Magnetic, electric, eclectic eyes,
That shine like frozen diamonds raised by sunlight,
Decorated by free-falling hair that parades and cascades
With the freedom of flight, that will best strike
Those able to see the beauty within,
that goes beyond mere skin
I’ve quoted countless of my favourite poems, but I do like to share my own work too. The last one, She Loved Me Once, was in June, so I was certainly due.
I liked the idea of a view within a view so took this from my (stationary) car while on my way to Coniston in the Lake District. You can find another photo from my trip here.
On my way into the 02 to see the Star Sixes tournament, I saw a photographic opportunity to capture something a little different. I’ve been there before to see music and tennis, but hadn’t spotted this angle.
I spotted this Hidden Worlds competition from the website Photocrowd, where those entering were asked to “look at architecture from a different perspective and reveal places where we can escape or let our imagination run free”. Such a creative prompting received all manners of interpretation. Below are my favourite eight. Do you have a favourite? What theme do you think would make a great idea for a photographic competition?
For four days in London recently it seemed as if the city was being taken over by celestial beings from another planet. From Thursday to Monday a host of international artists showcased their illuminating creative artwork for free as part of the Lumiere Festival. Hosted by the charity Artichoke and the Mayor of London, it ran from 6.30pm to 10.30pm and attracted huge crowds. To give you an idea of what it was like, I’ve chosen my eight favourite images from Harper’s Bazaar. Has your home town or city recently hosted anything fun or different?
One of the joys of this blog has been able to share the things that interest me and that have grabbed my attention. It’s also been great to have shown you some of my creative works with you in the past, including my poetry and writing process. So I thought why not put up one of my short stories, one I’ve always had a soft spot for.
To give a bit of context. I wrote Lies and Secrets in college (the photo would have been taken a year or two later – I’m on the right) and even won some book vouchers when I entered it into a local competition. At the time I was writing lots of short stories and was even part of a weekly writing group. What with Google, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, it hasn’t dated well but I still feel an attachment for it. Do you like it? I’d welcome any feedback so please let me know what you think.
A newspaper I’ve been reading since I was a teenager has always had a back page feature entitled ‘A Life in the Day’; a reverse reference to the famous Beatles song. In it, a celebrity or even an ordinary person will explain a regular day and how that relates to their life. It continues to this day, and a few years ago I bought the 25th Anniversary book. As part of a writing project, I wrote one myself when I was 18. It’s amazing to look back the hopes, dreams and routine of myself over a decade ago. I hope you like it. And no, I still don’t drink tea or coffee.
I’ve read so many great creative pieces by bloggers on here, and with some even explaining their process of writing, that I wanted to share something the way I write. I penned this years ago, before even going to university so it’s quite a feeling to look back on it. Hope you all like it.
As the night fades to nothingness
And the nothingness fades back to light,
I sit alone staring at the sky
Lay ever infinitely away, ponder what I am thinking.
That laying before a heartless horizon I so adore
I am destined to be replaced,
And never to be traced,
Back to the chance for a paradise I never faced.
But I am to be comforted.
The sky will always sleep above me,
It guarding me forever,
Until that nothingness
never dies again…
And again…
And again…
Amidst the silence, shadows and cloak of secrecy,
Amongst the dismayed, disgusted and despaired
There lies a place: unseen, unheard of.
Beyond anything, care or repair
Filled with haunted, taunted, distorted souls,
Who, tortured by the tainted night
Create their own images and ideas.
The thoughts and fears,
Become tantrums and tears
As those lost souls wait patiently by the door
For new members to arrive and fall.
Alex Raphael 