Friday 31 December 2010

GIFT NO 16: The Great Outdoors

Today, my holiday present to you consists of these pictures taken in the recent snow in Edinburgh. They are all from my garden and the park behind our garden. Yes, I am very, very lucky to have this on my doorstep.

What's it got to do with inspiring your writing? Well, I think the outdoors does. So, I urge you to get out in it if you possibly can and absorb every detail of weather, smell, sight, feeling. Research suggests that open spaces allow greater creativity and lateral thinking. The same research even suggests that higher ceilings allow greater creativity than low ceilings. I wrote about this here on the Awfully Big Blog Adventure, and there are references to the research, if you're interested.


Our ash tree, like some kind of ghost

Our garden table, like some kind of cupcake

Our dog on the bridge across the ha-ha in the gardens behind our garden
 

Not bad for a picture taken with an iphone, eh?


Snowdog

It certainly inspired me: I got 11,000 words of a novel written in four days of not being able to get out of my front door. I almost (but not quite) wish for more snow. (Since writing this, we did have a load more and I've completely gone off it.)

This is my last post of 2010. I hope you have enjoyed my holiday frivolity? Tomorrow and on Monday, there will be two final inspiring holiday messages before we get back to serious work after that. Meanwhile, I promise to raise a glass or two to you all this evening. Cheers!


11 comments:

catdownunder said...

Enjoy the purrarty - thankyou for all the wise cathairs of advice this year. I finished writing another book with your encouragement - New Year's resolution? Write another one. In the meantime Spike and I are off to purrlay with some ice-cubes!

Ebony McKenna. said...

I love the cupcake table. I'm very impressed at how much you've written in your snow-bound state. Just proves that with the right motivation, we can do anything.

sheilamcperry said...

I love the pictures - I have a similar collection but not a garden table cupcake - I'm quite envious of that one.
This is great as it helps to explain why I've written more since we got our conservatory! And I thought I was just wasting time staring up at the stars through the glass roof.
Have a good New Year.

David John Griffin said...

Lovely pics! And cheers to you too, Nicola; may you have a happy and successful 2011.

:-)

Teresa Stenson said...

Cheers to you too, Nicola.

Thank you for doing this blog - sounds clumsy - but I mean it, it's useful, inspiring and appreciated.

JO said...

I'll join you in raising a glass - to thank you for your wise words, and all your fab presents this Christmas.
Happy New Year!

adele said...

Happy New Year to you and yours and ta for all the wonderful posts. May 2011 bring lots of treats and fun and loads more words written. I am seriously impressed with your recent output.
And love the pictures, esp your beautiful dog!

Unknown said...

I love the snow pictures; I'm missing the white now my world is greeny-grey again.
I hope you have more successes than challenges in 2011.

Nicola Morgan said...

Thanks, everyone, and I wish you a very happy evening and a wonderful start to 2011! Now signing off for the last time this year. xx

Kath McGurl said...

Happy New Year to you! I am inspired by your photos - if a woman with the exact same taste in garden furniture as me can write 11,000 words in four days then so can I!

Carolb said...

I want more snow like you've got, it is all gone here.
Happy New Year Nicola.