Whatever you say, whatever you do, or how you behave in my presence, may find its way into my next story.
I am naturally a creative writer.
Creative writing is a skill you learn and hone over time.
Spending time alone
My colleagues and friends think I’m outgoing; I am not.
I love spending most of my free time alone.
Being alone is not a bad thing.
“…be alone, that is when ideas are born.” — Nikolas Tesla
After all, research shows that spending time alone boosts overall well-being, increasing our emotional regulation, contentment, and creativity.
Where I spend time alone
I love sitting by a babbling stream.
I love listening to the sounds of rushing waters.
I love the quietness in the forest, and admiring nature.
When I’m alone, I observe things.
I observe how my environment behaves.
I listen to birds, animals, plants, and the wind.
In solitude, I get more creative with my writing.
When I’m relaxing, a notebook is always my best friend.
You’ll find me writing; writing everything that comes to mind.
They do not make sense then until I neatly put them down.
Modern life
Modern life is a horror.
No wonder creativity is dying.
Our society is in overwhelm mode.
You meet people with their headphones all the time.
What are they doing?
They’re listening to music all day long.
That’s where they derive pleasure.
That’s how they spend their time.
They want to keep their brains busy.
They hear people’s voices playing in their ears.
In the end, those voices drown out their brains.
They can’t think creatively anymore.
Eventually, they forget who they are.
Therefore, they can’t be creative or solve challenging problems anymore.
So, you’re left empty; yearning for more music to make you drown.
It’s evident how distracted we are all in our daily lives.
To unlock your creativity
To unlock your inner being, you must occasionally spend time alone.
You need solitude moments to pray, meditate, and listen to yourself.
To unlock your writing potential, you must embrace isolation.
My earlier days
Back in the days when I was a journalist, I was known to be an introvert.
I spent most of my free time alone.
Doing what?
Watching the waves do their rounds, watching clouds.
Watching birds make frantic moves as they chirp.
In the end, I got lots of story ideas to scribble.
No wonder, I was known for writing color.
You get something to write even when your subjects don’t speak.
My friend Dennis Onyango tried it one day.
The boss asked him to go and cover an event.
The senators and governors had a meeting in our city.
He went and when he returned; he had nothing to write.
He told the boss: no one spoke to me, so, I couldn’t write anything.
My friend, Kevin Omollo, found it hilarious and asked, “You saw black and white?”
It was all laughter in the office and that day, the boss had to look for a plan B to get the big story out.
What is color writing?
Color writing is a descriptive type of writing.
You rely on sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell.
Folks in the newsroom were good at news reporting.
I call it “he said, she said” newspaper-style writing.
You stay attentive to what newsmakers say and put them down.
You don’t have to worry about providing context for what your speakers have said.
It is upon the newsreader to connect the dots and make their conclusions.
What’s next?
Many of you have asked me to help them in their creative writing.
They’ve asked me to consider starting masterclasses.
I’ve taken time to reflect on their requests.
And today, I’ve some good news for you.
I’ll soon be starting masterclasses.
I’ll be teaching you everything about storytelling.
I’ll be teaching you how to harness your creative skills.
I will also teach you Public Relations, Life Skills, and Empathetic Leadership.
Will you join me?
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