My Creative Everyday

This morning I found myself needing a cat photography fix on Instagram because I was feeling drained. I've planned a photography walk this week as I definitely need it.  As I stare down the barrel of Monday afternoon,  I turned to AI to help me with improving my routine, as it's been a busy few months of work, and I needed some guidance.  First I outlined my situation and my concerns. It was insightful in its advice and I'm interested to see how my week might be more productive or how AI might make a difference to finding balance.  I'd already been thinking about the advice in section 6 over the weekend, and I'm liking having it set out for me.  The second response AI gave was after I agreed for it to sketch a plan for me.  So I'm adding the schedule advice from the second prompt into my calendar and setting myself soft alarms to keep me on track.  Hopefully this will be a positive experiment this week.  Prompt 1 advice -  It makes sense that...

  Words have power. The lines of Freddie's songs have become anthems. They have immortalised a man who dared to experiment and challenge existing norms.  As I walked through the exhibition, a recreation of his home, among all his personal belongings, it was a chance to glimpse someone I knew very little about. It deepened my love for his songs and music. It made me realise what a genius he was.  To be honest, I liked the songs, but after the exhibition, I listened to them, connecting to the man behind the lyrics. I began reading one of the biographies. I've watched his concerts, which seem to play more on television these days. There's a renewed interest in Queen and perhaps, like me, Freddie Mercury has found new fans in 2023.   My YouTube series about the exhibition found a vast audience, reaching more than 20,000 views. Music, videos and photography, as a creator and consumer, add so much to my life as a writer. I wanted to make more videos in 2023, and devel...

2022 has been ridiculously busy which has been overwhelming and I felt I needed a new way to manage my time. In fact, I posted about it on Instagram and ended up asking how others coped in my first poll, one of the cool features the social media platform provides. My IG friends were so helpful, offering support, empathy and kindness.  I took on new projects this year, which involved a change in my schedule. My evenings were swallowed up by this big black vortex and my days became longer.  I'm grateful for all of the new opportunities and the chance to learn more. However, I've realised consistently pushing myself beyond 150% is a horrendous habit. I want to be happy and find a healthy balance. Family and friends are important. They help me keep my head above water.  Nature and creativity nourish me too. They played a part in formulating a new system for myself, as well as reframing my mind in a positive and productive way. I'll share more about this in my blog and social...

A few weeks ago, I blogged about how I started an April daily dance challenge .  The reason I started the dance challenge was a  calendar from Action for Happiness .  These were some of the other songs I danced to. 11. ABCDEFU - Gayle 12. Mamma Mia - Maneskin 13. Like a G6 - Far East Movement 14. Bad Habits - Ed Sheeran 15. Celebration - Kylie Minogue After April ended, I planned on stopping my morning dancing. I was inspired by a good friend who mentioned someone she knows who goes dancing every night. That used to me, though not quite every night, but lots of dancing was involved. I've always enjoyed it and I figure one song a day is not much of a chore. Actually I look forward to it and makes my mornings more fun. What you need to do your own daily dance challenge: 5 minutes a day A small space to dance - I use my living room Music - I pick a song on spotify but youtube, radio, cd, record player or whatever floats your boat works too It's super simple. A monthly chall...

10 days ago I challenged myself to dance to one song every morning until the end of April.  I didn't know if I could do it, but I was looking forward to it as I love to dance but rarely do any more.  These are the songs I've danced to in the last 10 days.  Shake It Off - Taylor Swift Thunderstruck - ACDC Pump It - Blackeyed Peas  Gangnam Style - Psy Heat Waves - Glass Animals  Glad You Came - Liilz (Ziezie) There's Nothin Holdin Me Back - Shawn Mendes Shut Up and Dance - Walk The Moon The Motto - Tiesto Giant - Calvin Harris I confess, on day 3 or 4, I forgot so I made up for it the next day. Today's song I got through 3/4 of it and had to do the last 1/4 a few hours later.  My living room has been an excellent dance floor. I'm definitely less stiff and have found my rhythm again.  The benefits of dance: reduces stress, supports physical, mental & emotional health, improves agility and flexibility, and provides better coordination, strength and bal...