The Bra Street Rambler

I wasn't sure I was going to make time for a post this week, that I would want to. Then, I'd convinced myself that I was only turning on the computer to type up a quick post wishing all of my Ramblers a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year. However, now that I have a draft open, I'm discovering there are things I need to share that perhaps others can relate to. The holidays can be a difficult time for many, especially those who have lost someone this time of year, or who find themselves alone during the holidays.  If you have been following my blog, you may remember that I lost someone during the holidays a few years ago. Christmas hasn't really been the same since. It is with great difficulty and heavy sadness that my family has had to say goodbye to someone else this week. There aren't really words to describe the multitude of feelings you go through during this time. The ups, the downs, the numbs, the grasping for distractions, there'...

My dear Ramblers, this post is being aired a tad later than I had anticipated however, when struck with the inspiration for my three part series on creativity, I opted instead to post those first. I trust you will forgive the discrepancy in dates. Without further delay, I present Unplugged: Round Two. *** Good morning, afternoon, and evening Ramblers, Every now and then, we find ourselves wanting or needing to do something different, to find a new way to challenge ourselves or to help us put things into perspective. And as you know, this blog writer is all about perspective. If you've been following this blog from the beginning, you've probably already guessed that television and movies are something I love. Sometimes, a little too much. That's right folks, I am a Netflix binger. It's actually gotten a little ridiculous, and so it's time for me to do something about it. While I do cut Netflix out four times a year when I disconnect from the internet, t...

Well Ramblers, it looks like I'm on a roll with being inspired to share who I am as a creative person. Hopefully you're finding these past few posts interesting, or perhaps even finding them relateable. Either way, I hope you are enjoying them! So far, I've covered the Creative Eye and the Creative Mind, now it's time for the key component; the creative soul. The creative soul, what is that? There's an energy inside us creative folk. A driving force that is rather difficult to explain, but here I go trying. It's our way of feeling things around us. Our way of drawing energy through us from how we feel in and about our environment in any given moment. Sometimes, it's the feeling of warmth on our face on a nice sunny day that draws inspiration through us. Sometimes, it's the gentle breeze caressing our cheek and dancing with our hair in just the right way that gives us pause and appreciation. We feel the grains of sand beneath our feet and betw...

A couple weeks ago, I wrote a post on the creative eye and how those who have it tend to perceive the world around them differently than those who do not. This week, I'll attempt to explain the creative mind, particularly the mind of a writer. There seems to be this idea that a writer is someone who comes up with a story, and writes it down. They invent the characters, decide the various aspects of their personalities, and develop their backstory. Then, they apply exactly what they want to the plot they have developed. While that may be true of some writers, it can be an entirely different experience for others like me the moment push comes to shove and we set ourselves down at a keyboard. That's when all of the little voices inside our heads really come out to play! There's a saying most of us have heard that if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. Religious or not, I think a lot of writer's out there can relate to this saying on a different lev...

People who know me, know me to be a rather creative individual, but it can sometimes be difficult to explain to others just what that means, how deeply creativity runs. Those who do not fancy themselves to be creative live in a slightly different world than those who do. Of course, I don't mean that to say that we live on different planets, that creative individuals are somehow a different species, merely that our realities differ in the world as we know it. You see, creativity is so much more than the ability to make something pretty. Being creative is part of how a person perceives the world around them, interprets it, draws inspiration from it. Someone who is not creative may look at something and see it only on a technical level, whilst someone who is creative sees the very same thing as a detailed work of art, or an in depth metaphor for something else. For example; a non-creative person might see a bird feeder and think “That's nice.” They can appreciate that it...

Someone somewhere cares for you, more than you could know but the demons inside your head keep telling you to go. To run from all their gazes and go far far away, to simply go and hide yourself, and hang your head in shame, Telling you to just give in, it's too hard to let the feelings show. But you are stronger than you think and braver than you know. You've faced so much already, in such a short lived life, you've seen the many faces of people and their strife. You've helped so very many, and given them oh so much, now it's time to let them in, to feel their friendships touch. The road ahead will not be easy, and yes it can be scary, but worth it it will truly be, to put an end to being weary. Weary of the shame and doubt the demons shout inside, weary of the all the times they told you to just go run and hide. It's time to put the night to rest, and raise your head up high, to tilt your head towards the sun, and finally fe...

While the Bra Street Rambler is usually a light-hearted and humorous blog reflecting my personal perspectives, this week I'd like to get serious again. I'd like to focus on something that I'm actually rather passionate about and have touched on in previous posts. You see, throughout my blog I have tried to communicate the importance of appreciation, but there is one group out there that simply doesn't get enough of it. In fact, often theirs is a thankless job. They work tirelessly but are often overshadowed by the few who simply do not deserve the honour and prestige of their titles. But this post isn't about those few, it's about the many. Rather, this appreciation goes out in two parts. Who are these people who deserve our recognition and appreciation, you might ask? Emergency Services. I'm talking about the police, firefighters, paramedics, ambulance drivers, and even the dispatchers who field our calls. I'm talking about all of the people who ...

While this isn't exactly a topic I would normally cover in my blog, at the request of my sister, today's post will be in regards to things a person needs to consider before adopting a cat. First off, as is the case with any pet adoption, you are making a conscious decision to bring an animal into your home and into your life. This is never something to be taken lightly, or to be done on a whim. Pets are not holiday presents to be discarded when the novelty is lost, or trophy's to be thrown away because they are no longer convenient. They are a commitment. I implore you, do not adopt a pet if you are not willing to take the time to not only ensure it has food and water, but to make sure it is happy, healthy, trained, and entertained as well. Animals have complex needs, just as we do, this must always be considered. Animal needs also include veterinary care. While I understand vets can be quite costly and some people may neglect to keep up to date on checkups, it ...

“The power of a handwritten letter is greater than ever. It’s personal and deliberate and means more than an e-mail or text ever will. It has a unique scent. It requires deciphering. But, most important, it’s flawed.” –Ashton Kutcher Two years ago, I wrote a post on writing snail mail, see here.  For several years, my friends and I have written letters to each other. Yes, long handed, envelope and stamps, snail mail. Sometimes life gets busy and we neglect this form of communication for a while in favor of text, email, and Facebook messages which yield faster results. However, there is a certain level of satisfaction to be had in sending a hand written letter. And an even greater delight in finding a response nestled amongst the junk in your mailbox. Much like receiving your Amazon order, there’s a certain joy in receiving something that isn’t a flyer, bill, or junk mail…. And unlike your purchase, you don’t have to order it for yourself and it is much cheaper. In a s...

Over the past ten weeks, half of my weekly segments have been dedicated to getting writer's ready to write their own book. If you, like many people around the globe, have decided to take the plunge into signing up for this years National Novel Writers Month, NaNoWriMo for short, I offer your a few tips and tricks for staying on top of it. So, without delay, here's a recap on a few tricks for conquering NaNoWriMo and staying in the zone! See my original NaNoWriMo Prep post  here. Distracting Grumbles! When you find yourself in the zone, and all the words are flowing perfectly from mind to paper or keyboard, the smallest distraction can cause your train of thought to derail. Your stomach can be the greatest distraction of all. Prepare for the month to come by doing some meal prep and freezing as many meals as you can. That way, when you're stomach demands attention, you can pop a meal into the microwave and get back to writing, instead of taking a half hour to ...