Creative Blogger Award nomination – and my nominations

5 June 20155 June 2015 / Waves and Pebbles - random thoughts and writing on life, memories and creativity / Leave a comment

Once again I am thanking Danica Aquino, http://www.thedirtydiaries.wordpress.com for nominating me for the Creative Blogger Award. I am very pleased to accept this nomination. When I accepted the nomination for the Liebster Award yesterday I received my highest number of views in a day and I love that people in so many different countries view my blog.

The rules for this award are:

1. Thank person who nominated you with link to their blog.

2. Display award on blog.

3. Share 5 facts about self.

4. Nominate 10-15 blogs (some rules say 5 some say up to 20)

5. Pass on the rules.

The 5 facts about me are:

1. I love travelling by train, even just fairly short journeys from home. My longest trip was from Kent in England to Frankfurt in Germany. I travelled with my son to see the Grand Prix at Hochenheim. It was only five days but it was absolutely wonderful.

2. I think Street Pianos are great. It is such a great idea for anyone to be able to sit and play a piano. I always enjoy visiting St Pancras Station in London where they have a few pianos and some of the people who play them are absolutely amazing and so inspiring. I learnt the piano at school and achieved Grade IV. I can still play a little but only with music (and only for me!) but would like to get back to using my keyboard and perhaps have some lessons.

3. I am a mature student studying Social Sciences and am into my second year. It was a dream come true to be at university studying full-time after so many years of working. Sadly this is on hold at the moment as I was diagnosed with acute leukaemia in January this year and have spent quite a few weeks in hospital and having treatment. I am getting used to my ‘new normal’, taking advantage of the time to go through my old journal writing, do this blog, read light fiction and I am trying to start writing a story.

4. I believe in the value of creativity. Many people can benefit from art, no matter their ability. I organised a family day at university where parents and their children were able to enjoy different creative workshops during the day and it turned out to be such a special day. People discovered they were able to achieve much more than they thought they were capable of and they enjoyed spending quality time together as a family.

5. I am an accredited life coach and it is a goal of mine to have my own online business. I have used my life coaching skills within my career and have witnessed the benefits it can have. I used self-coaching myself for a few years before I trained and there are some great books out there. I aim to include some life coaching related posts on this blog in the future.

I am nominating the following blogs for the Creative Blogger award (apologies for not nominating the full number but am new to this and only just nominated blogs yesterday for the Liebster Award.

A Simple Note – bailday.wordpress.com

myfairvagabond.wordpress.com

O at the Edges – robertokaji.com

Ramblings of a College Introvert – conqueringanthropophobia.wordpress.com

Sincerely, James – sincerelyjames1.wordpress.com

jemverse.wordpress.com

motivatinggiraffe.com

Words – what would we do without them? Random poetic writing

30 May 201530 May 2015 / Waves and Pebbles - random thoughts and writing on life, memories and creativity / 2 Comments

Copyright 2012 Denise Krebs, Flickr, CC-BY, via Wylio

I have just stumbled across these verses written early one morning in the summer of 2010 sitting by the river whilst holidaying at Statford upon Avon. The desire to write and getting stuck seems to have remained with me!

Aren’t words the wonder of all

they bring such treasures our way

Without them we’d fall with nothing to call

and life would be dull day on day.

We’d sing, no lyrics would come

we would hum, laa laa, dee dee

What would be the point, well ok for some

but for most so lost would be.

So writers what would they write

no way to convey their thoughts

However they tried, as hard as they might

they would drift and be out of sorts.

How would we share all our joys

that come bursting through our voice

Whatever we feel, whatever the noise

the message is not our choice.

With no words no wonder is

unless an artist could be

With colour and light, some pencil and vizz

would say all there is to see.

Words are the key to my life

without them what would I do

Be lost for a while, my thoughts would be rife

till vision could see them too.

A lesson it is for me

to be the best that I can

A story will write, for all it will be

for children, for women, for man.

A puzzle this has become

it didn’t set out to be

I will paint and draw, I will sing and hum

till the words they come to me.

The Impact of Place – Wellbeing, Inspiration and Creativity

20 April 201521 April 2015 / Waves and Pebbles - random thoughts and writing on life, memories and creativity / 2 Comments

A short while back I talked about my creativity being blocked and trying to overcome this. I’ve not yet overcome my inability to immerse myself in a creative zone but I will share my thoughts and progress. Having spent two months in hospital, and a further month at home, mainly but not exclusively in one room, I have had little chance to get out and about and when I do most visits are for appointments at the hospital. In the past few days I have realised what is perhaps the obvious, the effect of place on my ability to relax, switch off and become entwined in my creative quest. At a basic level, I have had to relocate my bedroom to a lower floor, losing the broad view of the sky and my cosy writing corner. Then there is the effect of being restricted, not going out to walk and explore different places. So I turn to my memories and love of water. Water in all it’s natural forms is inspiring, be it sea, river, waterfall, stream or lake. In pondering this blog I recalled a holiday at Lake Bled, a most magical place in Slovenia. When I visited many years ago I had not started writing but I recall how I felt when I surveyed the view from the hotel balcony on the night of arrival and the many hours enjoyed walking alongside the beautiful lake. Perhaps if I can allow my mind to drift and recapture the essence of the special places I have visited – with a notebook to hand – I will be able to move forward with my creative pursuits. Even on a rainy day, Lake Bled is a magical place.

Copyright Maurice, Flickr, CC-BY, via Wylio

Memory triggers – Clouds (and Blogging)

19 April 201519 April 2015 / Waves and Pebbles - random thoughts and writing on life, memories and creativity / 2 Comments

Copyright 2014 Patrick Emerson, CC-BY-ND, via Wylio

I am playing around with a blog I wrote a short while back. No-one appears to have seen it so I am changing the title and photo and see if this makes a difference. The text and poem remains unchanged. It would be good to get some feedback and to hear from others their own experiences of what draws people to read their blog.

Prompted by a friend to write a poem on clouds, I reflected on what they mean to me. It’s fascinating how thinking about something like this can evoke memories from the past.

I recall when I was at school we had acres of lush green grass, tiered with slopes that we could roly poly down. The clouds made me think of when I would lay flat on my back on the grass gazing up at the blue sky and fluffy white clouds on a beautiful summer’s day.

I also remember how I enjoyed flying above the clouds for the first time when I was a teenager, looking down on them and seeing fairytale mountains.

The following are the words that have spontaneously come to me.

Clouds

Stretched out on the emerald pillow

The light sapphire canvas blotched with stately mounds

Wishing I was up amongst the clouds

Gliding serenely o’er the world

Zooming beyond the realms of living land

The magical marshmallow mountains

Bestow a safe haven in my mind

Clouds are forever there, bumbling along

Swept by the whipping winds of fury

Today their blackened stains threaten

As the wands of wetness streak down

A passing theme in our lives

A cloudless sky perfection seems

Yet without clouds, life would pass us by

Thank you for reading. I welcome any comments you may have.

Creativity takes us to a special place

14 April 201514 April 2015 / Waves and Pebbles - random thoughts and writing on life, memories and creativity / 4 Comments

Copyright 2011 Chris Wells, Flickr, CC-BY-SA, via Wylio

Creativity takes us to a special place – a place where we become lost, engrossed in our chosen path. The stresses of life melt away, solutions surface to be put aside for later. We are blessed with frozen time in which to savour the simple gifts life offers.

Kay, wavesandpebbles.wordpress.com

Stars

29 March 201529 March 2015 / Waves and Pebbles - random thoughts and writing on life, memories and creativity / Leave a comment

Stars that twinkle in the night

Stars that seem to glow so bright

Through the depths my soul does feel

A gentle pull that makes me reel

Stars that wander in the day

Stars that gather come what may

Through the magic that awaits

A welcome calm is what it takes

Stars that follow moonlit ways

Stars that send their softest gaze

Through the heaven’ly spirit guide

An angel takes me for a ride

Stars that fondest thoughts evoke

Stars that drift afore I’ve woke

Through the glistening wands of light

A touch of wonder fills the night

Morning Pages and an untitled poem

29 March 201529 March 2015 / Waves and Pebbles - random thoughts and writing on life, memories and creativity / Leave a comment

Many years ago I came across Julie Cameron’s book, The Artist’s Way. One very important thing I gained from this was the practice of morning pages (which can be done at any time of the day when you have peace on your own). For those that don’t know, this involves having pen and a large notebook, a quiet and comfortable space on your own, and then writing a set number of pages (I believe it’s 3) without stopping. Write about anything that comes to mind, don’t think about it or plan what you are going to write. If you don’t know what to write, just write ‘I don’t know what to write’ repeatedly until something else appears on the page. This may sound silly but from my own experience it really works and it is really surprising where the writing may lead. Sometimes I have written poems this way and below are some verses that appeared one day.

Whatever dreams you may have

Let them sway

Like the trees in the wind going with the flow

With good roots, know that they’re OK.

Whatever thoughts you may have

They’re precious

Like jewels sprinkled on a moonlit pond

With respect, know that they’re secure

Whatever love you may have

t’is a gift

Like nothing else in the world

With love, know that you love.

Light

29 March 201529 March 2015 / Waves and Pebbles - random thoughts and writing on life, memories and creativity / Leave a comment

This poem was written some while ago and was inspired by a documentary about light and how important it is to our lives.

Light

Where does light come from

it comes all around

We take it for granted

till it can’t be found

What if it left us

and never came back

Our lives would be ruined

with such a big lack

What is its value

and do we all know

that light is our leader

controls where we go

Our clock it is ticking

we live day to day

and light is the reason

we find the right way

Yet do we take notice

of what our soul feels

and do we respect it

the natural wheels

I gaze with such wonder

at all that light is

A miracle surely

without it we’ll zizzzz…. or not!

Spring

29 March 201530 March 2015 / Waves and Pebbles - random thoughts and writing on life, memories and creativity / 1 Comment

I have found my poems!!! Such a relief as they are very personal to me, so will be sharing some of them over the coming weeks.

Spring

I love to sit and feel the warming sun

and read the words that scatter on the page

as breeze and shifty bees do test my strength

to wallow in the pillows of the spring.

I yearn to be with nature all the time

and let my mind evolve across the field

as footsteps lay before the way is set

to take me through the crazy wooded mire.

I love to sit and feel the warming sun

and hear the tweeting call from far above

as distance floats between the knitted yarn

to free me from the traps that I have won.

The Sea’s Gift

28 March 201528 March 2015 / Waves and Pebbles - random thoughts and writing on life, memories and creativity / Leave a comment

When I was sorting through papers the other day I came across a copy of one of my lost poems – one of my favourites. So here it is … The poems I have written to date are spontaneous as they come. This one reflects the beneficial effect that walking by the sea can make to me.

The Sea’s Gift

Swirling, swelling, choffing about

ever there, forever no doubt

Wondrous feeling, breezing hair

Visual landscape, no compare.

Softly, seeping, lapping away

ever there, forever a day

Gentle ebbing, loving cure

Sensual feelscape, yet so pure.

Twilight, twinkling, milling anew

ever there, forever for you

Heaven crying, flowing deep