Sometimes you hear people say “What’s the use of being a solitary contemplative?” How can any of humanity’s problems be resolved by those who withdraw from the world, to live the life of a hermit or a monk? The vital role of the sadhu or holy man is long established in Indian tradition; and renewed interestContinue reading “Wisdom from Hermitage, Cave and Monastery”
Category Archives: musings
Favour, privilege, and royal fairy dust
My son mentioned to me that he had learned from Newsround that Garry Barlow of Take That had asked Prince Harry to sing a line in one of their songs. And that Harry had (so far) refused. This led to thoughts about royal power and privilege; especially as I later watched the excellent TV programme “She-Wolves” presentedContinue reading “Favour, privilege, and royal fairy dust”
Elizabeth, Dudley and Happy Times in Ruined Castles
Castles always make me happy. I’m lucky to live within a short distance of two of the country’s greatest – Kenilworth and Warwick. I’ve visited both many times but it’s Kenilworth that most captures my imagination. Is this because it lies in ruins whereas Warwick is still intact and has a Tussauds exhibition in it? WhenContinue reading “Elizabeth, Dudley and Happy Times in Ruined Castles”
Spaces, Holes and Boundaries in Creative Imagination
In the Birmingham City Art Gallery I found an artist whose work conjured up for me an imaginary conversation between two people meeting at a party: “So what do you do for a living?” “I tie threads round holes.” As I imagined the likely response, I gazed at a series of photographs of various holes inContinue reading “Spaces, Holes and Boundaries in Creative Imagination”
An Answer to Prayer, or Just Good Luck?
Often traditional Irish / Celtic prayers travel cyberspace, packaged as good luck messages inspired by folk religion and treated as if they’re magic words – giving luck and chance greater respectability to our way of thinking than the idea of prayer to a God who is listening and answering. So, today I ask: ‘Why pray?’ and ‘Does it work?’ Many doContinue reading “An Answer to Prayer, or Just Good Luck?”
Dramatic Conversion Experiences, and the Mystery of Love versus Willpower
This is the second in my series of posts reflecting upon recent conversations with others about their beliefs. And this question came up: Is faith about emotion or the will? Quite often you may hear people say, “It’s all very well for you. You have faith. I wish I had faith – but I don’t.”Continue reading “Dramatic Conversion Experiences, and the Mystery of Love versus Willpower”
How Can Carl Jung’s Theory of Archetypes Help You in Your Creative Writing?
Among his many theories, Carl Jung includes “archetypes”. An archetype may be defined as “a universally understood symbol or term or pattern of behaviour”. If you read Robert McKee’s Story, you will find that the key to writing a great novel lies in “building archetypal elements into the story.” So what exactly are these “archetypal elements”? And how exactlyContinue reading “How Can Carl Jung’s Theory of Archetypes Help You in Your Creative Writing?”
Virgin Births, Electric Monks and Troublesome Beliefs
I enjoy listening to people talking about their beliefs. This is a source of inspiration for me. So here are my insights from some recent conversations – and they’re about the Virgin Birth, the electric monk, and package deals of beliefs. Many of us can fall prey to a certain mental habit: we believe what we want to believe,Continue reading “Virgin Births, Electric Monks and Troublesome Beliefs”
Inspiration for Creative Writers From Artists
Honesty and truthfulness – these are the outstanding virtues of a great artist. And as a creative writer I have in recent times found inspiration from two contemporary artists, Grayson Perry and Tracy Emin. Both artists hold personal challenges for me…
The Christmas List
Who else finds writing Christmas cards the cause not just of gladness but pain and sorrow? I put off “doing” my Christmas list until I’m in the mood – and light a candle and have a glass of sherry or wine to help create that mood. Why? Because each year I have to engage with the majorContinue reading “The Christmas List”
scskillman.com 