Engage, create and share messages of hope and encouragement to improve the mental health of young people everywhere.
We had an amazing day filming the hugely talented Jamie Cullum for our dear friends at Banquet Records, The show was to celebrate the release of His new album ‘The Pianoman At Christmas’ Jamie returned to Kingston for a couple of social distanced shows at The Rose Theatre. Pick up the album from Banquet Records here
2020 has been a tough year for all of us. It’s ok to struggle and feel lonely, we all do sometimes.
Together we can make a difference. Reach out to the people in your life, so we all feel appreciated this Christmas. If you are finding it tough and want to speak to someone, you can find loads of free help on our help page
Are you struggling to write? Been struck with writer’s block and don’t know how to escape? Try out these few writing tips the RiPPLE team have thought up and see the difference to your writing.
Change your environment
Having a set place where you write can be beneficial, but sometimes it can feel pressurising to write on your laptop in a set place.
Changing your environment can help motivate and inspire you, so you could potentially try moving rooms where you live. Or perhaps you can try writing on something other than your laptop, such as on your phone or in a notebook.
Change the font you’re writing in
I’ve certainly noticed when I write in a Microsoft Word document and I copy and paste the document into WordPress, which uses a set font, I notice the mistakes I would’ve missed otherwise.
Using the same font all the time means you’re more likely to just skip over any errors because you’ve adjusted to the font.
Write when you can
Finding the time to write can seem impossible with everyday responsibilities, but even if you only write 100 words or for ten minutes a day, that’s still more words than you started with.
Writing is a marathon, not a sprint, so take as long as you need to write it. So long as you’re putting down words, what does it matter how long it takes?
Eliminate distractions
It’s so easy to just pop onto YouTube, convincing yourself it’ll only be for five minutes, but then three hours have passed and you don’t know how or where the time went.
If you are going to sit down and write, make sure you turn your phone onto ‘do not disturb mode’ or install an extension on your browser to temporarily block the internet. Make sure you’re also not likely to be distracted by loved ones or impromptu meetings or anything else
Share your work with someone else
It’s easy to miss your own mistakes or think you’re making perfect sense, but sometimes a fresh pair of eyes can help. They can point out where you could be clearer or where you’ve made some grammatical errors.
Sharing with someone else can be useful too if you’re stuck because they can offer you ideas for where to go next or give you suggestions for how to change a particular scene if it’s not working properly.
Take a day off
We all need to take a step back and do something else from time to time. Whether it’s watching a TV show, meeting up with friends or exploring somewhere new, it can give you a much-needed break. It might even inspire you when you come back to it.
RiPPLE is a Kingston University anthology, run by Creative Writing and Publishing MA students. You can find us on Twitter Facebook and Instagram
Loneliness can be the saddest of ironies. The challenges life brings means that we are all inevitably susceptible to it at some stage, regardless of how popular we may seem or how busy our schedule is. Some say it is a social pandemic of our time. And yet, most people experience it in silence and those that are suffering work and live side by side but remain invisible to each other.
Personally, the sensation of loneliness has consumed me at very different stages in my life. The problem was that the most effective solutions for it, namely talking and socialising, were usually out of reach. Friends, family, support groups or even therapy were not available to me and therefore causing the loneliness in the first place.
How can you “talk it over” or “open up” if you feel you have no one to talk with, or that will understand where you’re coming from? What if you’re living far from home, or struggling financially? How can you find solace in phone calls alone if you’re prevented from travelling to see your loved ones when you need them?
Being surrounded by people is also no guarantee against loneliness. My best efforts to talk it through with someone else did not always work. I remember trying to talk to a friend on one occasion but it proved impossible as they were overwhelmed with their own issues. Another time, I tried to speak to my doctor and struggled to articulate myself. And so the loneliness continued.
Writing now from a different mental space, I want to share what helped me in my loneliest times in the hope that I might assist someone feeling the same isolation. These actions enabled me to have the courage to either start connecting with others again or to move beyond the loneliness to a place of contentment.
Giving time
One action that has always lifted my spirits and provided a fresh perspective to my thoughts is volunteer work. A recent study in the US and Canada found that people volunteering or supporting others during the Covid-19 pandemic had higher positive emotions and were happier with their relationships on the days when they helped others compared to the days when they did not engage in these activities.
Consider whether you might be in a position to offer help to someone in need. For example, perhaps you know of a neighbour living alone, a single parent, a homeless shelter or youth club that would appreciate some assistance. Alternatively, you can search for websites of organisations that require support online.
Creativity
I could recount many stories of how creativity has saved me at different times, including the occasions when I moved abroad without any contacts or lacked money to always meet friends.
Poetry, cooking, drawing, painting, collage making, photography, film making, writing, knitting, dancing… the possibilities are endless and the benefits can be immediate. If you’re not sure how to start something creative, you could always begin with a journal and write or doodle your thoughts down to see where it leads you.
Reading
A study published in 2020 found that wisdom may protect against loneliness and provide a potential intervention against it. Though I never labelled it as ‘wisdom’, I realise that a lot of my reading is an attempt to make sense of life and its complexity. I would not call myself wise, but I believe that some lessons learned through reading have helped me to gain resilience and hope.
Maybe you can increase the time you devote to reading or perhaps try authors that are known for tackling issues such as mental health or mindfulness. You will be surprised how many discoveries you can make if you simply search online for ‘wise’ books and authors.
While the sensation of loneliness can sometimes feel all-consuming, it is important to remember that it is not forever and the circumstances creating it will most certainly pass. Until that day comes, exercising your kindness, your creativity or your curiosity may be just what you need to see you through.