My Creative Everyday

Fleeting  Like a kiss  Stolen moments  Forgotten bliss  Fleeting  Flickering flame  Burning bright  Never tame

Rudolph ate cookies in the kitchen. Santa was asleep in his sleigh. The elves played computer games. They forgot about Christmas Day.  Rudolph's belly hurt. Santa had a headache. The elves' thumbs were sore. Oh, for goodness sake! The kitchen was a mess. The sleigh wheels were broken. Santa needed a shower while words remained unspoken. Before long they fixed things though they had tears and troubles. Soon they were in the sleigh dashing through the puddles.  It was a time for family, friends & all we hold dear. The world was full of uncertainty, with waves of worries and fear. Thunder and lightning, blizzards were braved, at the last minute, luckily  Christmas was saved. Everyone came together on that one day of the year. What would we do without Santa, the elves & Rudolph the Reindeer? Copyright E.M. Blake, 2021 Watch the video for They Forgot About Christmas on youtube or tiktok and see if you can spot all the elves and animals.   

Another way of expressing my creativity is through the clothes I wear.  My education in what to wear began as a teenager when my best friend Jenny took me shopping. We tried on outfits and since then, I've had a slight addiction to dressing up.  Magazines and television shows inspire me.  This year I revisited the 2007 - 2012 series of Gossip Girl, an American teen television drama series based on the books by Cecil Van Ziegesar, featuring a cast of scheming Upper East Siders. Place and fashion were characters too.  It brought me out of my pandemic tracksuit bottoms funk, back to a world of fabrics, colours and patterns.  Take a peak at my wardrobe.  I bought this jersey c alf-length  crêpe   wrap dress which has a v-neck, wide tie belt at the waist and voluminous balloon sleeves from H&M . It makes me feel the whimsy of Austen and the seriousness of books .  A cotton floral square neck top with  an  elasticated square neckline ...

  Christmas is Coming Christmas is coming It's cold and grey Bring jokes and punning We're ready for cheers. The presents aren't wrapped At least the shopping's done We're baking and napped We're ready for cheers. Merrier than three kings The fairy lights shine Let's be grateful for things We're ready for cheers.  Some musings on Christmas, EMB 2021. 

As wonderful as it would be to have a bestseller on your book's release day, the odds are, unless you are backed by a publisher or slowly gaining a heavy following, it isn't likely. Now, my intention is not to crush your hopes and dreams but to simply help you set not only your expectations but your goals as a writer. Are you seeking quick fame and following or long-lasting readership? What I have come to learn as a writer is that each story, each piece of writing, and each novel is paving your way. Now that I understand this, I know that each product I put out as a writer is going to set a precedent. Each thing becoming another brick on the platform I am building for my brand. Learn more here about Building a Brand as an Author . Am I saying that you shouldn't get your expectations up when it comes to sales? Absolutely not! I am definitely one of those people who checks the sales charts so much that I'm afraid it'll break. But knowing that with all the work I...

In the Autumn, I started an online shop. It's been fun designing and exploring my creative side in this way. I have tested out a few of the products and they were pretty good. A sticker which I ordered was not printed correctly and they were happy to provide a credit note or a replacement.  I've created a travel collection with three designs.      New York is an iconic city which I've visited several times. Every trip has been different and fun. On one trip with my parents, we went up the Empire State Building. I was playing around with my camera and this is one of the photographs that I took. As a sticker, it might be something that I can add to my water bottle to carry that memory around with me.  We took a bus to Jersey to do some outlet shopping. In Central Park, we visited the turtles and the Shakespeare garden.  Back in the UK, my last getaway was to the Seven Sisters which is along the English coast. It was before the pandemic. We drove up from Londo...

Autumn has been crazy busy. I tried to capture the magic of the colours of the leaves in  my short story which was included in the Thursday Connectors Webzine Write On !  I found it challenging trying to write about childhood memories. It feels easier to create a fictional character. As a writer, I'm constantly learning more about myself and what I need to work on. Also, exploring Malaysia through my writing was fun and made me think about the food. If you've never tried an ABC dessert, I highly recommend it on a super sizzling hot day.  Here in the UK, it will be awhile before we're back in shorts and t-shirts. There's forecasts of a white Christmas.  I'm beginning to feel like I can wind down.  As always, nature is my therapy. The squirrels make me laugh. I especially love watching them chase each other.  The foreshore of the River Thames have been mini-holidays. When I hear the tide coming in, it reminds me of the sound of waves and beautiful beach holid...