Agonising over sleep is a curse that afflicts a silent army of insomniacs every night. It doesn’t even start in the night, more in the half-life of morning, around 3am, maybe 4am, and come 5am it’s a case of apocalyptic doom. According to World Sleep Day's mantra, when 'sleep is sound, health and happiness abound'. Really?
6 reasons why writing is a skill everyone should cultivate
The question of what motivates and inspires writers has enduring appeal for anyone eager to pursue the creative life. It also reveals some fascinating insights from which anyone can benefit. We all have a story to tell, as individuals, organisations, communities, societies, businesses. And just like any story, if it’s interesting enough and told well, people will listen.
To have or to be? That is the question
Love, poetry, women and war
Based on the advice of writers from Stephen King to David Foster Wallace, Susan Sontag, Henry Miller, Zadie Smith and many more, when I cannot write my designated daily quota of 500 words on one subject, I turn to reading. I scour the net, my bookshelves and every local bookshop, in search of inspiration, thirsty for facts that might ultimately furnish each of my projects with added authenticity.
Understanding the disturbed mind
Memories and the value of narrative truth
Memories are the defining feature of human identity. They underlie the decisions that help determine our future, they colour our reflections on the past, and they characterise our life stories. But our headspace is notoriously fluid, susceptible to damage, change and loss. The stories that we weave together from what we can recall, while an inimitable gateway into our personalities, are not entirely true.