The very first self-help book I ever read (and I’ve read a lot) was Susan Jeffers’ “Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway” back in the ‘90’s. It was revolutionary for me for many reasons- such a practical book, easy to read and full of ways to help you wake up and become more aware …
I never imagined that the many limitations enforced by coronavirus would act as a creative stimulus, but constraints can push us into new and unexpected territory. As artists, we often find it useful to impose deliberate constraints upon ourselves as a way of firing up new ideas.
Dear Creative Artists, How are you feeling today? How are you adapting to your new reality? If you’re like me, you may have felt really knocked off balance by recent events. As creative artists, we already have to deal frequently with uncertainty, criticism and rejection from peers, teachers and employers. Dealing with not passing exams …
How creative artists can support ourselves and each other under these unique circumstances.
A while ago, I began to realise that a strange thing was happening to me. Every time I was invited to a wedding, something went terribly and bafflingly awry. When one of my best friends asked me to bring something meaningful to place on the altar at her wedding I knew just the thing– a …
When I was an active and successful concert pianist playing recitals in Britain and across Europe, one of my main focuses was practice. I was most often playing repertoire chosen by others, as I was a collaborative pianist working with singers and instrumentalists. One moment I would be working on a Brahms cello sonata, the …
I’m always fascinated to meet new clients, particularly when they come from far-flung parts of the globe. I’m an inveterate traveller myself, and started young, living on three different continents by the age of seven. Maps, globes and atlases have always attracted me. Here’s a map Robert made for me of some of the locations of my …
Robert and I have just completed another film poem, incorporating footage of children in Britton, South Dakota filmed by Ivan Bessie in 1939. Enjoy! [vimeo 67239318]
Recently, I’ve been taking theatrical impro classes which culminate in a public show, and they’ve sparked lots of ideas in me. Our teacher, Remy is extremely imaginative and adventurous, and so we never know exactly what we’ll be doing from one moment to the next. However, we do generally start the class with a warm-up. …
This week, I’ve written a guest post “What does it mean to be free to create?” on Lisa Peake’s Peake Productivity blog. It’s an area I’m very much still working on, and I’d love to hear your ideas too!