My Creative Everyday

What has writing this book taught you?  So much. First of all, how people like my writing and want to read my stories, so it felt important to start putting them out into the world. It’s taught me to trust my instincts in terms of the plot, not to plan at the outset and let the story take me where it needs to go. It’s taught me I’m comfortable writing in this genre. The writing flows naturally for me in this genre and it offers me the freedom to explore what truly fascinates me about humans, relationships and the world. There’s opportunity for me to utilise all those little observations I’ve soaked up over a lifetime. How have you grown as a writer compared to ten years ago?  Ten years ago, I was busy writing plays. I’d just written and co-produced a 4-part WW1 musical and was researching a full-length play about a historical figure. I was taking my writing seriously and was having success with playwriting but I still felt somewhat frustrated because I’ve always wanted to writ...

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...

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...

Read the first in a special three part feature on ChatGPT.  After 7 hours of interviews, then months of writing and editing, " Is Generation Z Trying To Save Us From AI? " is out now! The feature begins with: “Woah, slow your roll, we’re not going to take it seriously. We see AI as a new meme opportunity,” Tennessee born MFA student Catherine Sheffield says. I met Catherine at Hay Festival last year when I had the opportunity to attend with Write On! magazine. Catherine introduced me to Imo, who has been involved in training an AI program. The two MFA students brought colour, character and unique perspectives to my understanding of AI.  Also my Insta friends, @dannyvill77 and @356shooter make their debut in the magazine with their photographs.  A huggggeeee thank you to Madeleine White, Claire Buss and Pen To Print. Without Write On! magazine, I would not have dared to embark on this piece.  My family and friends also have been amazing throughout this mammoth project...

   Words don't flow. I'm stuck when it comes to writing about grief. My latest book, This Silly Bench , circles around the subject, referring to memorial benches and the sensation of wandering, numbness and struggling to grapple with emotions. I've tried to face the spiral, to not be overcome by tears, but even after all these years, it returns in waves, dragging me back in time, like a Taylor Swift song, I am young again, and unable to comprehend, turning it over like a restless pebble. I try again and again, always wondering if my efforts are futile and there is never an end to it, this thing,  grief . It is not so intolerable any more, but it still hurts.  I came upon a wonderful writer, Liz Carthy, who  used metaphor to describe her pain. It articulates some of what I have gone through, though I often feel like it is not for me to speak about because it wasn't my child that died, it was someone else's and it is as if there is something not quite right for me...

I have always loved butterflies. They are so colourful, and the way they move is so different to other flying creatures.As part of my photo-a-day project, I was delighted to discover how many different species of butterfly visit our garden. Recently, a citrus swallowtail butterfly flitted through our garden. The first thing I learned about these butterflies, before I could even identify one for the first time, is that they don’t… sit… still. As butterflies go, they are some of the hardest to photograph because of that. But on that day, a member of this illusive species flitted around for long enough that I could get some good photos. I tracked the butterfly from branch to branch, focusing as fast as I could and snapping photos hoping some would be useable. It was exhilarating. I was in the zone. When the butterfly decided to fly away, and I could finally relax again, I realised just how far I have come since March 2020. In the past 12 months alone, I have taken about 11,000 photographs...

Everyday lives of extraordinary people - an interview with Maggie Dallas by Ellie M. Blake  “What a time to be alive!” Maggie Dallas says, as she starts off our interview by telling me the college world series, an annual baseball tournament held in June in Nebraska, is on and it’s busy everywhere. “Plus everyone is freaking out about market rates,” she adds.   I love her energy. You never know what someone will be like, and meeting them for the first time, those first impressions speak volumes.  In our 40-minute zoom interview, Maggie Dallas and I discussed combat photography in the military, explored creativity, talked about real estate and our experiences of social media. We also spoke about connecting with people and the pressure to be successful.  The Military It’s hard to imagine what it must have been like for her, just out of high school, in the military as a combat photographer, spending time in a little studio attached to the navy, but also in a foreign...