Thoughts and words

Inspiration from irritation.

I don't see myself as an irritable person but, like most of us, a state of irritation can result from a harmless question - (or is it a thoughtless question or a throw-away question designed to fill an uncomfortable silence?). While getting older, that question is asked more frequently and... Read more →

The uncertainty of love

It is in the muted colours - the blue and the grey. There is a ghost from the past and it haunts this painting. The ghost gives this painting its beauty. The ghost gives this painting the bitterness that makes us shudder. Distant fog hangs over the painting. A question... Read more →

Schadenfreude

Do you ever get enjoyment at the misfortunes of others? The Germans have a word for it - schadenfreude. It seems to be true that many of us love people who are larger than life - a kind of hero, in fact - somebody like Robin Hood or Cristiano Ronaldo.... Read more →

Memory in the books of others

Just finished Julian Barnes's latest novel, Elizabeth Finch. I must admit to loving Barnes's novels. I read Barnes's The Only Story while on holiday in Morocco a few years ago, and I loved it - at least, that is what memory tells me. Perhaps, in retrospect, it was a sense... Read more →

Creativity, drugs and inspiration from Graves's house

There might be a certain fixation on 20th century creatives and drugs use. It may also be a myth! Did all creatives in the 1960s use drugs and alcohol in order to channel inspiration and make better art? While this may be true for some creators, it may well be... Read more →

Short story from ChatGPT - is this the future?

Instructed to write a short story in slightly old-fashioned style, ChatGPT came up with this little beauty! On an evening of fog and faint moonlight, I found myself on the cusp of history and mystery, drawn to the Roman ruins near my home. My name is Robert Goddard, an enthusiast... Read more →

Inspiration from moments

Life, we are sometimes told, is a journey, not a destination. How we live, moment-by-moment, is what constitutes our lives. And if we find a passion in life, we are free to fill our moments with that passion. People, or some people, think they might be missing out if every... Read more →