Whilst Andrew nurses a bad cold, Anne-Marie and Caitlin are Christmas shopping, and Michael is discovering a new-found enthusiasm for things culinary. Meanwhile the art robbers are awaiting sentence following their guilty plea and DC Harris makes arrangements for the safe return of the stolen goods. On the night of the Winter Solstice, The MaxwellContinue reading “Epiphanies and Robberies Chapter 12: The Advent of New Ways of Being”
Category Archives: Creativity
Finding a place in the world: the inspiring story of Amy McCreadie
When you are chairing a job interview and explain to the incoming candidate how we are going to proceed, it’s common to receive a polite nod of nervous understanding before the panel members start their questions. When instead, the candidate gives a huge smile and says ‘Awesome!‘ then you know this is no ordinary jobContinue reading “Finding a place in the world: the inspiring story of Amy McCreadie”
Encountering labyrinths
At Lammastide 2015, I was lucky enough to secure a modest rent and a long lease on the field adjoining our house in south west Scotland. I set about planting trees, initially in circles and later, linking them together with mown paths. One circle consisted of fairly closely planted hornbeams. My idea was to createContinue reading “Encountering labyrinths”
Heading Home: a miscellany of writings
In late 2020, on saying goodbye to four decades of work in academia, I resolved to devote time to something that had been bubbling up in my thinking for quite a while: the desire to continue writing, but to do so in a more creative and inventive manner. True, I’d recently written a biography whichContinue reading “Heading Home: a miscellany of writings”
Tony Bonning: stories, music and journeys
I first encountered Tony Bonning early one Saturday morning, years back, at the Moniave Folk Festival. He had a children’s session coming up and meanwhile was in the middle of the village entertaining the slowly surfacing festival goers with his own lovely mixture of songs, wry remarks and curious diversions. Over the years he hasContinue reading “Tony Bonning: stories, music and journeys”
From scalpel to story: creative reactions after surgery
It’s curious how a moment of creativity can sneak up on you by surprise. After months, even years, of struggling with an idea that will simply not allow itself to be realised, something changes, and the floodgates of the imagination are opened. Here’s how it happened in my case, quite recently.
Quotidian 