Ten Ways To Remain Creative

1. This is probably the MOST important: ALWAYS carry a notebook and pen. This is vital if you want to record your ideas or write stories. You don't need an expensive notebook. A 99p notebook will do fine. You don't need an expensive pen. A biro or a roller ball pen will be fine. Or a pencil, for that matter--Captain Scott of the Arctic/Antarctic wrote his letters using a pencil.

I carry an A6-sized notebook and roller-ball ink pen. I cannot abide biros. The most important thing is to write using a pen you are comfortable with. In fact, do carry more than one pen. I carry three pens in case one pen runs out of ink--easily done.

2. Read everything, whether it is newspapers, magazines, journals, comics, books of different genres, poetry, cereal boxes etc. Read voraciously so you may learn about the world, so you may learn new things, and you find humour in the least expected of places. Obituaries, for example can reveal some interesting insights about the lives of men and women.

3. Watch foreign films and quality documentaries: these can be very meaningful and tell a story that can be heart-rendering and very moving, sometimes not necessarily with a clear-cut ending. Blockbusters don't provide that.

4. You are an artist. You deserve the best. You need quality sustenance to nurture your talent. It is not a good idea to live on the cheap or compromise on quality. For example, if you are going to have a sandwich or make someone a sandwich, make a really good one using home-made bread and rich ingredients. Show people what you are made of. After all, you DO want your sandwiches to be the talk of the town, don't you? Regarding drinks: if you are going to have cola, don't buy supermarket cola: go for an international brand (unless you do like supermarket cola in the first place). When you live like a king or queen, your talent will unleash itself and soon you will create amazing works of art. Look after your body and the rest follows.

5. Keep yourself clean and your workspace tidy. You may be an artist or a writer, but you also need to maintain a professional appearance. For example, when you meet others at parties or gallery openings you will meet people that will show an interest in you. Conversations may spur you to write something your notebook afterwards.

6. Write about five things that happened to you at work today and explain what was so terrible about them. Who was the villain? Was it your boss? You could incorporate these incidents into a later story.

7. Count your blessings. Ask yourself why you are lucky to be alive. Ask yourself what you give to your friends and what they give to you in return. Try to remember the name of the kindest person in your life and write about him or her.

8. Get a pet--a dog, cat or gerbil. If you are an artist or photographer, then you have a life subject that will happily offer you numerous sittings forever (as long as you feed them!). Human models can be an expensive business; and not everybody likes human subjects. Dogs and cats as subjects sell well.

9. Get some rest. Sleep is important. You should not shirk on your sleep. A dog makes a great afternoon nap companion; and moreover they warm you up faster than any old radiator. To recap: all you need is a sofa, woollen blanket and dog.

10. Visit new places. It's all very well visiting your local coffee shop every day, but as an artist and writer you should visit places you have never been to before. For example, old cemetries with overgrown plants. Bring a camera. And take your dog with you. Love and companionship is important.