In case I haven't mentioned it before, I sing backing and lead vocals with a band called The Subtle Genes. Before the pandemic, we rehearsed together on a regular basis and played a few gigs in and around Bucks and Berks. All of the songs we’ve played are cover versions, ranging from The Cure’s Friday I’m In Love to the Stereophonics’ Dakota. Lockdown put an end to all that, so we recently … [Read more...] about It’s never too late to become a singer-songwriter…
resistance
One small step towards fulfilling a dream for my great-grandfather
I believe that the work I was born to do is to help people find their voice, find their message and find the story that only they can tell. But I’m not so good at helping myself. I often lose sight of my self-expression and creativity – and consequently my dreams. And that’s why I decided to attend Diane Leigh's Dream Team Experience workshop. Diane is one of the most focused and dynamic people I … [Read more...] about One small step towards fulfilling a dream for my great-grandfather
Why it’s time to throw away the script…
Last week I stood up in front of a group of people, most of whom I didn’t know, and spoke without a script for about three minutes. This may not seem like a tall order to many of you, but for me it was a big deal. It took every fibre of my being to break through my resistance and walk the few yards from seat to spotlight. Why? Because I’m a writer. I enjoy the comfort of the written word. … [Read more...] about Why it’s time to throw away the script…
What to do on blank page days…
I have been a professional writer for 30 years now. There have been periods during that time when I have churned out the words; at others I have been too busy editing other people’s words to write my own; and on bad days I would wake up and realise I was a writer who wasn’t writing. Writer’s block. We’ve all suffered from it at some point in our lives, whether or not we’re wordsmiths. I … [Read more...] about What to do on blank page days…
Battling creativity’s evil twin
I’ve been putting off writing this post today. Mostly because I’m on the road, but also because I can be a brilliant procrastinator. However, I have fought my urge to defer it until tomorrow or occupy myself with other tasks. So why do we procrastinate? It’s not always down to laziness or distraction, as quite often we put off the very tasks or projects that are most meaningful to … [Read more...] about Battling creativity’s evil twin