being generous enough to pass on the good stuff, not just the leftovers.
Dad had a few exhibitions during his active painting years, quite a few in the UK, very few in NZ. He wasn't ever very good at promoting himself, Mum did her best on that, but Dad was wary of "gimmicky" things. He could be quite disparaging of artists who employed what he perceived as gimmicks, populist appeal, or sensationalism. Dad gave up a "successful" job as head of art at Isleworth Polytechnic, to become head of art at Wanganui High School in 1973. He never regretted the move, loved going home for lunch rather than battling London traffic, enjoyed being hands-on with the kids and was such a popular teacher (especially with the rebellious kids), that during my time at High School, many kids were nice to me just for his sake!
Even with so many talents (acting, singing, playing guitar, painting, sculpting, bone-carving, teaching) he was faithful to use and develop them all. He loved God, though we argued often over his perception that somehow God had less information about situations that displeased him than he did.
Dad was, in my view, a very successful artist (he never compromised his art for profit), teacher, husband and father. Of course he was not a paragon of virtue he had a temper, was strong-willed and "always" right.
How does this relate to my writing or your artistic endeavours? Only this, to be a successful creative person does not necessarily mean making a lot of money, or even being widely popular, it is about being honest, being loving, making the best of what you have and being generous enough to pass on the good stuff, not just the leftovers.
Creative Tensions
One of the tensions with writing is the need to be solitary and focused whilst still connecting and interacting with the outside world. Creativity demands a capacity to observe and interpret the world in ways that bring a response from the audience. This is true whether the creativity is expressed through acting, writing, painting, sculpting or some other form.
My mother is a very gregarious person who simply loves people of all sorts and enjoys interacting (sometimes to the detriment of her health). She does not think she is very creative, but I suspect that at some point in her life she or someone she looked up to, divided people into "Pragmatic" and "Creative" and these two camps were never to be overlapped. My view of things (as a more naturally shy person and more inclined to observation than interaction) is that we are all a mixture of these things and can all learn to express our creativity with the right encouragement, just as we can learn to overcome shyness or self-centredness. What really makes the difference is whether we have sufficient motivation to do so.
For children creativity is as natural as breathing, but they can very quickly lose their motivation to be creative if they do not see value in pursuing it. For adults who have given up on creativity, I think the way to rediscover it is to look at it from a different perspective. Some have a very narrow view: "I can't paint a realistic flower/animal/person therefore I am not creative." There are 2 misconceptions here, first: I can't do it now, therefore I will never be able to; second: art is the only way to express creativity.
Creativity has numerous expressions and provides an additional dimension to seemingly pragmatic tasks. The creative teacher finds ways to repackage a unit of learning so that it appeals to different learning styles; the creative cook finds alternative ingredients to substitute for something unavailable; the creative manager finds ways of involving staff in improving the outcomes of the business; the creative sportsperson devises ways to make training enjoyable. Whatever we spend time doing we can do better if we look at it creatively, playfully, with fresh eyes.
My mother is a very gregarious person who simply loves people of all sorts and enjoys interacting (sometimes to the detriment of her health). She does not think she is very creative, but I suspect that at some point in her life she or someone she looked up to, divided people into "Pragmatic" and "Creative" and these two camps were never to be overlapped. My view of things (as a more naturally shy person and more inclined to observation than interaction) is that we are all a mixture of these things and can all learn to express our creativity with the right encouragement, just as we can learn to overcome shyness or self-centredness. What really makes the difference is whether we have sufficient motivation to do so.
For children creativity is as natural as breathing, but they can very quickly lose their motivation to be creative if they do not see value in pursuing it. For adults who have given up on creativity, I think the way to rediscover it is to look at it from a different perspective. Some have a very narrow view: "I can't paint a realistic flower/animal/person therefore I am not creative." There are 2 misconceptions here, first: I can't do it now, therefore I will never be able to; second: art is the only way to express creativity.
Creativity has numerous expressions and provides an additional dimension to seemingly pragmatic tasks. The creative teacher finds ways to repackage a unit of learning so that it appeals to different learning styles; the creative cook finds alternative ingredients to substitute for something unavailable; the creative manager finds ways of involving staff in improving the outcomes of the business; the creative sportsperson devises ways to make training enjoyable. Whatever we spend time doing we can do better if we look at it creatively, playfully, with fresh eyes.
Writing as Work
Working at creative writing is a bit like being unemployed...no-one to give you work tasks, no-one to check over the completed product, no pay-packet! At least that's how it feels a lot of the time.
The dream is to write something that so many people love to read that you actually make a decent income from it.
Some smart creative writers manage to combine writing newspaper stories, magazine articles or advertising copy with their passion. It means writing to deadlines about things that may not seem particularly important to the writer, but it does mean some income and the discipline of writing whether you feel like it or not.
For the writer who loves to write, the reward of being published (albeit not in the desired genre) is gratifying and provides opportunities to develop the writing talent beyond its raw state. Nothing helps a writer to improve like real feedback. Writing for others often provides this where writing for oneself often doesn't, or else draws only the encouraging positive words of friends who do not wish to hurt or offend. "The wounds of friends are precious" can certainly be applied here. Discovering a constructive critic among one's friends is like finding gold. Flattery is of absolutely no help to a writer who really wants to be an author.
The dream is to write something that so many people love to read that you actually make a decent income from it.
Some smart creative writers manage to combine writing newspaper stories, magazine articles or advertising copy with their passion. It means writing to deadlines about things that may not seem particularly important to the writer, but it does mean some income and the discipline of writing whether you feel like it or not.
For the writer who loves to write, the reward of being published (albeit not in the desired genre) is gratifying and provides opportunities to develop the writing talent beyond its raw state. Nothing helps a writer to improve like real feedback. Writing for others often provides this where writing for oneself often doesn't, or else draws only the encouraging positive words of friends who do not wish to hurt or offend. "The wounds of friends are precious" can certainly be applied here. Discovering a constructive critic among one's friends is like finding gold. Flattery is of absolutely no help to a writer who really wants to be an author.
What Happens When We Choose?
I have come to the conclusion that our experience of life is less to
do with what happens to us than with how we CHOOSE to perceive it and
what we CHOOSE to do with it. For a long time I was a reactor... I
waited till stuff happened and reacted (in fairly predictable ways)
accordingly, as though the stuff that happened should have more control
over me than I did. I know that self-control is a very useful virtue,
but somehow it didn't seem to apply in those situations, it only seemed
relevant to me in terms of what I chose NOT to do.
As I get older however, I realise more and more how active self-control is and how much it has to do with making choices to DO.
I'm choosing to view things differently, less personally and defensively. When stuff happens, I am choosing to look at it as neutral, with the potential to become positive if handled well (recognising that the potential for it all to go pear-shaped is still there too).
Looking back, most of us would say that many of the most awful circumstances have been doorways to fresh opportunities. Remembering that and pressing through the immediate thunder-cloud to look for the silver-lining are high on my list of what to choose.
As I get older however, I realise more and more how active self-control is and how much it has to do with making choices to DO.
I'm choosing to view things differently, less personally and defensively. When stuff happens, I am choosing to look at it as neutral, with the potential to become positive if handled well (recognising that the potential for it all to go pear-shaped is still there too).
Looking back, most of us would say that many of the most awful circumstances have been doorways to fresh opportunities. Remembering that and pressing through the immediate thunder-cloud to look for the silver-lining are high on my list of what to choose.
What to do with Dry Spots
Creativity can be a little capricious at times and inspiration is not always available on demand. However, the worst thing to do when the creative juices stop flowing is to stop creating. It's all a bit of a chicken and egg thing...to be honest I didn't much feel like blogging today. I didn't think I had anything to write, or that I was 'in the flow'. However, letting the day pass with nothing written would feed my inertia, while forcing myself to write regardless, feeds my creativity. The more I write, the more I feel like writing and the more naturally and quickly I tap into the flow of inspiration. It is exactly like anything else in life, natural inclination alone will not provide the discipline or backbone to press on when things are going badly. Making a clear choice and sticking with it carries one through despite the struggles. (Every wedding is followed by a marriage!)
Having been suicidal as a teenager, I know the appeal of the desire to just give up. It just looks so much easier. But my perspective as an adult with a fulfilling and happy family life is entirely different. Had I given in to the desire to end my physical life, I may have missed a number of painful experiences, but I would also have denied myself the many joys and pleasures which far outweigh them.
Suicide is an extreme example of giving up, but we can commit spiritual, emotional, mental or artistic suicide by giving up any one of those aspects of who we are when they become difficult or challenging. It is always a mistake to give up a facet of what makes us human. It is always a good choice to push through the trials into a new place where those things can be seen from a different angle.
We were created to be creative and we have been gifted the privilege of working to bring our creations into being. The work is important, the discipline is important and the character they both help us to develop is even more important.
Having been suicidal as a teenager, I know the appeal of the desire to just give up. It just looks so much easier. But my perspective as an adult with a fulfilling and happy family life is entirely different. Had I given in to the desire to end my physical life, I may have missed a number of painful experiences, but I would also have denied myself the many joys and pleasures which far outweigh them.
Suicide is an extreme example of giving up, but we can commit spiritual, emotional, mental or artistic suicide by giving up any one of those aspects of who we are when they become difficult or challenging. It is always a mistake to give up a facet of what makes us human. It is always a good choice to push through the trials into a new place where those things can be seen from a different angle.
We were created to be creative and we have been gifted the privilege of working to bring our creations into being. The work is important, the discipline is important and the character they both help us to develop is even more important.
The Ring of Truth
A writer who hopes to connect with the reader, must write in a believable way. No matter how fantastic the location, situation or characters, there must be a core sense that the character may actually have felt, spoken or acted in the way described. A book of any sort that achieves credibility in this way has a 'ring of truth'. The settings and situations may be unfamiliar, but there is an understanding of the character's thinking and motivation because they resonate with the reader as essentially true.
What gives the ring of truth is the essential shared experience of being human, knowing people like that, being people like that. From the time I was a child I noticed 2 things about people: everyone is unique; and everyone is the same. At 16 I expressed it this way:
People
What gives the ring of truth is the essential shared experience of being human, knowing people like that, being people like that. From the time I was a child I noticed 2 things about people: everyone is unique; and everyone is the same. At 16 I expressed it this way:
People
We all
believe we feel
Unlike any
other
We think we
are the only one
Searching
for true brothers
We know
that no-one understands….
At least we
all suppose that
But each
think of life, of death and beyond
We love, we
hate, we carry on
We face the
inner struggles of our own morality
We face the
outer world of our own making
And we see
The
struggles of the others going on in other places
They stare
back at us
But
look they have our faces
What Inspires a Writer?
Inspiration comes in many guises. Sometimes it is a comment overheard, sometimes a new perspective, a news item or a train of thought in the back of the mind that for some reason comes to the fore. To follow through on the inspiration and write, though, it must be sufficiently impressive to motivate action. Often it is about carrying on a dialogue with the reader that the writer feels is worth the time and effort to focus on and refine.
Inspiration often includes a humorous element, since humor is so universal and such a common mechanism of dealing with difficult, unfamiliar and even tragic events. Humor helps us to keep our emotional balance and keeps us moving forward when retreat is the preferred option.
For me writing is largely about exploring Truth. Although in the 21st Century, truth is often considered a malleable, relative and uncertain term, I firmly believe that the Truth worth knowing is immutable and absolute, but also knowable.
I also believe that within the human heart is a hunger for this absolute Truth, something that transcends reality and objectivity and calls each of us to be inspired.
The creative urge is in all of us, some may express this in practical ways, building, sculpting, gardening, painting, acting, etc while others use words spoken or written to produce some 'new thing'. All of these creative urges constitute inspiration and are an attempt at connection with the Absolute, with others and with the inner workings of the inspired mind.
Inspiration often includes a humorous element, since humor is so universal and such a common mechanism of dealing with difficult, unfamiliar and even tragic events. Humor helps us to keep our emotional balance and keeps us moving forward when retreat is the preferred option.
For me writing is largely about exploring Truth. Although in the 21st Century, truth is often considered a malleable, relative and uncertain term, I firmly believe that the Truth worth knowing is immutable and absolute, but also knowable.
I also believe that within the human heart is a hunger for this absolute Truth, something that transcends reality and objectivity and calls each of us to be inspired.
The creative urge is in all of us, some may express this in practical ways, building, sculpting, gardening, painting, acting, etc while others use words spoken or written to produce some 'new thing'. All of these creative urges constitute inspiration and are an attempt at connection with the Absolute, with others and with the inner workings of the inspired mind.
Writing for Writing's Sake
I often think that I write because I must write. In some ways the process of expressing thoughts, emotions, ideas and conflicts through the written word is a means of really hearing my own internal cogitations, and the arguments I might have had with people (if only I had thought fast enough to answer as I wished) and dealing with them in a reasoned way. It is both a safety valve and a means of clearing up the sometimes murky mixture of thoughts, opinions and questions floating around inside. Once a fear is written down, it loses its fearfulness, once an argument is placed in the context of a conversation between two characters, their viewpoints are easier to understand. This of course is a selfish motivation for writing and entirely for the benefit of the author. It is also a reason to remain unpublished.
To take the leap out into the public arena, there must be a motivation beyond self, a sense of connection and shared experience. The purpose for publishing a piece of writing is beyond writing for self's sake or even writing's sake, it is all about others.
To take the leap out into the public arena, there must be a motivation beyond self, a sense of connection and shared experience. The purpose for publishing a piece of writing is beyond writing for self's sake or even writing's sake, it is all about others.
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