Volume 6 | subscribers | 1 different countries | 25 June 2008
Part 1 - Welcome!
Dear %$firstname$%,
When I’m not working, one of the things I really enjoy
is playing tennis and June is a great month with the French
Open, Queens, Eastbourne and the start of Wimbledon.
The saying about “all work and no play”
is an old one, but sometimes it is easy to immerse oneself in
work to the exclusion of everything else.
George Bernard Shaw said “We don’t stop playing
because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.”
So remember to take some time for the fun things in life, whether
it involves telling jokes, your favourite sport, playing monopoly
or going barefoot in the park. Playing increases your creativity
and makes you feel alive.
Part
2 - Feature Article
Play On!
Our sense of playfulness can decline as we grow
older, but it is essential to our overall wellbeing and creativity.
In fact the most spiritual people have a light-hearted, joyful
and childlike quality about them and are truly open to the wonder
of life.
When you are playful in what you do, everything
flows. This also applies to your writing. Playfulness opens up
your creativity, makes you more spontaneous, helps banish your
inner critic and often takes you down an unknown road, which is
full of possibilities. It allows you to tell your real, authentic
story, rather than the one you think you ought to be writing.
Here are some ways to rekindle that in your writing:
A great way to have some fun with words is with
Mad Libs (a play on ad lib, from Latin ad libitum - as you wish)
a word game where one player asks another for a list of words
(nouns, adjectives, verbs etc) to substitute for blanks in a story.
When the story is then read aloud it is usually a funny one. An
American friend of mine introduced me to these many years ago
at 3am during a sleepover party. I thought they were so cool and
still do! Have a
go and if you get hooked you can buy them on Amazon.
If you are struggling to start your book or to begin
a new chapter, ask a close friend to write the first line or paragraph.
The chances are that you’ll disagree with it or simply have
a different idea; either way you’ll be up and running!
If you like a challenge when it comes to word games,
then this Oxford Dictionary website has a veritable smorgasbord
for
you to try.
Words can educate, inspire and comfort, but very
importantly they can also make us laugh. Check out Dr Seuss, Edward
Lear or any other book that has really made you laugh out loud.
If you’re not in the mood for words, then
how about pictures? I came across this delightful website some
time ago on one of Dan Millman’s blog posts. It allows you
to become a creative painter in the vein of Jackson Pollock. With
each mouse click you’ll paint a different colour. Simply
let go, have fun and see what you create. Enjoy!
If you have any other suggestions or comments, please
go to my blog.