Our everyday lives are an abundant source of creative ideas in the form of people, places, locations and experiences. However, when it comes to using this \u2018primary source\u2019 of information, many people find it difficult to distance themselves from the \u2018physicality\u2019 of the object, event or the person \u2013 getting too caught up in the detail \u2013 and the telling – of who said what or what happened. This is fine for a police report or something that has to be accurately detailed but when it comes to creativity or writing fiction you need to stand back and see the infinite possibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When it comes to working with writers on their memoir, the challenge for the \u2018subject’ is always the same. Turning everyday events or facts into a story with a message. This requires the subject to move back \u2013 to move away from the events that \u2018happened to them\u2019 and try to see the broader message, the take-aways for the audience or the metaphor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Memoir by its very nature is about transformation \u2013 so the protagonist (subject) has to start off at point A and embark on the journey to get to point C. Like everyone else I love a good memoir, but a good memoir isn\u2019t just about \u2018He said\u2019, \u2018She said\u2019, \u2018I did this\u2019, \u2018The end\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My favourite Australian writers are always the ones that paint a picture of a location \u2013 whether it\u2019s the climate or landscape. In fact, Tim Winton evokes Australian Landscape so effortlessly it becomes a \u2018character\u2019 in his books from the thirsty salt plains to the turbulent surf. It\u2019s a testament to his skill as a writer that he takes everyday experiences of his environment and gives them form, personality and a character arc of their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I myself was born and brought up in Scotland, so for me the use of the landscapes and the weather are devices I use \u2018creatively\u2019 not just in my writing but in the colours I surround myself with. In the studio here I have painted the walls a Scandinavian limewash and \u2018Norwegian Dusk\u2019 floorboards because these are the colours of my childhood. I remember the sea and sky both meeting on a horizon of steely greys and silvers and while it chilled me to the bone as a child, I find it calming and cooling in the hotter climes of Australia. You can evoke such a range of emotions and sensations with wind, rain, snow or oppressive heat without ever saying \u2018I was stressed\u2019 or \u2018I was feeling listless. You can evoke a feeling of loneliness and fear by being the only person climbing Ben Nevis, clinging on to the steely grey, granite rockface by your fingertips<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keeping the focus in Scotland just for a moment longer, Mendelssohn was inspired to compose \u2018Hebrides Overture\u2019 after a visit to the awe-inspiring Fingal\u2019s Cave on the island of Staffa on Scotland\u2019s Hebrides islands. The cave itself is a Basalt Sea cave so the formation itself is rather inspiring, reminiscent of a huge church organ \u2013 and yet the notes played are from the swell of the sea surging in and out and crashing on the rocks. If you close your eyes and listen to this piece of music I guarantee each of your senses will thank you and transport you to the sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n