I’ve never been one for new year’s resolutions. I usually fall out of love with whatever challenge I enthusiastically embrace in the first few days of January and would rather spare myself the heartache. But I do believe change is a good thing. And that’s just as well because I’ve started 2022 with some very big changes.
10 Tips for Maintaining Creative Steam
As time wears on and other responsibilities suck up time and energy, it’s easy to put creating aside, gradually slipping off the wagon until you lose momentum entirely. Not to mention, being highly productive for a full month isn’t always realistic.
Here are ten tried and tested tips for when you lose your creative steam.
There's Something in the Walls: Deconstructing the Haunted House in 'His House' and 'Relic'
The haunted house has undergone reconstruction in recent years. Instead of spectres of Victorian children and women in white gowns floating through grand houses to torment the gullible new homeowners who couldn’t believe the incredible deal they got on the long-abandoned mansion in the middle of nowhere, monsters reside in the very foundations of the building. No longer hiding in plain sight, creatures creep behind the cladding, adding a further layer of mystery to their presence. Evil seeping into the foundations of our homes has perhaps been used most effectively in Remi Weekes’ His House (2020) and Natalie Erika James’ Relic (2020).
Stranger Than Fiction: The Gorbals Vampire
It was a still September night when nearly 400 schoolchildren descended on the Southern Necropolis in Glasgow’s Gorbals district in 1954. The neighbouring steelworks provided a suitably spooky backdrop, casting a red glow across the graveyard, a thin smoke seeping between the stones. Armed with crosses, knives, stakes, and dogs, these children were hunting. A seven-foot-tall creature with iron fangs was said to be lurking in the Necropolis, waiting for its next victim. These brave souls were ready to drive the Gorbals Vampire out of Glasgow.
But what caused these kids to form their own Monster Squad?
15 Chilling Tales to Read this October
Spooky season is finally upon us. When the chilly mornings start rolling in and the auburn leaves fall from the trees, there are few better things to do than curl up in a chair, wrapped in a blanket and coffee in hand, to read a good scary story. Whether looking for a classic haunting or a modern twist on familiar genres, I’ve pulled together 15 of the most spine-tingling books to get you in the Halloween spirit.
Invisible Forces
The Gothic Revival
We stayed there until we felt ready to continue our adventure. As I tramped through the tall grass like a Gothic heroine, I understood why Ann Radcliff’s Emily St Aubert was so drawn to exploring the deep woods and towering mountains, and the Brontë sisters’ heroines were tightly connected to wild moors and angry storms. It made me think that perhaps we’re not as far removed from the swooning maidens of Gothic literature as we might like to believe.
Five Things I've Learned Writing How to Draw Books
To celebrate the release of my latest how to draw book, I wanted to share some of the most significant lessons I’ve learned while working on these projects. These tips aren’t for established artists. They’re for the proud amateurs; for fellow creators who might have packed away their pencils in favour of other hobbies; or anyone who has the itch to give drawing a try but finds their confidence is holding them back.
Art Isn't Dead: Bo Burnham, Performance and the Audience
Creating art has become more difficult in the digital era. Thanks to our daily access to anything we could ever want being carried in our back pockets, the lines between art and content have severely blurred. We don’t enjoy art in the same way we enjoy content. Yes, there’s an overlap of creative skill involved in each. But art has something to say; content has something to sell.
Celebrating Snail Mail: Rediscovering the Joy of Writing Letters
The act of writing forces us to slow down. The empty page isn’t just another open tab on the screen. The absence of the blinking text cursor at the top of a blank page allows the writer time to think. It’s a reflective and purposeful experience that doesn’t demand an immediate reaction. There’s no room for rapid task switching: it holds our attention as we concentrate on sharing our stories and filling the page by drawing each word, one letter at a time.