My Creative Everyday

"They struggled as caterpillars," I said yesterday. I was handing out butterfly stickers in a creative writing course I ran yesterday.  Unexpectedly there was lots of much needed lovely laughter throughout the day. Since we started these classes, I've noticed how we transform from the beginning of class to the end. Students are happier, and it's wonderful to be a part of that. I really appreciate the feedback, how they feel I've been so kind and also learnt about the craft.  Bringing people into the world of the power of words, the beauty in imagination and the joy of creation! They could all be heroes, time travellers and monster slayers. Anything was possible at the start of the day. I saw magic. What we made, individually and collectively was such fun. It's amazing.  Last year, the last time I ran a class, I felt like a healer and understood what it might be like for doctors.  London is bursting with creativity. That's one of the many things I love abou...

What made you decide to write your autobiography, and how did you decide which parts of your life to focus on? I ’ ve always loved writing and dreamt about writing a book, well at least for the past 20 years or so, but after quite a few bodged attempts to write a novel, I figured I should attempt to write about something I know about, so an autobiography, seemed the best bet. And the parts I focused on, well, honestly, there isn ’ t much I left out. But, of course, my acting career is woven in and out of the narrative. Was it difficult to relive certain moments while writing about your life? How did you manage emotionally challenging parts of your story? It was totally difficult to write about some things; I mean, I tend to bury the dark stuff in my life, so revisiting those moments (which were necessary) really hurt, you know, things like the losses of loved ones and my times of deep depression. I guess I have come to terms with the pain of those emotionally challenging experi...

Forever a student, wanting to grow, seeking, curious, exploring this thing we call life.  Since moving to London, I've done hundreds of classes. Learning is one of my favourite pass times. It's the experience of being with others too, togetherness.  I started tutoring high school students when I was at university. A very corporate world followed. Last year, I discovered a charity which helps students from disadvantaged backgrounds to get a place in a top university & so six months ago, I joined them and now tutor a 15-year old boy. His mock exams are over and I feel like we have come a long way. It has made me reflect on how much more support we need to give to young people despite being in an information age with the internet and a tonne of resources now readily available.  It's different working with adults. Earlier this year, I co-lead a 6-week Happiness Habits Course for another charity. It was somewhat magical even though we were online, because we had many momen...

Southwark Bandstand Did you know?  1. Heavy & bulky sliding box cameras were the standard design of the 1840s & early 1850s.  2. Captain Francis Fowke patented the 1st British camera to use concertina-pattern pleated bellows in 1856.  3. Invented for & used by the Royal Engineers, these cameras were advertised as the most portable & lightest in use. 4. Fowke was one of the most important British architects of the 19th century (The Royal Albert Hall, The Natural History Museum and the V&A), but his other inventions include a military fire engine, an improved umbrella & a portable bath.  5. The original bandstand in Southwark Park was one of a pair designed by Fowke in 1861, commissioned by the Royal Horticultural Society for gardens in South Kensington. 6. Bandstands provided a focal point in parks & the Victorians thought 'good music would free the mind of urban griminess & humanise the industrial landscape'. 7. In their heyday in the ...

Read the final Write On! magazine feature of a special three-part series on ChatGPT. In " The Future of Writing & AI ," I interviewed Dr Blay Whitby, who I approached after reading his book Artificial Intelligence: A Beginners Guide (2008). I love how our conversation even related the invention of electric guitars to technology and what lies ahead for us. 🎸 I was pretty excited to interview Dr Whitby since he's been writing about AI since 1984 and I'd read one of his books which gave me some really interesting insights into AI. Also, Dominic Jarkey, a senior R Programmer and data scientist, provides a fascinating perspective. I hadn't expected bird identification, cats and weather prediction to come up! 🐦🐈‍⬛️⛅️ So, with ChatGPT upon us, are we like butterflies flapping our wings, buffeted by wind, or caterpillars about to undergo an extraordinary metamorphosis from a chrysalis? 🦋 Or do you think AI is another bubble of the tech boom? Interestingly, it is c...

Read the second in a special three part feature on ChatGPT in Write On! magazine -   "Art, Literacy & The Singular Literary Genius" , which centres around Doctor Omar Kholeif, Egyptian-born curator of exhibitions across six continents, whose work includes commissioning award-winning art, authoring, co-authoring, or editing 41 books.  What can technology do for people in the creative field, but also what about our digital literacy? Are we constantly feeling like we have to keep up, and why are some people more open and interested in ChatGPT? A big thank you to Dr Kholeif for his time, sharing his story and wise. Internet_Art, published by Phaidon Press is gorgeous in hardback if you're looking for an art coffee-table book.  I continued to draw on  Catherine and Imo's observations and insights. The MFA  City University students are in their final year and both working on their first novels. Their interview helps tie all three parts of this series.  Also m...