Children’s story Bibles and why we give our children such rubbish
September 16, 2013 Leave a Comment

Children’s story Bibles and why we give our children such rubbish

I recently wrote an article for Childrenswork Magazine which required me to read children’s story Bibles for review. And I mean lots of children’s story Bibles. My desk was groaning under the weight of so many hardback books emblazoned with happy pictures of Noah and lots of animals. There were some amazing ones (my favourite was The Big Picture Story Bible by David Helm and the wonderfully named Gail Schoonmaker), but there was quite a lot of rubbish. And this got me thinking – why do we give our children such rubbish sometimes?

I used to think this a lot when I was working in Christian children’s publishing. There seemed to be so many terrible books and resources on the market which did so well, either because they were cheap or appealed to an adult’s idea of what children might like/be interested in (which was often quite far away from what children actually like or are interested in). Sometimes I used to wonder why people weren’t a bit more discerning, why they didn’t take the time to find the best.

Sadly, I fear that this lack of discernment might be down partly to lack of money and time. If these Bibles are being bought for a church group, the children’s budget will be small and the purchaser may not have a lot of time to devote to the job. There may also be the attitude that ‘it’s only the children, so don’t waste too much time on it’. Or the buyer just doesn’t know what children are interested in.

But devote a bit more effort to the choice and you’ll find a book which will help children grow in their relationship with God and help them develop a love for reading God’s story. Read parts of the different Bibles and see which one would suit you and your context the best. Try to find out how and why the author made their selection of stories. Look at the illustrations, show them to some children and see if they connect.

Don’t be satisfied with ‘OK’ when you buy stuff for children. Give them the best.

Filed Under: Creativity, Decision making, Storytelling Tagged: , , ,
Really flying
August 27, 2013 Leave a Comment

Really flying

I was away recently, volunteering on a residential for young people. It’s a creative arts holiday, where young people can take part in everything from painting to dance, from musical theatre to creative writing. We also do lots of different theme nights and it was my joy to be able to host a Eurovision-style video competition. I loved it, I was in my element – flags, voting, scoreboards, national pride (but no politics getting in the way of the winner – congratulations Russia!).

My co-leader commented that this ‘World-o-vision’ night had gone so well because I was so enthusiastic about it. Other events during the week also went brilliantly because the people running them were doing something they were really good at. They were flying, and the young people had a great time because of the leader’s skill, talent and enthusiasm.

I’m all for pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and discovering/developing new talents and skills, but when you get to put all your effort into something that you love and you’re good at, that’s when you soar – that’s often when you produce your best work. So all you need to do is figure out how to get people to pay you to do the things you really, really love. That’s easier said than done, particularly if you’re in a role you don’t find terribly fulfilling. But sometimes we need to be ready to take a big step of faith (and be ready to fail) to give ourselves a chance of really flying.

Now, I wonder if the Danes are looking for someone to host next year’s Eurovision?

 

Photograph taken by the lovely Saira Final

Filed Under: Creativity Tagged: ,
August 20, 2013 Leave a Comment

What can we do together?

It’s been great to work with some new clients over the last few weeks. The Leprosy Mission Trading supports the Leprosy Mission’s work with those suffering from leprosy across the world. I’ve written part of an Easter fun book for the Leprosy Mission catalogue, provisionally called Easter Fun – look out for that one in their brochure!

Shooting Star Chase is a children’s hospice charity supporting families in south-west London, Surrey and West Sussex. I’ll be taking on some editorial work with their communications team.

Both are top charities, helping people in need in different contexts. It’s been a joy to join them in their work. Check them out!

Leprosy Mission: www.leprosymission.org.uk
Shooting Star Chase: www.shootingstarchase.org.uk

But what about your business? Could I help you with writing, editorial or creative consultancy? If so, get in touch!

Filed Under: News Tagged: , , ,
On friendship and being a part of a great group
June 11, 2013 Leave a Comment

On friendship and being a part of a great group

This weekend, I was part of a group that produced an open-air concert, called Movie Matinee. It was a lot of hard work, and we only did two performances. I know that some people wonder why I put so much effort in for such a short performance run. It seems crazy, I know, to spend so much (in terms of time and effort) for such little return (number of performances and size of audience). And I suppose, yes, it is crazy in a way.

There a couple of reasons why I put myself through it, two even three times a year. Number 1: I’m a show-off. I can’t deny it. I love performing on stage – singing, acting and dancing – basically entertaining people. Being part of a theatre group means that I get lots of chances to do that (providing the director casts me!).

The other reason is that I get to do all this with my friends. Movie Matinee was a lovely cast to be part of – I met some great new friends, got to know others better and worked side-by-side with some of my very best friends. Everyone pulled in the same direction, helping and supporting each other. They got stuck in where they could and were sorry when they couldn’t.

So I want to say thank you. The MD was the phenomenal Adrian Johnson. The sublime cast were Simone Bates, Matt Morris, Pauline Gruner, Daisy Weston, Claire Duff, Andrew Oxford, Jane Hopton, Katie Bannister, Kate Ayres, Wendy Thomson, Peter Corrigan, Niamh Hopton, Jodie Commercial, Justine Ephgrave, Sian Mander, Mel Best, Michelle Marlborough and Chris Tennant. Others helped amazingly behind the scenes, including Andrew Scholefield and Lorraine King. They were a joy to direct and work with, and I am so proud of the show that we produced together.

I’m not the most emotional of people, in fact, I have a bit of a reputation for being dead inside. However, every now and again it’s important to reflect on how much I appreciate these times with friends, both old and new, so allow me a little moment of getting misty-eyed about this. I’ll go back to being hard as nails in a minute.

But for now, you were all awesome.

 

Filed Under: Saying thank you Tagged: ,
Handbags on the train?
May 30, 2013 Leave a Comment

Handbags on the train?

I was coming back from London on the train the other day when the unthinkable happened. Well, the unthinkable to British people: confrontation. A man was trying to watch something on an iPad, which had set on the tray table attached to the seat in front of him. However, on that seat was an 11-year-old boy who, while not being badly behaved, was moving about a lot, trying to get rid of his younger brother.

Just before Berkhamsted station, the man erupted and shouted at the boy to stop jumping up and down. Almost immediately, the boy’s mother and grandmother rounded on the man, yelling at him for being overly aggressive. The boy started crying. Most of the rest of the carriage shrank in their seats.

The shouting continued, the man denied being aggressive, the women shouted back. A third woman joined in, telling the mother that she in turn had been overly aggressive in shouting at the man. The argument would have continued, but the family got off at Berkhamsted. The man returned to his iPad. The carriage breathed again.

Long after I got home, I thought about the events on the train. Who was in the wrong? What would I have done in the man’s position? What would I have done if it was a child I was responsible for who was being shouted at?

Well, despite his later protestations, the man himself did shout at the boy, when he didn’t need to. It felt like he’d put up with it and put up with it till he could stand it no longer, and then blew his top. As I thought about what I would have done, I remembered one annual appraisal where my manager had commented that, in meetings, I often waited until the end of the conversation, or indeed whole meeting, to say something important. Their assessment was true. Sometimes, I would wait to see if anyone else was going to say what I wanted to say, before saying it myself. But sometimes, I would do what the man on the train did: put up with it until I could stand it no longer.

Whatever your reasoning, waiting till the last minute is rarely the best way to raise a point, solve a problem or sort out an issue.  By that time, you’re usually so worked up that you appear aggressive and unreasonable to those listening, and your reaction seems out of all proportion to the matter in hand. Or else, everyone else has already arrived at a decision and you seem obstructive and negative when you finally make your point.

What about the mother (and grandmother, who chimed in to support her outraged daughter)? Was she right to leap to the defence of her son? Well, yes, I don’t think there would be anyone who wouldn’t. But the way she did it was wrong. The person who chimed in at the end of the fight was right – she was aggressive, when a calmer, more reasoned approach would have diffused the situation much more quickly. Yelling only leads to more yelling. When confronted with anger, people rarely change their attitude or agree that they were in the wrong. They’re much more likely to get defensive and reply with anger of their own. Had the woman reacted calmly to the man, she would probably have got an apology out of him. However, as it was, she was angry and hurt, the man was angry and hurt, and the boy was still crying.

Often we want to strike out at those who have wronged us or the ones we love. But that rarely corrects things and often makes things worse. We stew on what has happened and events grow and distort in our minds. There is no resolution. And the next time we find ourselves in a similar situation, we react in the same way, maybe even more extremely, because of what has happened in the past. (Seth Godin wrote a good post about this when it happens in business.)

I know it’s easy to say all this now, much more difficult to put it into practice when you’ve little time to think. But give yourself a split second to think – how am I going to react? Will that solve things?

Filed Under: Decision making Tagged: ,
Memories, like the corners of my mind…
May 23, 2013 Leave a Comment

Memories, like the corners of my mind…

I’ve been reflecting recently on memories that are stirred up by music. I discovered a couple of mixed tapes from university the other week. Each one represented the music from a year in a shared house with my friends Paul, Beccy and Rachel. As you might expect of music gathered from four different tastes, the tapes are eclectic (the transition between Blur’s ‘Song 2’ and ‘Jack in the Box’ by Clodagh Rogers is genius). But listening to them both brought back so many memories.

I often find that individual songs or singers remind me of a person or a time. The terrible 2004 Eurovision entry from Belarus and the much cooler Estonian song from the previous year both remind me of my wonderful friend Anne, as we laughed at/appreciated the strange lyrics of the two songs. Cliff Richard, Queen and Status Quo remind me of my parents, tapes that were around the house when I was a child. Last night, I went to see Josh Rouse, an American singer-songwriter, in London. I went with my friend Adam and his wife Hayley – Adam and I discovered Rouse around the same time, and every time I hear Rouse’s music, it reminds me of Adam, the other times we saw him live and when we listened to his new material.

Listening to old records, tapes and CDs is the musical equivalent of looking through old photographs. It’s impossible to listen to without getting totally distracted by memories of the times when the songs in question were important to you. And they’re a great source of creative inspiration too – links that you wouldn’t normally make are found in music memories. If you’ve got a bit of creative block, pop a few old songs on, and see what comes flooding back.

 

Photo: Josh Rouse’s facebook page

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized
Solving a problem
April 18, 2013 Leave a Comment

Solving a problem

A while ago, Emma Coats, a Pixar Story Artist, published a list of 22 top tips for storytelling. There are some great ideas in there (check it out here, though it’s been widely reported and reblogged, so is available in a variety of places). Many of them, though, are applicable to lots of different contexts.

Suppose you’ve got a decision to make. It’s an important one, and making the wrong choice could cost you in terms of money, reputation or time. The fear of making the wrong decision can be scary, paralysing even. Here’s where one of the storytelling rules might help.

Take a look at rule number 9: ‘When you’re stuck, make a list of what wouldn’t happen next. Lots of times the material to get you unstuck will show up.’ So, think about the decision you’ve got to take. Reiterate the boundaries of your project and then make a list of all the possible choices you have, even the ones that seem faintly crazy or out of your reach. Go through all the options and rule out the ones that are unacceptable or don’t fit within the scope of your project.

What have you got left? Are any of the choices left acceptable decisions? If not, why not? What do you need to change to make it more positive? Or are you going to have to make an uncomfortable decision?

 

Photo: Coolcaesar (CC)

Filed Under: Creativity, Decision making Tagged: ,
Childrenswork Magazine
April 12, 2013 Leave a Comment

Childrenswork Magazine

This week I joined the team of Childrenswork Magazine! Established last year, the magazine aims to help church leaders and children’s workers by bringing them up to date news, thought-provoking articles and quality resources for use in groups and all-age services. It’s exciting to be involved in a project that has so much potential!

I’m only working a certain amount of time a month on the magazine, so I’m still able to take on projects from lots of other clients (recently I’ve been working with companies like BRF and Dubit Limited). However, some of this week has been spent on Childrenswork writing: I’ve written an all-age service, a news item and a blog post, and had a long Twitter conversation with one of the editors about the merits of battenburg cake.

I’m looking forward to working with the Childrenswork team more, and I’ll be visiting Childrenswork Towers later this month. Maybe I should make a battenburg cake to take with me, just to prove that it really is the king of cakes.

Filed Under: News Tagged:
What’s your story?
April 8, 2013 Leave a Comment

What’s your story?

Everyone has a story. Even if you think you’ve lived the dullest life there is, you’ve got a story. I remember listening to a guy who worked for Endemol, the TV production company (they were initially responsible for Big Brother, among loads of other popular shows). He commented that everything had a story, even something as basic as Deal or No Deal. Although there’s no conventional narrative, we buy into the story of the contestant and their game – the ups of getting rid of blues and the downs of eliminating the reds.

So, if Deal or No Deal has an engrossing story, how much more interesting is our own? We’ve soared and we’ve crashed, we’ve hurt and been hurt, we’ve gone through happiness and sadness, we’ve loved and we’ve lost. You may have been unwilling to share your tale because of those people who never seem to shut up about themselves. But, if you’ve never told it before, the people around you would love to hear your story.

So why not go beyond the ‘How are you? I’m fine’ conversation and tell your story? And if someone is telling you their story, listen. Really listen – you’ll probably find out something quite amazing.

Filed Under: Storytelling Tagged: , ,
Ten things I have learnt so far
February 22, 2013 Leave a Comment

Ten things I have learnt so far

On this rather cold Friday afternoon, I’ve come to a pause in my work. Some of my projects have finished and others are in various stages of waiting. So I thought I’d make myself a cup of coffee with my new machine and look back at my first four months working as Creative Daydream. In a move that should only be described as ‘imitation is the sincerest form of flattery’, rather than simply ‘stealing’, I’m going to make a list of ten things I have learnt, after Becca Dean (@beccadean).

1 Darren Hill has done wonders with my website. I have had so many great comments about the website, and I can’t really take much credit for it! All I did was come up with the text and then Darren worked his magic* on it. And lovely it is too.

2 I am terrible at resisting temptation. To eat, that is. Being so close to my entire food supply is incredibly tricky. The temptation to make for the kitchen cupboard every five minutes has been so overwhelming that I’ve moved as far away as I can, without actually being outside.

3 People have received me with such warmth and encouragement. I have to say, this surprised me a little, I don’t know why. But every time I’ve talked with someone about work, rather than being met with resistance and awkwardness, people have been really open and welcoming. So thank you, people-I-have-already-worked-with, you’ve made starting this venture much smoother than it might have been.

4 I love writing. I was surprised initially when the majority of my work turned out to be writing, but I’ve enjoyed it immensely. Some commissions have been trickier than others, but they’ve all taught me something about various writing styles, and helped me improve. So if you want anything written, you know where I am… 😉

5 I love being creative even more. There have been a couple of projects that have given me the chance to get the big pieces of paper out and let my imagination run riot. It was fabulous to be so free in coming up with new ideas. I’d love to do more.

6 My feet get cold really quickly. Not as quickly as they did when I took the youth group ice skating (I didn’t even go on the ice and my big toe went completely white), but they do get chilly. I have developed a coping mechanism made up of a duvet, Totes Toasties** and giant slippers.

7 Collaboration is the future, but takes careful planning. I put together some films for a Lent project with two very creative people, but I struggled a bit because we didn’t do the creative work face to face. I found discussing things over the phone or via email very difficult. There was a natural lag in the conversation caused by a delay in the phone line, and I didn’t know if my collaborators were being reticent because they didn’t like my ideas or if it was just the mobile network. Next time, I’m going to insist on being in the same room! The films are fantastic though. Check them out here.

8 I’m useless at Popmaster. I like having the chance to listen to a bit of radio when I work, but when Popmaster comes on, my quizzing credentials go out the window – I rarely get into double figures. Sorry Matt Bayfield, I feel I’ve let you down somehow…

9 I don’t miss being in an office as much as I thought I would. I’ve managed to put stuff in the diary that means I see people regularly and don’t turn into a mad man who constantly talks to himself.*** And sometimes the solitude allows me to concentrate! Also having great friends and good hobbies outside of work helps massively. I do miss office conversation though – have you got your wide-fitting trainers on Eddie?

10 I’ve loved the variety. So far I’ve done work with Youthwork Magazine, Scripture Union, Jo Dolby, Becca Dean, Authentic Media, Youth For Christ, BRF, the SU/American Bible Society international partnership, Childrenswork Magazine, Speakeasy writers’ group and my friend Mel. Brilliant.

This is only a snapshot, I’m still learning so much! And here’s to learning more in the future too.

 

*Metaphorical magic of course, he’s not a warlock.

**Other thermal slipper socks are available.

***Though I have to say that I’ve always talked to myself, so this is actually nothing new.

Filed Under: Creativity, News Tagged: , ,
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