It's getting later each night. 3am before I hit the nest this morning, then up for 6am for the day job.
Got to get back on track and free up the evenings.
I'm not off the rails yet but the day job is encroaching on the one thing that really energises me, and it's not on.
I'm now approaching tomorrow and I'm only getting today's article down. However, I've made getting it done important so bed will have to wait.
This evening I've been work on The Artist's Manifesto, digging into the idea, formulating the parts, frantically scribbling notes in my pukka pad.
I generally start with one or two word ideas and then build from there.
The real challenge is cutting the fluff and making the message as clear and as accurate as possible.
So I've managed to get about a 1300 word draft onto paper (really, it was paper) under a couple different headings that I think capture the essence of the message.
I'll break this out The Writer's Manifesto further on Saturday for you, but in the meantime I wanted to share some sources of inspiration.
Here's some books that struck a chord with me that you might enjoy. Check out May recommended reading
May Recommended Reading
Inspiration and influence is everywhere, and so I think we need to make a conscious effort to feed our minds consciously rather than by default.
Too many of us get the majority of our data from popular channels such as entertainment and news channels.
So in an effort to help you discover new material I'm going to offer you a couple of books every month that I've enjoyed or I am currently reading.
Here's my offering for May 2017
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Publisher: Harper Collins
Available in: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-72253293-5
About The Alchemist
I was on the lookout for The Alchemist for quite a while, searching for it on audiobook a number of times but never seemed to find it. I was in the airport a couple months back and there is was.
So I grabbed myself a copy and didn't set it down until it was finished. I wanted to know how the story ended, if the hero made it. There was truth in there, passages where I recognised myself.
Despite this, if I were honest I'd say it didn't bowl me over the way I thought it would. I knew pretty much what the tale would tell as I progressed through the first chapter or two.
If the younger me managed to find the alchemist I'd say it would have more of an impact. It's a good read and an engaging story so I would recommend it.
The Alchemist is a worldwide best seller in 74 countries and read by over 62 million readers. Now this wonderful tale of loss, discovery and ultimate reward is beautifully repackaged in an edition that lovers of Paulo Coelho.
This is such a book is a beautiful parable about learning to listen to your heart, read the omens strewn along life’s path and, above all, follow your dreams.
Upstream by Mary Oliver
Publisher: Penguin
Available in: Hardback
ISBN: 9781594206702
About Upstream
I recently read an article about the writings of poet Mary Oliver and I was immediately drawn to her work. I just collected Upstream today and have only read the first page or two but I like it already.
She says; “In the beginning I was so young and such a stranger to myself I hardly existed. I had to go out into the world and see it, and hear it, and react to it, before I knew at all who I was, what I was, what I wanted to be.”
Upstream is a collection of essays in which Pulitzer Prize winning poet Mary Oliver reflects on her willingness, as a young child and as an adult, to lose herself within the beauty and mysteries of both the natural world and the world of literature.
The front cover of the book reflects her connection to nature and the obvious influence it had on her art. In particular her insistence that we must lose ourselves in our creative work in fundamental in creating something worthy of being called art.
Damien Omen II
About Damien Omen 2
This book scared the bejasus out of me when I read it at age 15 in the quiet of my bedroom late at night. That said, I couldn't wait to open it, to find out what happened.
My copy had the exact same cover as this too. As for the movie soundtrack, well now if those tunes didn't scare the shit out of you I don't know what would.
Spooky movies too weren't they! the first two anyway. After Damien Omen 2 I think the films went downhill quite a bit. No matter, books are always best at stirring the imagination. Movies don't challenge us enough I think.
That's it on the reading front for this month. i've been on a book buying spending spree so I'll have loads of suggestions for you over the summer.
Until tomorrow…
Leave a Reply