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Catalyst News
Archive
MAY /
JUNE
2008
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Catalyst News and Views from AnnA
31 May, 2008
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Ok, Bank Holiday over - now it's time to focus on what's really
important - your continued growth as a human being and the total
expansion of your creative life. I am encouraging you in this
issue to get out there and explore ways of stimulating new paths
of thinking, experiencing and being - and encouraging you to
take up knitting for a very good cause! By the way, please don't
think knitting is just for the girls -there is a fine tradition
of men knitting their own socks, and even fishing nets, so give
it a go! Plus news of a great new book that is essential reading
for anyone who has been demoralised or made to feel inadequate
at work, solutions are at hand - and if you don't already know
them, I have also included a brief look at the key elements of
happiness. To your continued love of life, creativity, and all
that is around you. Best wishes from AnnA
IN THIS ISSUE:
- ARTIST'S DATES - GET YOUR DIARY OUT
- GETTING BACK ON TRACK
- 250,000 SQUARES NEEDED
- THE THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO BE HAPPY
ARTIST'S DATES - GET YOUR DIARY OUT
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May is my favourite month of the year as it is the Brighton
Festival and I generally plunge myself into near-bankruptcy
in an orgy of culture, fun and frivolity. This year I went
to some amazing events, the highlights being two talks by
writers: Gore Vidal and Val McDermid. They could not have
been more different: Vidal at 82 is as sharp, waspish and
shrewd observer as he has ever been and is a complete master
of language and cultural references from Ovid to Obamah.
McDermid was a funny, relaxed and very generous speaker
about the trials and tribulations of being a writer. As
she described having to rewrite for the fourth time one of
her novels because it just didn't feel right, I was full of
admiration for her persistence and patience.
Also delighted to learn that crime novelists are the
jolliest of writers and only every bitch about whose turn
it is to buy a round, unlike 'serious novelists' who
apparently bitch about everything. Both speakers obviously
loved words and were curious about all aspects of life.
So why am I telling you all this? Because, the concept of
the 'Artist's Date' as devised by Julia Scott Cameron in
her wonderful, inspirational book on developing creativity
(The Artist's Way) is a vital one to keep the fires of
creativity stoked. New experiences, new music, pictures,
events all stimulate the senses and bring forth that child
like curiosity that all creative artists have. That sense
of 'what if ..' that leads you off down some amazing pathways.
Now there isn't a festival in every town, but there are
opportunities to discover something new - and without it
costing a fortune.Get your diary out and try at least one
of these,or something similar, every single week for six
weeks and notice what new thoughts and ideas they spark:
1 Go into a music store and listen to tracks on three
separate albumsin genres you know nothing about - try jazz,
hip hop, blues, country, baroque, African, Japanese
Flute music - go mad!
2 Go to your local library - if not a member, join now - and
again
pick up three books in genres you don't usually read - try the
children's books, autobiographies, romance, thrillers, science
fiction - anything but your usual choices
3 Go to any large card store - find a postcard that intrigues
you and write a story or poem based on that image
4 Buy/borrow some play doh or plasticine. Roll into a large
ball.
With your eyes closed now just by touch and feel shape it into
something that comes from the heart, not from the eyes.
5 Clean your teeth with your non-dominant hand - ie if you are
right
handed, use your left and vice versa. Feel how different an
experience it is, write your feelings and sensations down.
6 Dig out your old photos and select three very different ones.
Now
imagine yourself as a complete stranger observing those scenes
without knowing any of the people or places. What do you see?
Write their story.
GETTING BACK ON TRACK
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One of the pleasures of working with people is watching their
growth and development as writers. One wonderful example of
this is Ann Lewis who I metthrough the Sussex Coach Network.
Ann is a highly experienced executive coach and she has been
working on a book to bring her very considerable knowledge of
stress and conflict in the workplace into a book that will be
of help to anyone who is recovering from confidence-draining
setbacks at work.I have watched the progress of her book
'Getting Back On Track' with great interest as the area she
is writing about is one that is of vital importance,
particularly
to those working in a stressful or hostile work environment.
She has written a wonderful and powerful self-coaching guide
to help people regain their confidence and presence at work.
If you follow her seven steps to getting back on track you
will take control of yoursituation, reduce the emotional fallout
and damage that such situations can cause, and minimise the
likelihood of your being in a similar situation ever again.
Her book is available online at www.trafford.com/07-2790 and
it would be an invaluable read for anyone who is being bullied,
harassed or generally put under unbearable pressure in their
work situation.
250,000 SQUARES NEEDED
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No, Daddyo, I have not regressed to the 1950's, tempting
though that is at times, as these squares are part of an
amazing project to help get proper medical care for women
and children in countries where such basic amenities are
not always available. Oxfam in Leeds have just started a new
campaign to create a giant baby blanket, with each square
knitted representing a mother who did not survive pregnancy or
childbirth to be able to care for her baby, because she couldn't
access the medical care she needed.
They are aiming to get 250,000 squares by September, which is
the number of mothers who could have been saved in that time
if decent healthcare had been available in their part of the
world. They need knitters (crochet also welcome) to make 9 inch
squares for the giant blanket, which will be handed into the
Government as a sort of 'patchwork against poverty petition',
to demand a world where everyone has access to free basic
healthcare.
After the giant blanket has been handed in, it will be
dismantled
and sold in Oxfam shops and at music festivals. All money raised
will
go towards Oxfam's work to fight poverty, such as urgently
needed
midwife training in Yemen.
Instructions:
If you are not an experienced knitter then ask for help, and you
can usually buy needles and wool very cheaply in most charity
shops,
if you haven't got an unfinished sweater lurking at the back of
the cupboard. Manufacturers also put a tension square on the
band
round the wool, so if it shows 22 stitches over 10cm (i.e. 4
inches
with size 8 needles) then you will need 50 stitches for a 9 inch
square.
Other size needles you will have to experiment and adjust -
isn't that
what creativity is all about? Each square MUST be 9 inches in
size and
preferably made using double-knitting weight yarn. You can use
any type
of yarn, any colour or mixture of colours, provided that it is
washable
and Superwash wool or washable cotton yarns are particularly
suitable.
If you don't fancy knitting a plain square you can find free
patterns
at the following sites:
http://www.knittingonthenet.com/stitches.htm
http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/directory/stitches.php
http://www.knitting-and.com/knitting/patterns/afghans/sampler.htm
http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/directory/motifs_squares.php
Oxfam ask that to finish each square that you weave in all yarn
ends
and if necessary, block them neatly to size. Assuming you know
what
this means, it will apparently save lots of time when it comes
to
assembling the blankets. Send knitted squares with your name,
address and email by 1st August 2008 to Sarah Blakemore, Oxfam
campaigns,
47 Park Square East, Leeds LS21 2NL and you can check the
blanket's
progress at http://www.oxfam.org.uk
THE THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO BE HAPPY
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I came across a great quote the other day. It comes from Tibet
and more or less paraphrased was: "Looking for happiness outside
oneself is like a man in a deep, dark cave looking for sunlight"
In other word, it is not going to happen so instead why not
concentrate on creating the three things universally agreed
that you need to be truly happy:
1 someone to love
2 something to do
3 something to hope for
If you haven't got a specific someone to love, then practice
like mad on yourself so you become your own most-loved person,
not in an ego-drive way but so that you truly love and
appreciate
yourself and your own uniqueness. If you haven't got something
to do,
read the previous items and try them out and if you have not got
something to hope for, try world peace because that needs all
the
help it can get.
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Any creative questions, comments or criticisms? Please do
contact
me either via my website:
www.catalystonline.co.uk/ or email to anna@creativecatalyst.co.uk
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Catalyst News and Views from AnnA
16th May, 2008
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As the environment seems to be high on the agenda at the moment,
I thought I would bring a few new developments to your notice.
Oh, and if you are a golfer, you are really in luck because you
get good news and enlightenment - all in one package. To your
continued love of life, creativity, and all that is around you.
Best wishes from AnnA
IN THIS ISSUE:
- DEEPAK CHOPRA - FIRST TIME IN IRELAND
- ENVIRONMENTAL GOODIES
- WANT TO UNLEASH YOUR INNER GENIUS?
- STUCK ON YOUR LIFE STORY?
DEEPAK CHOPRA FIRST TIME IN IRELAND
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"If we want greater harmony and well-being in our lives and
in the world, the first step is transforming our awareness.
Those who join us in Dublin will experience the tangible
power of meditation and its life transforming energy."
Deepak Chopra
Time magazine called him one of the 100 heroes and icons of
the century, and this charismatic Indian doctor, author and
spiritual teacher has been at the forefront of the movement
for holistic healing. He certainly has impacted many people
since settling in the United States and his Center for
Wellbeing in California hosts many wellness and healing
programmes, along with Ayurvedic medicine, meditation and
yoga. Although he has travelled extensively around the world,
he has not yet visited Ireland, so his upcoming Peace Event,
called Seduction of Spirit, is a cause for celebration.
Running from 7- 12 July in Dublin, you and the other 999
participants) will be in for a week of self-discovery, deep
meditation and practices for inner and outer peace that will
open you to higher states of consciousness, love and fulfilment.
This event has been running for 10 years now, and it is claimed
to be the Chopra Center's most profound spiritual experience as
it interweaves the Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, advanced
meditation techniques, daily energy work and yoga practice.
If all that isn't enough, he will probably also talk about
his claims that "by consciously using our awareness, we can
influence the way we age biologically. . . . You can tell your
body not to age. ..." which is the theme of one of his several
best-selling books, but not my personal favourite - 'Golf For
Enlightenment' - which has proved a welcome present to
several people this year! Further details from his website
at www.chopra.com/seductionireland
ENVIRONMENTAL GOODIES
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As I already flagged up good news for golfers, let's get to
them first. The Sun Ray golf cart recharges its own batteries
in the sun through solar panels mounted on the roof. If you
already have a golf cart, but want to 'go green' the company
now also has a 'Sunray Solar Roof Kit' available for other
popular golf cart models.
Does your car have a catalytic converter or diesel particulate
filter? If not, you need to keep away from German cities like
Berlin, Hanover, Dortmund, Cologne and Stuttgart, because they
have applied a total ban on all vehicles that don't comply. To
enter these 'low emission zones', cars must have a windshield
sticker stating the installation of such devices and you will
be instantly fined if you don't have one. Similar plans are
currently being applied in cities around Italy, while other
cities in Europe, including Amsterdam and Madrid are also
thinking about 'dirty car' bans. Over to the new Mayor of
London for his consideration don't you think?
Perhaps you want something a little more fashionable? What
about a solar-powered handbag or jacket that will also power
your phone or ipod? Noon Solar's Corland Solar Powered Bag
has been so popular they have completely sold out and are
busy devising other ranges which will also incorporate a
flexible solar panel into the body of each bag. All you need
to do is put the bag in a window with the panel facing towards
the sun at work, home, at a café, or while walking/biking around
town. Even on cloudy or rainy days, energy is collected through
the UV light of the sun and the battery pack has a green
indicator that lights up when it's charging.
Need even more battery power? Then Italian design house
Zegna has created the ZegnaSport Solar Jacket with built-in
solar cells in its collar to again charge your iPod and mobile
phone. The electricity is transferred via conducting textile
cables to a small Li-ion storage battery, or directly to a
device.
If you watch the 'Grand Designs' television programme then you
know how currently fashionable it is to have 'green buildings'.
The Castle House, a 42-storey apartment tower under construction
at Elephant and Castle in London, will feature a roof with an
array of integrated wind turbines, each nine meters in diameter.
The world's largest tidal turbine, weighing 1000 tonnes, has
been
installed in Northern Ireland's Strangford Lough. The tidal
turbine is rated at 1.2 megawatts, which is enough to power a
thousand local homes and it will be the first commercial tidal
turbine to produce energy, when it begins operation later this
year.
However this is small potatoes compared to Costa Rica, which is
a country rich with renewable energy. It gets about 99% of all
its electrical energy from clean sources, and it's aiming to be
the first country to become carbon neutral - so watch this
space.
CREATIVE IDEAS?
Why am I telling you all this? Yes it's great to know what is
happening, but if you cast your mind back 10, 20 or more years
you will see that much of what we have just read about would
have been seen as science fiction. So as a creative exercise,
what
scenario, object, idea can you invent that is the science
fiction
of now?
WANT TO UNLEASH YOUR INNER GENIUS?
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Well of course not everyone wants to be a genius, but have you
ever wondered what it is that makes them so unique? I am happy
to tell you that it rests on a quality that we all have, but
don't' necessarily acknowledge or make the most of. All the
research on the subject points to one specific trait that
geniuses have in common: the ability to be creative. It's not
so much that they think more often then we do, it's the WAY
they think that makes them unusual.
If you are interested, here are four simple ways to unleash
more of your creativity:
No. 1 - Start/keep on daydreaming
We all have done this at some time or other, and often been
clipped round the ear for doing it during lessons in school.
Most of us can only concentrate for a certain amount of time,
and then our minds tend to drift off into daydreaming. This is
when your conscious brain takes a little break, allowing your
subconscious to come up with interesting ideas and thoughts. It
is your subconscious that houses your creativity and
imagination,
so daydreaming is not a waste of time,it's a valuable
opportunity
to unleash your creativity. Why didn't I know this back in
grammar school when I was constantly being given detention for
not paying attention?!
No. 2 - Sleep on it
This piece of advice is well-established, tried and tested. If
you have a creative challenge then simply think about it as you
go to bed, and then ask for a solution while you sleep. It's a
sort of 'cosmic creative ordering' - the only drawback I have
ever found is that although you get an answer, it isn't always
what you were expecting. As an example, I was struggling to
complete a non-fiction book for a client and could not find a
way to get round a particularly tricky chapter. The solution
that came was that actually I didn't want to write the book at
all, but needed to be working on a project of my own. Not
helpful
I thought, but actually that knowledge took the pressure off
having to get it 'perfect' and it was easier to finish. This is
a well-known technique for learning new information: simply
glance at the information immediately before going to sleep at
night. While you sleep, your brain will take the information
and reorganize it, ready for you the next time you want to call
on it.
No. 3 - Get Moving
Physical exercise has been shown to increase brain power by as
much as 30% because activities like walking, gardening, painting
a wall, and so on, increase the flow of blood to the brain and
feed it with much needed oxygen. Any form of repetitive physical
activity causes you to relax and forget about everyday worries,
allowing that fertile subconscious of yours to poke its way
through again, and that's when inspiration can strike.
No. 4 - Clear the Decks
Sometimes it's the things we haven't done that prevent us from
being more creative because the energy they take as we wilfully
ignore them is actually huge. That unfinished project, the
garage
you keep saying you will clear, all of that stuff eats away at
you, sitting there in the back of your mind, nagging you to
hurry
up and get them done. And that makes it so much harder to
concentrate and focus on the task at hand. So whatever it is,
either do it and have done with it, let it go and accept you are
not going to do it and then give your full attention to your
current creative task. If really stuck, consult my 'How To Kill
Procrastination' book; it has most of the tricks I have learned
over the years to help myself out of the stuck place.
STUCK ON YOUR LIFE STORY?
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It might seem odd for a woman who is always encouraging
people to write their life story, and has devised a course to
help
you do that, but sometimes you have to face reality. Some people
struggle to write their life story as a 'real life' event; they
are concerned about their friends and family's reaction to it,
or somehow it seems to end up as a long list of dates and facts.
Not to discourage you from writing your own life story, but one
way to get over this hurdle is to actually write it as fiction.
It will help you move out of the rut and if it doesn't work, the
least it can do is add some colour and life to your
autobiography.
There are some simple tips that can help you get started with
this.
1 Always use the third person, because calling yourself 's/he'
instead of 'I', will help you visualise your story in scenes and
action
sequences. This prevents you sinking too deeply into
introspection and
you can always turn it back into first person narrative later.
2 Choose new names for your 'characters', including yourself,
before you start writing. This frees you to develop them in ways
that will suit your narrative better - and you can reinvent
their characters completely if you want to.
3 Fiction can't cope with a cast of thousands so pare your
'cast' down to an essential four or five people. Be creative,
combine the characters of two people to make one composite, a
sort of reverse 'two for one' offer.
4 Devise a plot and decide what is your main character's
quest in this story (that would be you). What is holding him/
her back and how do they deal with these?
5 Life can seem very ordinary, so find the extraordinary
in your story and bring it out for contrast and colour. Make a
list of the most unusual settings, events, and people in your
life and try and get at least one of each in your story.
6 Murder your darlings - another old literary saying that
is none the less valid for being around for a while. Don't think
you have to throw everything in there, be incredibly selective
and leave out anything that is not essential, even if it is a
much-loved or strong memory. The story will be the better for
it.
Hope that helps, and good luck with your life story, however
you choose to write it.
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Any creative questions, comments or criticisms? Please do
contact me either via my website:
http://www.catalystonline.co.uk/
or email to anna@creativecatalyst.co.uk
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Catalyst News and Views from AnnA
2 May, 2008
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A wider perspective on creativity this issue for those of you
who
are 'renaissance' men and women and don't just confine
yourselves
to writing. One of the things I love to suggest to anyone
looking
for personal development and expanded creativity is the Artist's
Date. This comes from 'The Artist's Way' by Julia Scott Cameron
and basically means you make a 'date' with yourself every week
to
do something fun, stimulating and new. It is about opening your
eyes to something different, not about spending lots of money,
so
take out a new author from the library, listen to a different
genre of music, go to a funfair and act like a child. May is a
great month for doing this, the weather is improving and you can
get out and enjoy what life has to offer.
It's also the month of the Brighton Festival, so I have booked
my
'treats' in the form of talks by authors Val McDermid and Gore
Vidal and starting off with author John Gray this weekend on the
theme of Apocalyptic Religion and the Death of Utopia - I have
also scheduled a visually sumptuous performance from the Ballet
de
Marseille for the following day, in case I get too overwhelmed
by
the content of John Gray's talk. What are your Artist's Dates
for
the coming week?
Stretching and defining our boundaries is how we develop isn't
it,
so see what you think about the new 'viagra' for the brain. This
is
a topic that is being hotly debated so you can find out what
it's
all about. To your continued love of life, creativity, and all
that
is around you. Best wishes from AnnA
IN THIS ISSUE:
- VIAGRA FOR THE BRAIN
- LOOKING TO RECONNECT WITH NATURE?
- RESOURCES FOR THE RENAISSANCE ARTIST
- FREELANCE WRITING OPPORTUNITIES
- CREATIVITY COFFEE BREAK
VIAGRA FOR THE BRAIN
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Whether modern life leaves you struggling to keep up, or just
totally exhausted, the answer for many is being found not in a
strong cup of coffee, but in brain-enhancing drugs that are
completely legal.This new generation of drugs are being used
by professionals to cope with overwork and jet lag, students to
pass exams, and even the in the armed forces to help soldiers
to stay alert. We all use many different ways to stay alert
and focused and if you are in the middle of a project or a
painting you want more than the standard 24 hours a day - or
at least to get more out of the time you have. We have turned
into a time-poor society and a new way to deal with seems to
be using the new brain-enhancing drugs. It seems appropriate
to look at this particular issue in the week that the man who
first developed LSD as a mind-enhancing drug died, aged 102,
this week. He was a Swiss chemist, Dr Albert Hofmann, and he
first synthesised the drug in 1938, and since then the quest to
expand consciousness through chemical means has not slackened
its
pace.
The conventional 'fix' for most of us is caffeine and sugar, but
now a new generation of drugs are available that can boost
memory
or allow workers to put in 24-hour shifts. This sounds very like
Aldous Huxley's 'Brave New World', in which humanity depends on
a
government-prescribed "happy" drug called Soma. But this is not
fiction, it is happening now. Foresight, a Government think
tank,
said in 2007 that drugs such as Modafinil could be "as common as
coffee" within a decade or two.
These new cognitive, or brain-enhancing, drugs are only
available
on prescription, or online, but they are not yet marketed as
helping you concentrate, or get more work done. They are
actually
prescribed for conditions such as attention deficit
hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy or even Alzheimer's. The specific
drugs used are Ritalin, (for ADHD), and this can be used to
boost
concentration and alertness in healthy people, and Modafinil
(for narcolepsy) but is now being used to keep tiredness at bay
in
people who have no diagnosed sleep disorder.
So how are people getting hold of them? First, by lying to, or
misleading, their doctor and the other route is the internet
where
drugs are more freely available from countries like the US where
they are not prescription items. Modanfil has been tested by
scientists who report that the drug allows 48 hours of
continuous
wakefulness with few side effects, though perhaps the greatest
side effect is one that can't be measured. If the result of
drugs
like these is to posit a situation where we will be in a 22-hour
working day, then who does that truly benefit? We talk a lot
about work/life balance but this turns the whole idea on its
head.
Barbara Sahakian, a psychiatrist at Cambridge University who has
studied cognitive-enhancing drugs, sees some clear dangers
ahead.
"It could change society as we know it. We control drug use in
sport, so will we do the same for students who take drugs before
exams, for example? And if some students or workers take them,
will the others feel pressure to do the same to keep up?"
The bigger issue for me is what this says about how we value our
time and ourselves. The 'quick fix' mentality is not the
healthiest
approach to getting the best, not the most, out of us. There are
many ways to get 'more' out rather than resorting to drugs. One
of
my favourite quotes comes from Mahatma Gandhi, who in the midst
of
the most difficult period of his work in freeing India from
British
rule often astonished others by his capacity for work. How did
he
do it? This is what he said: "I have so much to do today, I am
going
to have to meditate twice as long!" Worth a try before a popping
a pill don't you think?
LOOKING TO RECONNECT WITH NATURE?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stress and pressure can build up inside us and we all need to
find
a quiet place to recover our sense of balance and centredness.
If
you don't have many opportunities in your daily life to connect
with nature then what about treating yourself to staying At the
Fforest? No I haven't hit the 'F' key one too many times, that
really is how they spell it, and it a back-to-nature experience
just outside Cardigan, in Wales.
If the idea of camping doesn't appeal to you, and it never has
to
me, then this is the only way to do it - the luxury end. Fforest
offers an outstanding natural environment that devotees claim is
an experience more akin to staying in a hotel than a tent,
except
it has woodland corridors and canvas rooms. Sounds a bit like
Rivendell in Lord of the Rings, so keep your eyes out for the
Elven.
There is no TV, no mini bar and no trouser press - though if you
are the knife-edge crease type then this relaxing retreat is not
likely to appeal to you.
If a pristine coastline and 200 acres of forest bounded directly
by the Teifi gorge and the 350 acre Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve
does appeal, then you can look forward to listening to birdsong,
and the sound of the deer rustling through the woods. If you are
feeling more energetic you can cycle to the nearby village of
Cilgerran, or canoe to Cardigan.
Words don't do it justice, so to take a look at the great
pictures on their website at www.coldatnight.co.uk
RESOURCES FOR THE RENAISSANCE ARTIST
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A new competition has landed on my desk, and it is ideally
suited
for artists and writers. There is a cultural arts magazine
called
Aesthetica, which is published bi-monthly. It covers the arts,
literature, music, film and theatre and this competition gives
the
winners not only some cash, but being published in an annual
that
will be available in Borders bookstores throughout the UK and
the
runners up will also be featured in the annual. You can submit
three short stories of up to 2,000 words each, or five
photographs,
pieces of artwork or poems. It has a pricey entrance tag for a
competition of £10, but it would be a great showcase if you win
it.
FREELANCE WRITING OPPORTUNITIES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You may not be interested in writing the 'great novel' but you
might have some niche knowledge that one particular magazine or
other is looking for. I will make this an occasional feature to
help those who want to get started so what might you write
about?
Horses: there are many magazines devoted to horses and they all
are looking for new writers, interesting copy and some want
photos
too. If this is your area of interest then here are some ideas -
check out the website content to see if it is something you
could
contribute to:
1 Nagmag magazine at www.nagmagmedia.com/
2 South East Rider www.southeast-rider.co.uk
3 Equi-Aids www.equiads.net
Travel:
An area of great interest to many of my readers, and I am just
listing one magazine here as they are currently actively seeking
submissions:
Traveller magazine is a UK publication that has been going since
1970. They want contributions for their 'Eyewitness' slot, which
focuses on unusual journeys or adventures, told in the first
person only. Also looking for 'Portrait of A City' which is
based
on first hand experience and hey want it to be impressionistic,
not
a guide full of facts and figures.
As a guide, articles should be around 800 words, they like
humour,
vividness and a respect for local cultures and they request
accompanying colour photos in digital format of at least 300dpi.
By the way, they pay quite well so visit the website at
www.travel.org.uk and then send submissions to the editor,
Matt Swaine, by email and include a two-sentence biography and a
photo of yourself.
CREATIVITY COFFEE BREAK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I could not resist giving you this - it's actually a competition
run by the Derbyshire Literature Festival and it's the
Mini-Mobile
Library Saga. Why do I want you to know about this? Two reasons:
one you have to write about a mobile library, and I love those
vans and it is to my infinite regret that over my years of
working
in libraries I have never got to work in one - though I have
used
them in various places I have lived. And the second reason is
you
only have EXACTLY 50 words to write about anything within that
setting. How hard is that? Actually, to write to such a short
and
specific length is very hard, so try it out. It's entirely free
to
enter, or you can just do it for the fun of it. If you want an
application form you download it from the website at
www.artsderbyshire.org.uk or phone them on 08456 058 058 -
oh and the closing date is 11 July.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Any creative questions, comments or criticisms? Please do
contact
me either via my website: http://www.catalystonline.co.uk/ or
email to anna@creativecatalyst.co.uk
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Catalyst News and Views from AnnA
27 June, 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Quite a bit of introspection this week; I have been looking at
the power of habits to make or break us and if you want to
change,
then there's some handy advice for you. I am becoming tediously
relentless about the benefits of self-publishing and there's
some
really good news this time, especially for non-fiction writers -
but not, as you will see, if you want to write a travel book -
unless your name is Michael Palin. Best wishes for your
continuing
love of discovery, creativity, and all the gifts your life
brings
to you - AnnA
IN THIS ISSUE:
- PUBLISHING- SOME HOME TRUTHS
- BREAKING A HABIT
- THE STRUGGLE WITH SELF
- CREATIVITY COFFEE BREAK
PUBLISHING- SOME HOME TRUTHS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am a firm believer in self-publishing for the new writer
as the best way to break through into an increasingly
competitive
market where the number of new books being published is
declining
all the time.
An example of this was evident in reading a recent article
on the hard time new travel writers are having in getting a
publisher interested in their book, no matter how many
prestigious
magazines or newspapers they may have written for. A quote from
an unidentified publisher, and no wonder they didn't want their
name mentioned, stated "why pay 10 unknowns £10,000 for their
first book and lose money when you can pay a celebrity £100,000
and double it."
The fact that the 'celebrity' book is rarely in fact
written by the celebrity bothers the publisher not at all,
but is very depressing reading for 'real' travel writers and
their writing brethren.
Now for the good news ...
For the first time, a self-published author made it onto the
shortlist for the prestigious PEN/Ackerley award, Britain's only
literary prize dedicated to memoir and autobiography. Jane
Haynes's
'Who Is It That Can Tell Me Who I Am?' is an unflinching journal
of
her life as a psychotherapist, revealing as much about the
author
as her patients.The prize was announced on June 10th and went to
Miranda Seymour for 'In My Father's House', her memoir of her
father's
tyrannical eccentricity, but to be shortlisted is a coup for
Jane
Haynes and a good omen for selfpublished writers everywhere.
BREAKING A HABIT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One of the ways we continually trip ourselves up is by
automatically
doing the same things over and over again - which is indeed one
of
the definitions of insanity - ie to keep doing the same action
and
expecting a different result. Or in other words, if you do what
you
have always done, you will get what you have always got.
Habit is the comfortable groove we unconsciously settle into,
and to
break it takes real, conscious effort. Don't think habit is a
bad thing?
Read this little piece which was sent to me this week and see
where you
can recognise yourself:
"I am your greatest helper or your heaviest burden".
I will push you onward or drag you down to failure.
I am completely at your command.
Half the things you do, you might just as well turn over to me,
and
I will be able to do them quickly and correctly.
I am easily managed; you must merely be firm with me.
Show me exactly how you want something done, and after a few
lessons I will do it automatically.
I am the servant of all great men.
And, alas, of all failures as well.
Those who are great, I have made great.
Those who are failures, I have made failures.
I am not a machine, though I work with all the precision
of a machine.
Plus, the intelligence of a man.
You may run me for profit, or run me for ruin;
it makes no difference to me.
Take me, train me, be firm with me and I will put the
world at your feet.
Be easy with me, and I will destroy you.
Who am I? I am a HABIT!"
If you would like to change a habit, then take a risk - do
something
different just to shake things up. Always brush your teeth with
your
right hand? Switch to the left for a couple of days and you will
discover you have a whole new mouth to explore, or at least that
is
what it will feel like.
What habit do you most want to change? What one small action
could you
take today to start retraining that habit into something else?
They
usually estimate it takes a month to break a habit, and a month
to
establish one - so don't procrastinate, start now!
THE STRUGGLE WITH SELF
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Creative people can be torn by self doubt, indecision and a
fierce
inner critic for whom nothing is ever good enough. Unfortunately
this
trait is not confined to creatives, it affects virtually all of
us at
some time or other, even Gandhi was not immune to this struggle
with
self-judgment. He once said,
"My most formidable opponent is a man named Mohandas K.
Gandhi. With him I seem to have very little influence."
If you are being particularly hard on yourself, step back
and ask where this criticism is coming from, and whose
voice it is speaking in. For instance, I now love to sing
and am a regular at my local community choir events, but
when I am start singing around the houise (with no other voices
to
hide behind) I am filled with self-doubt and hear the voice of
my
teacher at primary school telling me I am tone deaf and just to
mime in the singing lessongs as I will put everyone off.
Now, working with wonderful teachers like Chris James and my
Peace Dance Mentors,it is clear to me that although Maria Callas
wouldn't have been worried, I have a perfectly ok voice - in
fact
some people have even been complimentary about it. So why 50 odd
years later do I still hear that teacher's voice? Because I
haven't
really accepted the truth about who I am and what I can do in
that
particular area - but I am definitely ready to give it up.
Will you join me in giving up your particular harsh critic? If
you
are, then try a technique I learned many years ago when working
with
US shamanic dance teacher Gabrielle Roth. She got me to
'cartoon'
my critic.
1 Think about that voice you hear and put a shape,
colour or body and face to it.
2 See it very clearly and give it a name - critical Clara,
judgement George or whatever comes to mind!
3 Now 'cartoon it' by looking at the shape and in your mind blow
it up big, bigger, gynormously huge, until you can see how
ridiculous
it is, and hopefully lessen its power by being able to laugh at
it.
Try it and see.
CREATIVITY COFFEE BREAK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I'm not sure writers block really exists, you don't
get journalists block or plumbers block. All you've
got to do is sit down at a desk and tap away at a
keyboard - it's not rocket science."
So what do you feel about that amazingly confident
statement by fiction author Kevin Brooks, whose latest
novel 'Black Rabbit Summer' has just been published by Penguin?
Sadly for many writers that 'block' definitely exists and it
can range from a temporary glitch to what feels like an
inability
to write anything at all.
I have a report I wrote a while ago on how to overcome Creative
Blocks and Barriers and you are very welcome to a copy of it -
just e.mail me and I will wing it across to you.
One way many writers cope is to leave the project they are
blocked
on and start something else, perhaps something lighter and less
demanding. For me I play with word in a totally nonsensical way
- either writing a limerick or writing a paragraph for fun based
on six random words from a newspaper or book, just stab your
finger
on the page and see what comes up.
This week, try a limerick of your own, or use this line to start
you off:
There once was a writer who ....... (the rest is up to you!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Any creative questions, comments or criticisms? Please do
contact
me either via my website: http://www.catalystonline.co.uk/
or email to anna@creativecatalyst.co.uk
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Catalyst News and Views from AnnA
13 June, 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You are receiving this on Friday 13th, to which many
superstitions are
attached. Believed to have originated at the last supper with 13
sitting
down to eat, but maybe some of the ideas here might spark your
imagination
to set a story or poem around this very specific date. To your
continued
love of life, creativity, and all
that is around you. Best wishes from AnnA
IN THIS ISSUE:
- EXERCISE THAT BOOSTS YOUR IQ
- 4 STEPS TO MANIFESTING FOR FREE
- FRIDAY 13TH - LUCKY FOR SOME?
- CREATIVITY COFFEE BREAK
WANT TO BOOST YOUR IQ
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Exercise is the keystone for healthy living, but it is not often
advocated to help you to boost your IQ. We already know that
older
people who exercise three or more times a week have a
significantly
reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's and other types of
dementia.
Whatever your age, if you exercise regularly you have a 30 to 40
percent lower risk of dementia, and even as little as 15 minutes
of
exercise, three days a week, cuts your risk significantly. One
short,
brisk, walk every day can make a real difference, but what is
new is
that recent studies have shown that some forms of exercise may
actually
help you think better, while others have little or no impact on
your
brain matter. Here's are three suggestions for what works, and
what
doesn't, for those 'little grey cells'.
Aerobic Training:
In 2006, Arthur Kramer of the University of Illinois used MRIs
to prove
that aerobic exercise builds grey and white matter in the brains
of
older adults. Later studies found that more aerobically fit
schoolkids
also perform better on cognitive tests. Widely accepted now that
aerobic
exercise is one of the best things you can do to stay mentally
agile into
old age. Impact on intelligence: STRONG
Weight Training:
It might make you feel good to have ripped muscles, but
researchers have
found only the most tenuous link between heavy resistance
training and
improved cognitive function. Impact on intelligence: NEGLIBIBLE
Yoga:
You need as much oxygen as you can get, particularly for brain
function,
but under stress we tend to hold our breath and reduce our
intake which
can certainly affect our memory. Yoga can break that habit by
helping
you learn to breathe correctly which results in less stress and
more
oxygen. Impact on intelligence: POSSIBLY STRONG
4 STEPS TO MANIFESTING FOR FREE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There has been a lot in interest in the last year on what is
called
'cosmic ordering' which basically means putting your request out
to
the Universe, God or whatever your belief system encompasses and
waiting for it to turn up. In personal development circles the
idea
of manifestation - which is what is was called before it got a
cool
title and sold a lot of books - has been around for a long time.
It relies on the fact that what you think about, and put energy
into,
is what you attract. On the simplest level, if you are single
you tend
to see happy couples everywhere, if wanting a family you see
babies and
children wherever you go. You haven't consciously thought about
it, there
are no more couples, babies and children than there ever were -
you are
just focused on noticing them.
I have used manifestation many times in my life from wanting to
find the
perfect place to live top wanting to go on a cruise - though I
might have
overdone it on that one this year as I have just been booked to
speak on
my 6th one! It's not difficult, and if you have something you
want to
manifest in your life let me offer you - free - a simple four
point plan
to help you do it.
The only thing that you need is a pen and a notebook and a
commitment to
follow this exercise every day for at least 30 days, or until
you get your
result. It usually happens well within that time frame, but
let's start out
being realistic. What you are doing is creating your future -
actually
something you do every day anyway but this way you are doing it
with a
conscious intent to produce something you really want.
Step 1: Open the notebook and you are going to write down what
is it that
you want to create, and how you feeI about it. For example,
given the
state of the economy you might want to create some more money in
your life.
It is important you write in the present tense as if it is
already happening,
so you might write, "I am making £500 (or whatever you want),
and feel
relieved and excited about my life, and look forward to more fun
in the days
to come." Your objective is to make the £500 a day, but you want
to act as
if you already have it - assume it is yours now. This is
pretending, if you
like, but what we think is as real to our subconscious as a
physical event.
If we think we have that money we are putting the energy in
place to attract
it. You don't have to believe it, you just have to practice it =
'act as if'.
Step 2: This is where it starts to sound new age and weird, but
keep going
anyway - what have you got to lose? Now write in your book "I
support myself
in making £500 a day, and am grateful for my life and income."
The key part
of step two is, "I support myself in," whatever it is and then
being grateful
for your life. A key element in manifestation is gratitude, so
please don't
skip this part.
Step 3: This is where you can let yourself go and really enjoy
yourself.
What you are now going to do is describe, and write down, all
your feelings,
and what is going on in your life. So what difference will that
£500 a day
make to you? It's not just about the money but about what it is
going to do
for you - see yourself enjoying the benefits of it, visualise
really strongly
your bank account with an entry each day of £500 going in. For
example, you
might write, "I am so happy that I am now making £500 a day. I
feel so
relieved. I am more relaxed. I can pay all my bills. I can do
almost anything
I want to." See it running like a movie in your mind and really
focus on all
the feelings, the colours, the sounds for a few minutes every
day and then write
down what that experience was. This is not journaling, this is
you specifically
seeing yourself having whatever you want to manifest, fully
experiencing it and
writing the whole thing down every day. What will happen is that
you become
comfortable and familiar with the idea of having that amount of
money every day
and that in itself will remove any barriers of fear or
unworthiness that you
might unconsciously have set up.
Step 4: is where you get to say thank you for the lovely
experience you have
just had of seeing yourself enjoy what are manifesting. Say
thank you to the
Universe, Higher Power, Your God, Goddess or whatever you pay
attention to.
Don't thank them in the future, again make it as if it has
already happened,
such as "Thank You so much for letting me make £500 a day and
I'm very, very,
very grateful for this opportunity. Thank you."
Repeat Steps 1-4 every day for a month, and let me know what
happens.
FRIDAY 13TH - LUCKY FOR SOME?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I send this out to you on Fridays, but I have no control -
obviously - over
when you read it. So if you have survived Friday the 13th with
no mishap then
well done, and if it is still happening, fingers crossed and
kiss your lucky
shamrock until it's over. It's curious though as to why so many
people in the
Western world are superstitious about Friday the 13th and it is
an interesting
example of how ancient pagan and Christian beliefs have meshed
together to
create a modern world where many streets have no number 13 and
office blocks go
from floor 12 to 14 with no stop in between. If you are actually
phobic about
the number 13 - and a significant number of people are - you can
actually stun
people with the official name for your condition - you are not
superstitious you
are Paraskevidekatriaphobic, so there.
An old Norse myth has it that Loki, one of the most mischievous
and devious of
the Norse gods, went uninvited to a party for 12 at Valhalla,
the banquet hall
of the gods - thus pushing the numbers up to 13. Gatecrashers
are not usually
welcome, and in his case he caused the death of Balder, the god
of light, joy,
and reconciliation, by tricking Balder's blind brother, Hod,
into throwing a
sprig of mistletoe at Balder's chest. Since mistletoe was the
only thing on
Earth fatal to Balder, the beloved god fell dead. Killing light
and joy was
certainly unlucky for Loki as he was bound with the entrails of
his son Narfi
though eventually freed to help the gods in one of their endless
disputes.
So that's why 13 at a dinner table is a bad idea, and never use
mistletoe as
a table decoration - just in case.
In the Christian belief system, it is thought that Friday was
the day of the
week when Jesus was crucified and then again there were 13
people at The Last
Supper. The belief Friday 13th was unlucky was reinforced during
the Middle
Ages when on Friday, October 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France
ordered the
arrests of Jaques de Molay, Grand Master of the Knights Templars
and sixty of
his senior knights in Paris. Thousands of others were arrested,
tortured and
eventually executed and sympathizers of the Templars condemned
Friday the 13th
as an evil day.
Finally, if you just don't believe in any of this - you might
want to leave
your car at home, just in case. In a 1993 study published in the
British
Medical Journal the authors compared the ratio of traffic volume
to the number
of car accidents on two different days, Friday the 6th and
Friday the 13th,
over a period of years. Incredibly, they found that in the
region sampled,
while consistently fewer people chose to drive their cars on
Friday the 13th,
the number of hospital admissions due to car accidents was
significantly higher
than on "normal" Fridays.
CREATIVITY COFFEE BREAK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Entries on a postcard please - how often have you read that? Now
if your creative
juices need a catalytic start, then what about a brand new
competition to be
judged by bestselling author Tracy Chevalier that only requires
you to write a
300 word short story? She is currently writer-in-residence at
York Art Gallery
and they have come up with a competition based around 15
selected works of art
or ceramics from the gallery. You don't need to live in York
either, you can
take a virtual tour and online and see all the selected items.
It's your chance to make up a story about the particular item
that takes your
fancy and there are two categories, 12-18 and then over 18's -
which I suspect
is the majority of my readers! There is a cash prize, but even
yummier your
winning story will be printed on the back of a postcard
featuring your chosen
work of art and published as part of a gift pack of postcards
which will include
one of Tracy Chevalier's own stories. To help you out, there are
exactly 300
words in the first item of this newsletter, not including the
headline.
What are you waiting for? Details online at
www.yorkartgallery.org.uk/ and
click on Events and then Tracy Chevalier and you can see the
featured items, or
call the gallery on 01904 687 687. Or you could take a weekend
break and have a
look at them up close. York is a delightful city to visit with a
beautiful Minster
and a splendid hand-made chocolate shop, but the closing date 30
September so
don't leave it too long.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Any creative questions, comments or criticisms? Please do
contact me either
via my website: http://www.catalystonline.co.uk/ or email to
anna@creativecatalyst.co.uk
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