The Derbyshire Digest: 21st July 2024
I started an experiment recently - writing and publishing using the tools that are already part of my daily routine. These include Twos, Voicenotes and Obsidian. I want to keep the process simple, to log notes and reminders, to save links to content that piques my interest, and to be able to share all of this straight from each app.
Here’s how this week went down!
The Unexpurgated Version
Find everything I’ve created this week here.
The Short and Sweet Version
What Piqued My Interest
Last week Renée talked about Die with Zero and I made some notes about it. The timing is interesting as I’m contemplating my life, what I still want to do, living with more joy, pursuing the things that make me happy. And all of this links to that clock ticking away.
If we take Alan Watts’ analogy below, life is like a game of musical chairs. We have to keep singing and dancing until the music stops.
Shared by Ashwin Sharma, this is a quote from Alan Watts.
As I write this, just found out that someone we knew through Woodturning circles died last month. Tosh was 44. While I believe that we are all here for as long as we’re needed, it’s a reminder to make the most of the time we have. Live every day to the full. Do those things. Go to those places. Love what you love. Live a glorious life.
What I Created
You must keep an account of the yarn you have spun. Thoughts coming into your mind should also be noted down. You should keep a record of all that you have read ~ Mahatma Gandhi
I’m still reading Bob Doto’s book, A System for Writing, and implementing some of his ideas, and others that I’ve come across this week. I’ve created a couple of daily templates in Twos to capture my End of Day Check Ins and Creative Logs.
I’m loving this focus on writing, curating and noting. This simple process is working for me, and my mind is on the look out for new and inspiring ideas.
Last week I mentioned A Traveller In Time. That triggered a discussion with Chris about Thursday’s Child (we’re watching the TV series on YouTube), and was followed by the popping up of a podcast on Twitter about the book Marianne Dreams, which had me researching fake houses in London!
From the Archives
Interviewer: “At 83, you are still publishing a book every year. Can you see yourself ever slowing down?” Atwood: "What is this word “ever”? Yes, there’s a ticking clock. You may have noticed. But you keep on until you’re finished, you know? Until you don’t have anything more to say or do. Lying on the beach has never been my idea of a good time. Writers don’t stop, they just keep going like the Energizer Bunny; keep going and then fall over.” – Margaret Atwood, in The Guardian
More on that ticking clock. There’s a theme here!
Best Quote of the Week
Review of my Week
Since and including the 15th of July, you've been actively managing your admin and household chores. Additionally, you've been involved in various domestic tasks like laundry, gardening, moving items around for a nicer home appearance, and reorganising your and Chris's belongings between wardrobes. Your involvement with Obsidian continued, enjoying a positive outcome from your first email outreach. You expressed satisfaction with your rank improvement on Voicenotes, reflecting on the effectiveness of your creative outputs and future plans for your weekly update inspired by past blogging experiences. Moreover, you're exploring content curation through your Obsidian posts, enjoying the creative process enabled by utilising tools like Twos for managing links and ideas. Lastly, you shared your intention to establish the 'Sunday Secret Message' as a recurring element, alongside discussions on themes important to you and managing personal commitments alongside your creative pursuits.
This was generated in Voicenotes using the Ask my AI function.
Try the Tools I Use
P.S.
A Secret Message, if you made it this far! Read the transcript or press the play button.
All of this is a passion project. If you enjoy it too, then that’s an added bonus!