Outer demons A lot of fantasy books have demons in them, but they're mostly outer demons rather than the inner demons that hassle modern people. We all need to know how to deal with inner demons, but when we think of demons in fiction, we usually think of outer demons, of which there are many kinds: Christian demons, as in the denizens of Hell, Wiccan demons as in those from a different dimension that can be trapped in magical circles and made to obey commands, Asian demons related to Buddhism and Hinduism, and various other demons associated with different cultures around the planet. Is there any culture that doesn't have some kind of demonic entity associated with it? Modern Westerners in general don't believe in demons. And if they consider demons to be any of those mentioned above, why should they? It's hard for a modern person to believe that demons exist when they can't see them with their own eyes. But what about inner demons? Inner demons We all have inner demons; … [Read more...]
Around the Blogs: 5 short articles that are well worth reading
I found a few articles on the web that I thought you might like to read. Check out: Seven Ways Reading Improves Your Life Stress Can Literally Shrink Your Brain. Buddha on the Art of Critical Thinking 11 Principles of Mindfulness 7 Tips for Those Who Say They Can't Meditate. … [Read more...]
Review: A book to dip into before bed – ‘Chan Heart, Chan Mind: meditation on serenity and growth’
‘Chan Heart, Chan Mind: meditation on serenity and growth’ by Master Guojun (Author) and Kenneth Wapner (Editor) is partially autobiographical and mostly words of wisdom on which to reflect. It does not contain meditation instructions, nor does it give a cohesive introduction to or comprehensive overview of Chinese Buddhism. Rather it is snippets from various talks given by Master Goujin, and as such it gives you a good sense of the warmth and directness of his character. I loved the stories from his life, especially the beginning where he describes making ink for his calligraphy master. It made a very engaging beginning to the book and provided a lively learning experience that Master Goujin could then use to teach us. I would have liked more of this approach. Beside it, the admonishments to be this (e.g. calm) or do that (e.g. help others) felt a little lack lustre, not in meaning, but in delivery. I very much appreciated the quality of the English; it was great to have Chinese … [Read more...]
WWW #12. Man on a Mountain.
This post is part of 'WORLDS WITHIN WORLDS', a series of writings about Prunella (Ella) Smith, author, editor & reviewer, and the many worlds she inhabits: her physical reality; her online world where disgruntled author Dita stalks; the worlds of the books she edits; her dream world, and the world beneath the veil of her ordinary reality. Click here for the previous offerings in reverse order, or here for links to them in order. I'm relieved to leave the cyber-world behind. It's unreal compared to the three dimensional world around me, and yet it can take on a frightening reality of its own. Like Kelee's world, the cyber-world is merely black symbols on a white background, but our minds flesh out the symbolism and make it real - at least in our minds. Right now, I need to get out of my head. Merlin trots at my heels and yowels. I grab a sash from the back of the couch in the living room and dangle it in front of him. He leaps up and batts it with his cute little paws. I … [Read more...]
How to develop your creativity.
Creativity is an important, yet often overlooked, factor in many jobs, and in our personal lives. We think it is only important for artists and musicians, but consider how creativity can improve: The way you deal with people - perhaps that difficult person needs a new approach. Creativity allows you to step outside your usual way of doing things and try something fresh, and it could be the very thing that allows the relationship to re-set so to speak. The way you do your job - whatever your work, there are different ways to approach things, different solutions to various problems and different ways to deal with issues, deadlines and stress. Mostly we follow the same pattern, even when it isn't working very well for us, but consider the possible affect of greater contact with the space from which creativity springs. That alone will allow other possibilities to arise; you could come up with a better way, and even if not, simply trying different things can shift something so that things … [Read more...]
Blog Tour: It’s more than just a story!
Pop over to Pretty in Fiction and read about the real magic in my Diamond Peak Series. It's kind of an inspired piece, so it's worth checking out. Thanks for hosting me Jesse. … [Read more...]
How to find the state where your creativity flows.
In my last post, I gave some simple ways to enter the open state beyond thoughts and emotions where the deepest form of creativity can emerge, but sometimes (often, if you’re not used to meditation of some form) our minds are too wild for those to work straight away. If your thoughts are speeding along, you won’t notice the gap between them and if you can’t find that gap, you can’t enter there, but that’s where we’ll find the creative space. So first, we have to slow down those thoughts. There are various ways to do this, generally they’re called meditation, but that’s a word often loaded with erroneous concepts, so I try to avoid it. Here are some key points as taught by Tibetan Meditation masters. If you’re a Christian, please don’t freak out; the mental space you’re going to is where you experience God or become one with God, however you want to look at it. It is also the space from which prayer is most powerful. Where else are you going to get the best creativity from? · … [Read more...]
Real creativity and how to get it.
I can safely say that I know how to be creative, because I spent twenty years employed as a performance artist. During that time, I created posters, publicity blurbs, props, masks and costumes as well as creating and performing in Visual Theatre performances. Our shows were known for being unique, and now, my writing isn’t like anything else out there either. That’s my qualification for this post and the next two on the same subject. If you want to be creative or more creative, I think you need to 1. Know what real creativity is – then you know what you’re aiming for. 2. Know where real creativity comes from 3. Learn how to go to that place 4. Learn how to set the creativity flowing 5. Learn how to express what you find there I’m going to write this as it applies to writing, but the principles apply to any creative field. 1. What is real creativity? Real creativity is hard to define, so I’m being lazy and telling you what it’s not. It’s … [Read more...]
