It is unacceptable that the Syrian war and its deep, shattering, complicated consequences, are largely boycotted by most mainstream and commercial media. But as a journalist and a novelist I can understand that there are aspects of this war that are better communicated through art than through the rough cold facts of news. Blindness, turning … Continue reading
Following on from my post on the importance of creativity to everyday life and to struggle, here are some activities you, your workplace, family, organisation, or other types of groups can try. These tools can help you generate ideas when you are at a loss for how to solve a problem, or they can help … Continue reading
No puedo mencionar su nombre porque es una niña. Tenía doce años en ese momento, era demasiado joven para trabajar legalmente, pero no demasiado joven para ser obligada a ser madre. Era mi alumna, y recuerdo que, hace unos años, jugaba al puente con ella. Se reía con deleite infinito mientras yo sostenía sus pies … Continue reading
We typically associate creativity with art, writing, and music. And while that is spot on, creativity is also a life skill. In essence, it is the ability to think beyond the obvious, outside the box, and to use one’s imagination to create new, good, ideas and things. So, practising creativity through the expressive arts can … Continue reading
Daisy Zamora is a Nicaraguan poet who has written about women’s rights, politics, revolution, art, history, and more. She fought against the Somoza dictatorship in the 1970s, and joined the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) in 1973. During the revolution she was program director for clandestine Radio Sandino, and after the FSLN came to power, … Continue reading
Too often, the general vision of poor countries and oppressed peoples is provided by the white male gaze and viewpoint. People – journalists, photographers and tourists – from the US come to Mexico for example, for two weeks. And it is their US-centric version of the world that makes its way into the English-language media … Continue reading
When I was living in Venezuela, I struggled to write creatively about it. Instead, my first novel was set in my home country of Australia. The novel I’m working on now is set in nearby Mexico City rather than Puebla, where I live. It’s a great set up, because I visit Mexico City enough to … Continue reading
Jorge Madrid is a Honduran activist whose opposition to current right-wing president Juan Orlando Hernández saw him receiving death threats and having to flee the country. He was also a student leader when then President Manuel Zelaya was overthrown by a coup in 2009. He says the stealing of the elections in 2017 and direct … Continue reading
Jonathan Josué Terreros Monteros is an indigenous Otovalan surrealist photographer and digital artist who is challenging the stereotypical portrayal of his people and capturing their true essence, cultura, and traditions. His work can be found on Instagram and Facebook. And here’s a preview of a few of his works, below. Continue reading
I often do this activity with kids – turn a squiggle into a drawing – but this writing exercise takes that a step further. Close your eyes and draw some random lines, circles, loops, zigzags, or whatever, on a piece of paper, or using a paint program. Then, open your eyes and turn what you … Continue reading
