When we’re talking about what sort of creativity and care work should be paid, the starting point has to be a better definition of work. Continue reading
Category Archives: Article
Article / Sexuality/Gender / Story / Writing
La ausencia del derecho al aborto está privando a Latinoamérica de su voluntad y de su derecho a vivir plenamente
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
11 ways creativity is important in life and struggle
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
Using distance to increase creativity
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
The importance of making up stories for kids
The benefits of reading books to children are well known, but making up stories for and with them is the pinnacle of care and teaching. The good news is, it isn’t about telling a perfect story. Instead, it’s about giving interactive attention to the children, creating memories, passing on morals and culture that are important … Continue reading
In the Netflix / social media era, is it really necessary to read fiction books?
When I can settle down into a book, I feel like someone who has been running frantically for days and is finally home. Reading is one of the most fulfilling things I do, and it is easy – no transport or planning necessary. Yet after a long, exhausting day of work, I often find that … Continue reading
The destructive myth of the objective journalist
The existence of objective or neutral journalists is a myth, and those who claim to revere such journalism are only attempting to justify an absence of context and depth in coverage and are elevating pro-status-quo journalism. Male sports journalists tend to know the sport they cover well and feel passionate about it, but when it … Continue reading
How to rid your search results of unreliable and low-grade content + list of sites to block
Sometimes you have to click through to the forth of fifth page of Google results to get past the content-farmed sites and unhelpful Quora pages, and it’s starting to get really annoying. What’s particularly concerning is that the average web user won’t go past the first five search results – meaning that corporate sponsored content … Continue reading
Writing to sell or please others limits creativity
How many mind-blowing, thought-provoking and beautiful books or films can you think of that were created while trying to please others? Doesn’t the most impactful, memorable writing boldly challenge the status quo, play with aesthetics, and startle us instead? Here are some reasons why writers should steer clear of pleasing others: 1) When a writer … Continue reading
The Vivid Dangers of Our Indifference to a Hellish World
Obligatory apathy: We live in a society that despises any sign of caring about just how bad things are for most people. The planet is corroding and smoldering, and time and resources are going into nuclear weapons and sending humanity into its own carefully prepared hell. The unequal global economy is efficiently stimulating the starvation … Continue reading
PSA to men: Stop insisting
He asked me if I wanted to go out and get wine and look at the stars. I said, politely and honestly, no thanks – I was tired and it was really cold out. He came back with, “How about wine somewhere closer?” so I had to find a way to say no, again, politely. … Continue reading
Iran in photos: These are the people the US won’t let in
In the giant main square of Isfahan, two women eating saffron ice-cream came up to myself and a friend and asked us where we’re from. We replied, and with huge smiles they said “Welcome to Iran!” then walked off. Over the next week this sort of thing happened frequently, and sometimes extended into questions about … Continue reading
