Tag: writing

Do I really need the rubber duckie? Resisting the seduction of novelty and consumerism.

On By Emma2 Comments

I’ve been away from my ‘field notes blog’ for quite some time. I’m nearing the end of my PhD now, in the final leg, so I thought I’d start posting again. So, with my love of the natural world and our environment, here’s a new blog post which felt timely in the run up to Christmas and the crazy consumerism that Christmas instils upon us.

A couple of weeks ago I was queuing up in a local corner shop. The guy in front of me had just made his purchase, when his child noticed a jar of Halloween themed green eyeballs on the counter. This kid was about three, very cute with a large set of lungs.

His Dad had just bought him a kinder egg, but the kid changed his mind at the last minute.

‘I want an eyeball,’ was the clear statement that left the kid’s lips as he pointed at the jar and firmly held his dad’s gaze.

‘Come on now,’ his dad said, ‘we’ve got chocolate.’ (Waving kinder egg in front of child’s face).

‘BUT I want an eyeball.’ (Much more determined this time.)

Now, there was a moment here, when things could have swung either way as father and son eyeballed each other, and the queue (now three or four people), waited with mounting pressure for the dad to make the right decision (I’ll let you decide what that was). The kid seeing his dad wavering and evidently feeling close to getting his hands on the novelty eyeball sweet, dug in his heels and opened his lungs.

The thing that interests me here is the anticipation of the purchase. We all know that shopping gives us a dopamine hit, and releases the same feel-good hormones, but apparently so does the anticipation of getting the product.

I found this interesting article in Psychology Today, which gives us a brief overview of an experiment conducted with monkeys (that’s also something else to come back to) which showed that dopamine is released way before the reward. This means that as soon as we are scrolling, browsing, viewing – our brain is releasing dopamine anticipating the joy that is soon to be ours. The issue is, that it doesn’t last when we receive the ‘thing’, our dopamine drops and we move on to anticipating the next thing, it’s a never-ending cycle of consumerism. 

None of us are immune to this. I’ve been resisting the urge to buy a mini model of Zoltar recently. It’s a mini model of a fortune telling machine, which was ironically invented as a stage prop for the film ‘Big’ featuring Tom Hanks in 1988, and then made it to arcades across the world. (There’s a whole rabbit hole to fall down here – if you want to go down that route I suggest following this link.)

Why do I want this? It brings back memories of the seaside and childhood. I love a bit of mystical novelty, so I guess owning ‘stuff’ is also a physical representation of our identity and memories. (For anyone who hasn’t come across these seaside arcade delights – the Zoltar model is a dummy in a glass case, that for the costly sum of £1 will tell you about your fortune via a little bit of card that the machine spits out). There’s a couple of these machines outside the arcades at Scarborough that are notorious for simply thieving the £1 coin and withholding the magical slip of paper that foretells your future. (Not a good omen in my opinion).

I’m anticipating having mini Zoltar sitting on my desk, spitting out daily fortunes for me and occasional visitors. The reality is that after the first few spits, is that I know that it will end up being another bit of plastic detritus collecting dust. I know that the novelty of the fortunes will wear off, and it will inevitably end up in a bag for the charity shop in around a year, when I’ve had my fun and admitted to myself that it was a useless purchase. 

In an age where plastic production and plastic waste is of increasing concern, why aren’t we asking more questions about what we actually need and what we are purchasing? How do we circum-navigate the craving and the anticipation and seek dopamine rewards elsewhere?

We are bombarded with novelty everywhere we go, it’s a cheap thrill. That cute rubber duck to sit on the side of the bath.  A hit of endorphins that soon wears off. I’m trying to wake myself up to consumerism and ask myself if I really need something before I buy it. I wonder if there should be higher taxes on what materials are used for, novelty being the highest? It’s not just about plastic production; it’s about using all our resources mindfully. 

Like everyone else, I want to buy my children toys, I love hiking I want a great waterproof jacket and all the kit, I also love a nick knack, but what if we all consumed things more cautiously and treasured the things that we own? What if we bought the best we could afford and make it last? What if gift giving became the gift of time or experience and the items in our homes were real treasures?

And for anyone interested in making a difference here’s some ideas for alternatives to buying novelty items as gifts….

  • Choose one beautiful thing over many bits of novelty. I recently bought one gorgeous silver ring for my family to give me as a birthday gift. There’s a website here aimed at just this idea: Buy Me Once.(A website aimed at selling goods that will last). 
  • Experiences. I’d rather have your time than a physical gift. Support a local café or attraction as a treat. (I love a visit to Harrogate Spa in Yorkshire. I also love tea and cake…hint hint).
  • Buy a charitable gift (whether it’s a donation twinning someone’s toilet, or planting a tree – do good with a gift and champion our environment.)
  • Make something (OK – no-one would want my baked goods) – but you get the gist. My sister just took the time to knit me a gorgeous hat and scarf, this meant way more than some plastic schizzle.
  • Buy second hand, opt for circular production.

It isn’t always possible to avoid the shop counter with your kids. But here’s some other ideas for dopamine hits when we get the chance:

  • Bake together. (You can get a hit of the purchase choosing and buying the ingredients).
  • Create new things with pre-loved lego (we inherited loads of lego second-hand – its cheap to pick up second hand – what can you invent?)
  • Game together – I fell in love with Minecraft after my son spent an hour creating a cat themed roller coaster – it’s a great tool for the imagination. It’s also great in moderation for buying a little adult headspace.
  • Junk modelling – there’s nothing better than creating a junk model with items from the recycling bin. Our favourite was building model boats which we then attached to string and pulled along on our walk by the local pond.
  • Creating sculptures in nature – You don’t have to be a kid to do this. Andy Goldsworthy is the master. An hour out in the woods making cool stuff out of found items is a great way to spend the afternoon. Combine it with a follow up hot chocolate.
  • Den building / even better a den to watch a film from. Active time with down time in den cosiness (depending on the size of the adult and the den).

I’ve made this little chart to help make better choices when I shop, feel free to use it too.

Crow Encounters…

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I’m running a creative writing course in September on The Folkore and Mythology of Wild Birds. I have long been fascinated by the wild birds in the UK. The course will aim to inspire creative writing through learning about Gaelic folklore amongst others.

I have had some fun encounters with crows in particular. A good friend has been adopted by a crow that she has nicknamed Bobby. Bobby flies to greet her on her dog walk every day.

There is also a fantastic crow nicknamed Captain Jack, a jackdaw, which was hand reared by the owners of Pool Bridge Farm wild swimming lakes. He loves nothing more than landing on your head when you are swimming across the lake or jumping onto your lap. You have to watch out though, he has an eye for sparkly things and I’ve heard about an engagement ring and hearing aid recently stolen and deposited in the lake!

If you are interested in booking on my course the details are on my courses / tuition page.

My daughter and I have been sketching crows!

Getting pecked by Bobby

Winter Solace

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A New Year collection of writing celebrating the winter months.

Is anyone struggling with the cold damp weather? It’s so easy to feel dragged down by it and to trudge around with our heads down focusing only on placing one foot after the other; however if we stop to notice and observe – there are so many beautiful things around us in the natural world to notice.

This was the theme for a workshop that I ran in October with fellow writer Nicky Hutchison. Nicky creates and produces her own books which are beautifully hand-bound. We invited all workshop participants to submit their work for inclusion in a Winter Solace themed book as part of the NatureWrights online community involvement.

We are very proud of the result. Nicky will be making more of these publications to go on sale to the public soon!

Our resident artist Sharon Williamson did a really beautiful job of creating the art for the books. We are excited to run more workshops like this in the future 🙂

Happy New Year Everyone!!

Why Write? How and Where to find Inspiration…

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Writing is my passion; but sometimes, it is really difficult to know where to get started and it is also really difficult to stay disciplined to find time to write. One of my students recently asked me where to find inspiration, without a class, or a group, how do we motivate ourselves to feel inspired to sit down with pen and paper? Here are my thoughts:

Writing for the Pure Pleasure of Writing:

Writing for me didn’t start with fictional stories, it started at the age of six when I picked up a pen and started documenting the things that I found overwhelming or awe inspiring in the world. I also loved the physical act of making the letters and words on the page and found it soothing creating the loops and swirls of hand written text.

Nicole Wood Jouve (2001, p12) writes in her chapter: On Keeping a Diary, in The Creative Writing Course book, that ‘writing is a source of tactile and visual pleasure. I like the activity of writing, somewhat under threat in the computer age. I enjoy writing as a craft. Something material in which the whole body can be involved.’ I think this is something that we don’t talk about enough, as well as enjoying the act of writing I also love typing, the satisfying click of the keys and words forming on a blank screen. If I am struggling to find the words or time to write, then sometimes I create lists. I have a game with my children when we go on holiday – we try to find 100 words to describe where we are. These lists are a great way of writing quickly and also a great resource to return to and write in depth about a place. Also a useful warm up before starting prose. I also sketch a lot (also easier with children around and something they find easier to join in with). I have included a reference for my favourite learning to draw book (see bottom of this post), for anyone that might want to explore this further. My sketches often inform later pieces of writing.

Writing as a Way of Making Sense of the World:

Writing diaries and journals are a great way of reflecting and recording what is happening around us, as Jouve also discusses, writing diaries can be like talking something through with a friend, it can help a writer to find their voice. It might not be writing that we publish, but might act as a helpful reference point or memory to return to which we can then build into something else. Jouve also mentions diaries as a point of transformation, we can explore different perspectives and who we want to be in the world. If we have something which we are focused on, keeping a record and an inspirational journal of our progress can help us to stay focused. For me it helped me to feel free, to explore difficult things and to savour memories, to get things down and let them go. The challenge with diary keeping is that we can fall into the trap of just ‘telling’ what happened in our day: ‘Today it was cold, we went to….we saw….. etc’.

Here are some interesting ways in which you could journal instead:

  • Use a journal as a research tool. I keep a nature journal, if I find something interesting I often start with the facts about a species when nature writing and see where that leads me. Often as I build up information and what I like to call ‘sketches with words’ other more imaginative ideas start to form. I use my journals often as a reference point for poetry.
  • Try writing a record of your day as if you were showing someone your day without telling them about it. Imagine you are writing as if they are retracing your steps alongside you. We often think our lives are boring, but when we start to explore our day with a narrative voice it is often surprising the things that we can turn into an interesting story. Play with humour and drama through your writing.
  • ‘Found fiction and poetry’ – if you visit somewhere with information leaflets or hand outs – try using them as a source point of journalling. Take some ‘found words’ in the form of a leaflet and circle the words which stand out to you, or snip up the words and re-order them. See what arises from your subconscious. This is a great way of playing with words and vocabulary. We can all get stuck in language patterns and with our favourite words, this is a great way of shaking things up.

Writing as a way of Connection:

I think this is the main reason why most people write. We have something to say, or a story to share and we want to put our voice into the world. I often hear that writing is a solitary act and people comment that it must be lonely. I would disagree. Writing for me is like baking, when we have created something delicious there is nothing more rewarding than other people enjoying what we have created. Writing is my way of connecting with the world. I miss the days when everyone wrote physical letters, when the post would drop on the matt and I would carry a folded letter in my pocket for the day – a friend’s words close to me. The challenge is finding the right audience. We don’t want to over-saturate people with our voice and there is nothing more disheartening that entering lots of competitions or writing to publishers, only to be rejected and feel silenced. I think of it this way, publishing is the icing on the cake, but it’s not the only thing that my writing is riding on.

Ways to get started writing for connection:

  • Look for local writing groups, I struggled to find a long term group that met the level and depth of writing that I wanted to do, however there are now many more writing forums and groups happening online which offer much more variety. So I would encourage you to have a go. It’s great to meet with others interested in writing and sharing words. In particular, I love teaching nature writing not only for the work that is produced but also for the stories that are shared when we are discussing what we have written. Having a weekly group is a great way to carve out time to write and to keep the momentum going.
  • Explore education. I thought I had missed the boat in pursuing a writing career, until I discovered that you don’t have to have English degree to complete an MA in creative writing. Starting an MA in creative writing was the best thing that I have done. It gave me focus, inspiration, stretched me out of my comfort zone, but most importantly connected me with others who were as interested in creating writing as I was. I can not describe how inspiring and motivating this was and it was worth every penny.
  • Investigate publications, competitions and magazines that have writing prompts and inspiration. There are some great resources to help get you started. I have included a few ideas at the end of this blog. My word of caution would be that ‘comparison is the thief of joy’. Like great baking, enjoy other people’s writing for what it is. Beware of your inner critique who will tell you ‘You will never write like that, you will never get published etc etc’. This is just your inner self trying to protect you from upset, ignore it and keep going. If publication is the icing on the cake but not the end game focus, there is no harm in entering competitions and publication calls – but be sure to have other areas where you can share and receive feedback from your work. There is room for us all in the world and many other ways of connecting with people through words than just publication.
  • Finally and most importantly, read. Don’t be scared of losing your own voice. Reading is the best way to align yourself to the style and forms of writing that you enjoy. It helps us to understand what we do and don’t like, we need to taste other people’s work as a way of connection to inspire our own words. Reading with others and reviewing books is another great way of exploring the form and creating connections.

Writing with Purpose:

I’ve broken my own rule today, of only writing short blog posts. The reason I have this rule as I think many people make a habit of blogging just for the sake of writing and posting regularly without much thought about what they are sharing just for creating content. I try to write with purpose, when I have something important to share on my blog, but also try to keep it brief and easy to dip into.

A great way of getting inspired to write is to find a passion. For me it is the natural world. I will never get bored of exploring this incredible world. Writing helps us to examine things around us in more detail and properly observe what is happening. It’s a way of looking at the world with wonder and awe, remembering what it was like making new discoveries as a child.

Try examining Why you write. Complete a 5 – 10 minute free-writing exercise jotting down all the reasons that motivate you and what interests you in the world. This can be a great way of exploring what motivates you, whether it’s creating fiction, keeping a journal, poetry or a specific genre that interests you. For anyone struggling with allowing themselves creative time, The Artists Way by Julia Cameron is a lovely way to get started and to give yourself permission to nurture your inner creative self.

Some ideas for writing with purpose:

  • If you are interested in writing novels and fiction use the real world for inspiration. Take a notebook to a cafe or park, use your observations as start points for sketching out characters and ideas for storylines.
  • Look to the old stories (folklore, mythology and fairy tales) to inform your writing. Can you create a modern tale from old? Folklore can make a great foundational structure in which to build a modern tale.
  • Find a passion, look around your home, what things are you drawn to, what have you collected, what do you surround yourself with? Whether its particular art, plants, pets – explore this further through your writing.

Writing as a habit:

As Mary Oliver mentions in the Poetry Handbook, one of the first things we need to do is simply to show up! Being disciplined in writing time and pushing through the barriers, the inner critique and the why is one of the hardest steps. I like to start with one notebook and a commitment to fill it. I rely on timers to prompt me to write, I book writing time in my diary and set an alarm for a set amount of time to get me started. By making it a regular habit it will become easier to stay focused. If you choose a theme or purpose to your writing this will also help, so that you can build and re-visit different ideas as your writing journey grows.

Useful books and resources:

Creative Writing Books:

Magazines: (These are a few I have enjoyed, however a quick google search of ‘creative writing magazines’ will bring you a lot of options – so if you have a specific genre or interest such as poetry I would encourage you to delve a bit further as there are some great resources available)

  • The Literary Review a great way of delving into literature. I’ve made some great discoveries of texts I might not have come across through this magazine.
  • Mslexia a magazine (online and on paper) for women who write. Packed full of interesting articles, writing prompts and opportunities to enter your own work. I only discovered this recently but found it full of interesting ideas.
  • SpeltMagazine – this was recommended to me recently – A poetry and creative non-fiction magazine which celebrates the rural experience. A lovely resource for anyone interested in nature writing.

I hope that this blog post was useful!

Best wishes,

Emma

The Iron Coast…

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‘For when the sea is calm [says Camden], the waters at Skengrave being spread as it were into a plain, a hideous groaning is often heard in these parts, on a sudden, and then the fishermen are afraid of the sea. They believe the ocean to be a huge monster which is then hungry and eager to glut itself with the bodies of men.’

Folklore attached to Skinningrove – taken from The Iron Coast by Jane Gardam

Bright skies greeted us driving over the North York Moors to go to the coast today. I met with my best friend on the beach at Skinningrove. A little known place with a huge stretch of sand. Steeped in history Skinningrove is a Viking name – which meant Skinners grove or pit.

At one time Skinningrove was home to a large iron works which opened in 1848. Today you can find remnants of the iron industry along the coast line.

I love the raw beauty of this coastline. The Cleveland Way coastal path runs through Skinningrove which is situated between Saltburn and Staithes, the cliffs above Skinningrove are breathtaking and pass by abandoned Alum Works where huge pits of land have been carved from the cliff. Now filled with bracken and heather they are both eery and beautiful at the same time.

I would take this coastline over any other, any day. For anyone interested in the North East Coast I highly recommend The Iron Coast by Jane Gardam which captures the visceral essence and history of the area, illustrated with black and white photographs taken by Peter Burton and Harland Waltham.

Mini Adventure: The Sumptuous Dyls Cafe in York

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I can not encourage you enough to visit the gorgeous Dyls Cafe in York. Saturated in beautiful colours and a range of art work and graphics it’s a visual feast.

Based in a small tower that held the motor for moving Skeldergate Bridge in York, the cafe now has a fairy tale quality. Plants trail from windows, you follow a tight winding staircase to each floor, the top floor is a tiny round room at the top of the tower, it feels like you have been transported to another time.

I love the quirky style and humour of the decor. It’s a little adventure just spending time soaking up the atmosphere. I don’t get to go that often, but I have to say it’s my favourite cafe in York based on the interior and setting – great coffee and food too!!

Contrasts …

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The crisp winter days are capturing my attention. Mid afternoon sun falling through the woodland paths where we walk our Dachshund (when she is in the mood for walking).

Long shadows fall across the paths. I’m waiting for the first signs of Spring, snowdrops and bulbs pushing through the frozen ground. The starlings are gathering in the trees at the back of our house. All the woodland paths are punctuated by a chatter of bird song.

A sense of movement and change is in the air, each day a new beginning.

Happy New Year!

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We welcomed the New Year with a walk along Hunmanby Gap beach today. A few brave folks were having a New Year’s day dip in the Sea. Strolling along the sand, listening to the waves rolling in and feeling the wind on my face was enough for me.

I would love to claim credit for making pebble pictures of 2022 and a spiral, but we found these along our walk. Today’s adventure was a treat for our Dachshund who doesn’t care for walking much, but does adore the beach. It’s so cute to see her giddy with excitement on the sand.

I was thinking about New Years Resolutions as we walked. Mine this year is to keep on keeping on. Writing is a lengthy process, it’s too easy to give up. I’m going to press on with writing daily and forging ahead with my PhD. The process is as important as the end product. Over the last 7 years I have gradually phased more art and creative writing into my life, I’m looking forward to devoting more time and attention to writing and creativity during 2022.

Happy New Year!

I wish all the best for everyone for 2022!

Dusk walking in the city…

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A late afternoon dog walk in the city turned into a stroll along the River at dusk. I love the reflections on the water and the sparkling lights.

I love the city pigeons but they had all gone off to roost so we found some geese to feed instead. Didn’t manage to get a steady photo – but I quite like these blurry shots.

Reminded me of a beautiful poem we use on the FSC course – Something Told the Wild Geese by Rachel Field. Although these geese are non-migratory – but still lovely all the same.

Home adventures….. Reader Cafes…

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Loving York Library reader cafes this summer. We picked up a leaflet in Rowntree Park Reader Cafe encouraging us to get a stamp from all six reader cafes this summer to win a goodie bag.

It worked! We have two left to go. It’s cost me a small fortune in posh lemonade and hot chocolate – but we made it a teddy bears picnic event and the whole family have got back into reading in a major way. (Result!)

I’ve made some great unexpected finds for my PhD. Nothing better than running your (sanitised) hand along a book shelf and seeing and seeing what speaks to you right?

And we have discovered some great new resources under our noses.

For those of you interested in the bears… they are all rescue bears from charity shops ❤️ Mr Snoots (in the leopard print) only likes to be decent and clothed. Tom Traveller (strange green colour) doesn’t really give a damn. Bez the bear (in his lion onesie) is my replacement bear (top pic) after Mr Snoots surprisingly migrated from my room to my daughters.