Creativity block: How I'm dealing with it...

Whoever stole my creativity, can I have it back please?!

Over the last two weeks I have been having the most ridiculous creativity block; I have written and deleted four blog posts this week, I just found them so boring and uninspiring when I read them back.

I decided it was time to get back into a creative flow and allow my imagination to take over; if you are in the same boat then here's my top tips for you to revive your mind:

Tip number one: Read!

For me as a writer, reading is such an important aspect of my life and it's where I take a lot of my inspiration from. Over the past few months, I attempted to read various books about people's lives for example: Stevie Nicks, Morrissey, Ric O'Barry, but I realised that I had been reading these books for months and hadn't finished them. This was when I decided to ditch the biographies and dive head first into some fiction. What I needed was to read something that would take my mind away from the real world and spark up my imagination. I am currently reading Submarine; I love the film so thought that I would enjoy the book and I'm just over half way in a couple of days!

Tip number two: Watch!

Watch films. If it's something that you have already seen, it doesn't matter. I recently started watching the Twilight saga again and I absolutely love it (no shame!). I have noticed new things in the saga and similarly to reading, films take me away into a different world. Watching Twilight again has revived my love for vampires and has inspired me to possibly start writing a vampy novel.



Tip number three: Listen!

The majority of famous writers, artists, film producers or just any creative people will tell you how much they love music and how it can inspire. Listen to music that you haven't heard in a long time, find new music to listen to, dig out that album that you used to listen to on repeat; you never know what might come from it.

Tip number four: Get up!

The first three are probably quite cliché however, this tip sometimes helps me more than anything. Get up early and get on with it. Lazing around only results in putting off work and then you are not in the right mindset. To be creative, your heart has to be in it and if you are constantly saying 'I'll do it in a bit' or 'Just one more episode' then your heart is clearly not in it, meaning you wont enjoy it and there will be no creativity.

Tip number five: Put your phone down!

This again is something that people are constantly saying but it's true. Not only is your phone a huge distraction, it is also feeding your brain ideas that are not your own. Some people might say that they use the internet to gain inspiration however, whilst on social media, you are constantly seeing what others are doing and comparing yourself to them; forget about other people and trust in yourself. Believe that you can produce something equally great, if not even greater.

Tip number six: Ditch technology.

Now I don't mean all technology, obviously if you are a photographer then you will need a camera, but ditch the laptop for a bit, don't edit your photos; look at them as good photographs without editing and attempt to improve your photography without computer software. This can be especially important for writers, ditch the laptop and use a pen and paper. You can doodle or just write little notes down; carry a notebook with you and jot things down to refer to later.

This may have been helpful to you or just a bunch of ramblings, either way, I feel like these things are helping break down the block in my brain.

Remember you can subscribe to my YouTube to also keep up with what I'm doing: BexBoolie Youtube

Or on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bexboolie

BB

For The Oceans

In the News; Prince Hypocritical

If you are a follower of animal rights, the Royals or even just the news you would have heard about the wonderful speech Prince William made against poaching and illegal trading of ivory in China. But wait, what's this? Is Prince William a hypocrite? Well I never!

The Prince gave his speech after visiting an Elephant sanctuary in China, awww how lovely...or not. It was then revealed on the news by a very brave reporter (Peter Hunt I do believe) that the other half of the sanctuary actually held Elephants being trained to perform to the paying public. In this case the Elephants were playing football which may seem cute however, there is no saying how these animals are treated and also I strongly believe that these gorgeous creatures should not be used for our entertainment but should be released into the wild to live.  

Okay, so as if that wasn't bad enough, it was then reported that Prince William had been hunting - YES HUNTING - the day before making this speech. Now I know that some people are going to have a moan here, 'It's tradition, blah blah blah' but quite frankly I don't understand how murder can be classed as tradition. 

Now don't get me wrong, I am all for high profile individuals standing up for animals and raising awareness but, I am utterly baffled as to how Prince William, who is the President of the organisation United for Wildlife (funny, I know), can possibly explain his actions here. Maybe I should ask him?

Dear Prince William,

I would like to ask why you feel that the life of an Elephant is more important than the lives that you take when you go hunting?

Yours sincerely

Bex Piper (A very pissed off animal lover) 

I'm sure that would go down well! What are your thoughts on this situation? 

In other, happier news; Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus' are to retire their Indian Elephants! HOORAY! The plan is to phase out the use of the performing Elephants by 2018, but this is still great news. This also means that there is hope for other performing animals in captivity. 

I think this picture by Andy Marlette really speaks volumes!

 BB

For The Oceans

9 Weeks, 9 Shows - Part Two

Continuing on from my previous post, next up on my gig list was....

Jake Bugg//Alexandra Palace//21.10.2014

This was another one of those last minute decisions for me,I actually bought a ticket from a very kind stranger who had travelled over seas for this show, I hope she had a good time! This was my third time seeing Jake Bugg this year however, the previous two shows were at British Summer Time (BST) in Hyde Park & Reading fest, so it was great to catch Mr Bugg at an indoor show. I have to admit, when I originally heard his music I was not overly impressed however, after seeing him at BST I was converted. Seeing him at Ally Pally was a completely different experience to the previous performances; the set list included all of my favourites and a couple of them I had never heard him perform live before. In comparison to Reading, the atmosphere at Ally Pally was fantastic, everyone was there for the same reason and there was not a single person who looked as if they were unwillingly dragged along. For someone so young, Jake Bugg is extremely talented and his sound is so versatile. This show was certainly worth the last minute rushing!

Basement//Electric Ballroom, Camden//29.10.2014

You know when you are young and you count down the days until Christmas? Yeah, that's how I felt after I managed to get tickets to see Basement. Seeing Basement live is such an incredible experience, the majority of the crowd are enthusiastic which can often make a show 10x better and after the band's hiatus, the small handful of shows announced all sold out pretty speedily. The set list consisted of a mixture of old and new, including a couple of tracks off their latest release Further Sky. I was lucky enough to spend this show with two of my favourite people, one being my best mate who had been waiting to see Basement for a really long time; it was worth going just to witness his excitement! The only disappointment at this show was when it ended and I was left with Summer's Colour playing over in my head for the rest of the night. 

The Specials//Roundhouse, Camden//13.11.2014

A selfie with dad is always important.

Seeing a band that I have listened to since before I can remember was a strange but very cool experience. Naturally I took my Dad to see The Specials with me, after all he was the very person who introduced me to Two-Tone. (You can read a tiny bit about that here) Of course the band is no longer made up of original members - for example Steve Cradock from Ocean Colour Scene is now filling in on lead guitar - but this does not take anything away from the performance. The amount of energy that is projected from the band is impressive considering the age of the members. The musicians are so talented and their sound is so tight; a couple of times I closed my eyes and there were moments where I felt like I could have been at home listening to the record, but then I open my eyes and it's 100x better than that. The crowd was made up of so many different generations where the music has been passed down & it is sad to think that one day there may be a generation that are unaware of such a spectacular band.

Bloody Knees//The Owl Sanctuary, Norwich//15.11.2014

This was possibly the smallest venue I have ever been to but I quite liked that. This was a cool, chilled out, pay on the door show and I hadn't listened to the bands much previously however, I left with some new bands to listen to when I got home. The line up was Teen Brains followed by Radical Boy and the night ended with Bloody Knees; all bands showed a ton of enthusiasm & I think we will be hearing more from them all in the near future. 

The Jesus and Mary Chain//Troxy, London//19.11.2014
Once again, another last minute show not that I'm complaining! This gig was part of the Psychocandy tour and naturally they played through the album from start to finish. It was a sold out night as expected, therefore I was over the moon when I was invited along. If you have never listened to this band before then I highly suggest you do, then I suggest that you buy a ticket to one of their shows as soon as you can. As a live act they hit all expectations and more, my only complaint is once again being a shorty I couldn't see anything, sad times. I believe that they are playing a few more shows here, there and everywhere so hopefully I can catch them again.

To summarise, I've had a smashing few weeks & wish I could re-live it all over again....I urge you all to support the live music scene whether it's your mate's indie band down the local or Black Sabbath in Hyde Park (Oh yes, I was there!) go along, drag your mates, enjoy the bands, buy the merch!

Peace out.

Gnarwolves release Bottle to Bottle video

Yeah, you read that right; clips from Reading & so much more, looks like they had a pretty dreamy summer if you ask me! Have a look for yourself...

http://www.huckmagazine.com/art-and-culture/music-2/top-picks-music-2/gnarwolves-premiere-bottle-bottle-huck/  

Mr Wilson's Second Liners

Due to lack of plans, I went into Chelmsford town with my 'rents on Saturday to do some shopping. 

Whilst in town, we noticed all of these unusual activities going on, street performers and Morris dancers etc. however, the one act that stood out among the gathered crowds was Mr Wilson's Second Liners. 

This colourful 'marching band' put a whole new spin on the bog-standard bands that you see in the street. Sporting outfits in bold colours, different types of hats and beards, Mr Wilson's Second Liners played a mixture of different dance tunes using your everyday brass and percussion instruments; Some of these covers include Massive Attack and New Order. 

The band got the crowds dancing and certainly brightened up your average, grey Saturday in Chelmsford town centre. We later discovered that the events were all linked to a Uni open day.

I have a video however, it is not the best quality, so you can find the band on YouTube but also they have a website which I will link below. The band are available for bookings & will definitely be on my list for special occasions.

http://mrwilsons.org.uk/

The moment we've all been waiting for....

Finally, the much anticipated Gnarwolves debut album is available to stream on Sick Chirpse. 

Here is the link, you're welcome:

http://www.sickchirpse.com/exclusive-stream-gnarwolves-record/

Superheaven, Nai Harvest & Concave @ The Old Blue Last 05/09/2014

It's Friday night and Superheaven are kicking off their European tour at The Old Blue Last, an infamous, trendy but somewhat dingy pub in Shoreditch. The main venue is upstairs and intimate, however this only adds to the atmosphere and as tonight's show has sold out there are plenty of squashed punters. 

The first band up is Concave; a four piece from Wales who seem excited enough to be here. Concave steam through a thirty minute set made up of catchy tunes with a punk/emo feel about them. The band appear to already have a following however, they seemed to have gained a few more fans tonight, including myself! 

Next up are Nai Harvest and the Sheffield two piece have brought in a large crowd. The band jump straight into it with Rush, a song off their E.P Hold Open My Head and this is well received with the crowd participating in singalongs and bouncy movement. Nai Harvest have come far since forming and do not disappoint tonight, the room has a great atmosphere and Guitarist/Vocalist Ben has a stage presence with moves that are in keeping with the band's Indie/Rock persona which encourages crowd participation. Spirits are high, reinforced by stage diving and crowd surfing. The band mention that a new album is due to come out next year and play a couple of tunes from said album, which certainly hits the crowd's expectations. Nai Harvest really pull out all the stops and Buttercups, their latest release off the flower split with Playlounge (available from Dog Knights Productions) goes down particularly well which is a good indicator that the album release next year will be a eagerly anticipated. The band shows buckets of enthusiasm and are well rehearsed but not robotic; the creativity just flows. Nai Harvest are touring Europe this month and are due to hit America in October. 

Luckily I had the opportunity to have a chat with Nai Harvest so unfortunately missed the first couple of songs but, Superheaven (previously known as Daylight) are on stage at 22:00 and regardless of the name change they still have a strong following. The American band have a Grunge/Punk vibe and their set is heavy but oozes emotion. The crowd acrobatics continue and spaces between songs are filled with humorous small talk. Gin fueled heckling from a couple of female admirers invites witty responses from the band. Moisture is dripping off the ceiling and the four piece could certainly do with a larger stage as movement is almost impossible, despite this the band go down a storm and I can certainly see why this show was a sell out; an impressive start to the tour. 

I managed to catch Ben from Nai Harvest after their set for a speedy Q&A:

What are you currently listening to?

The first Cloud Nothing's record from 2011, the new Twin Peaks album; Wild Onion and Teenage Fanclub discography from 1995, just always that! 

If someone has never heard Nai Harvest before, what song would you suggest they listen to first?

I guess our new single Buttercups because it's off our album that's coming out next year so it's probably the most relevant to listen to.

Describe Nai Harvest in one word?

Fuzzy.  

So there you have it, listen to Nai Harvest, buy their records, go to a show, their fuzziness will not disappoint!