Day 363: A view to...anywhere

This is the sight out my window this morning. Pretty dull. It's raining and it's wet. There was some kind of commotion a minute ago with reversing cars and horns. That's about as exciting as it gets. Sometimes there's people walking past on there way to the park, but not on a day like today.

Wouldn't it be cool if every time you opened your curtains there was a different scene there. One day it could be a city-scape in lights, the next it could be misty mountains. Maybe you would see a volcano explode one morning. That would wake you up! Or you could be next you a raging river or the savannah in Africa. A giraffe could meet you on that morning!

It would certainly beat my window scene.

What would you want to see out of your window? Take your imagination on holiday with this one...

Day 323: Once in a lifetime...

Yesterday I spent six hours in the car traveling from Devon to Essex. I don't usually travel by car and although it was a long and pretty boring journey, I saw loads of amazing things, creative and inspiring in their own way. But, like an idiot, I didn't take any pictures.

It got me thinking about all the things I do, which I'll only do once. I mean, I will do that journey again, but it won't be the same. There will be different cars filled with different people, doing different things at a different time. The weather won't be the same. The people I travel with won't be the same. The traffic will stop and start and different places. I'll see different birds, different houses, different pedestrians.

It's like when you go to  gig. That collection of people will never be in the same place sharing the same experience ever again.

Most things we do, we will never do it again. If you think about it, everything is once in a lifetime. So, how do you capture them? How do you capture the creativity, the inspiration that you get...?

Something to think about...

Day 314: the London Marathon

When I was a kid, my grandparents used to take us on the train to watch the thousands of people running through the streets of London for the marathon. Nanny would lead us to the side of the road, where we'd park up for 20 minutes to watch the fastest runners check their watches and quicken their pace. Then she'd march us off through the side streets to catch another flow of runners.

My grandad who cheer, 'Come on John,' but whenever I asked him who he was cheering for he'd say anyone and everyone. There were people holding up big banners and hunches of balloons. Some had shakers. There was even a steel-tinned drumming band one year.

The best bit was the fun runners. People dressed up as rhinos, clowns and soldiers. Anything goes with the fun runners.

Eventually, we'd get to the finish line and watch hundred of people run past Buckingham Palace and across the finish line. Beyond it, there were fields of silver sheets, keeping the runners warm as their hearts slow back to the pace of the rest of us.

By the end of the day, we would squeeze onto the crowded Underground, back to Liverpool Street. Occasionally, someone would get up and let a runner sit down in their place, Becca and I would gorp at their medallion in awe. They'd just run for 26 miles!

That's my memory of the marathon. Do you have one?

Day 251: Thoughts from an Odeon worker...

As many of you know, I work part time at the Odeon. Pocket money whilst at Uni, I guess. Yesterday, I spent 10 and a half hours telling people they'll be upstairs in screen 8 and to enjoy their film.

The thing I've noticed, as a creative thinker, is that people believe they're being funny and original when actually, they all respond with the same 'jokes'. When I ask someone where they want to sit ('cause the Odeon has allocated seating) they say, 'In a seat,' nudging their friends, like they're the first person who ever thought that one up.

At the moment, we have to try and make people buy an Odeon Premier Card (which actually is a good deal) but as soon as you say it, they cut you off with a firm, 'NO'. That's when I tend to give up. I've started calling it a loyalty card, in the hope that it'll sound more appealing, but then you get the wise cracks that say, 'No thanks, I'm not loyal.' One day I'll respond with, 'Well done, mate. You've taken the word I just said and turned it around. Rocket science, that one!'

Yesterday, however, someone did stand out. When I asked them if they would be interested in one of out loyalty cards, they looked me straight in the eye and said, 'No, I'm extremely fickle.'

What a thing to say! Was he joking? Who knows, but it really did brighten up my day in a weird way because he was different and it gave me hope. People are the same, but there's always those few who don't conform to the norm. They are the people who stand out and they are usually creative thinkers.

Creativity is always the envy of others. People wanna know how you can do that or maybe why we do it, but it's what makes you you! So, keep up the good work, folks. You never know whose day you'll make better.

Be that different voice, be creative and be proud of it!

Day 150: Story makers

Yesterday I got the bus up to uni. Normally I get the uni bus (makes sense) but I decided to get the 'public' bus and walk up from where it drops you off.

I have a confession. I have always been quite fond of eaves dropping. Usually when I'm on the uni bus I don't bother 'cause all the conversations are the same, about uni work, going out, getting drunk etc. Bit boring really. I've been doing less of the eaves dropping because of this.

In fact yesterday, when I got on the 'public' bus, I wasn't even planning on eaves dropping, but as I was reading this women behind me was talking on the phone and I just couldn't ignore her.

Now, the interesting thing was, I didn't know what she looked like. I didn't notice her when I got on and I couldn't very well turn round and stare at her. She'd think I was weird. So, obviously I invented her face in my mind. As she talked in her incredibly posh British accent, I couldn't help but try and piece her life together.

This is what I got. I presumed the person she was talking to was her sister, who is the only person she can confide in (on a public bus for all to hear). Her father is impossible (perhaps in a home with early signs of dementia). She can't talk to her mother about anything because she'll tell it all to her father (so maybe he hasn't got dementia in a home, but he's just impossible.) Oh and she's a teacher, but hates her job, especially a student called Louise apparently. Daniel is okay though. But maybe they are her own children...

Who knows, eh!

The thing that fascinated me about this conversation was my own need to piece her story together, to create a story, a character...I totally had a picture in my mind of what this women was like and what she was going through, all from half a conversation heard on a bus!

So, today, I encourage you to do a bit of eaves dropping in a public place and see what stories you hear (or is it create?) I'll let you decide that one.

Happy creating...

Day 17: People watching

Have you ever found yourself waiting for a friend in a park, cinema, shopping centre, train station...? The likely answer to this question is most definitely yes. At these times you end up getting annoyed and spending your time thinking, 'where on earth has my friend got to!'

Well. the next time this happens to you I want to encourage you not to see it as an annoying waste of time, but think, how can I use this time to spark creativity?

Try this; just sit back and watch the people around you. What are they doing/wearing/eating/talking about? Would you do that? People who don't know they are being watched do the funniest/unexpected/realistic things. Trust me, it's loads of fun to watch people doing their shopping or playing footy in the park, chatting on the phone or whatever else you see people doing.

It teaches you about how people react. Add their behaviour to your characters, or try and capture it in art, dance, theatre...Who knows, they could end up contributing to your masterpiece without even knowing.

Nothing is ever a waste of time, not when you're creative!