Wordsmith at work

  How I Kept Creativity Alive This Year Creativity, I’ve learned, is like a houseplant—neglect it and it will wilt away, but nurturing it brings the most amazing results.   Every human being is gifted with a creative streak, which shows up when we put our talents to use.   Creativity is an ongoing and ever-evolving process. Like an unused instrument or machine, your creative spark may gather rust if not tapped into regularly. Tapping into your creativity gives you something to do rather than letting your brain idle away. Each time you create a painting or write even a single line, your skills improve. As a writer, over the past ten months, I’ve tried to practice what I preach and have been fairly successful. No major literary award has come my way, but I continue to pound the keyboard for my own satisfaction and contentment. There are a few writing apps, such as YourQuote and Sheroes, that I use quite regularly. I love creating reels but lack the technical exper...

 December   The countdown to December starts in October. In other words, the countdown to Christmas begins then. For the Christian community, December is synonymous with Christmas. It’s party time and a period for family reunions. The preparations for the festivities begin in October or even earlier. Many thus wrap up December on a joyful and hopeful note, looking forward to a brand new start in the new year.  If I walk down memory lane, I’d find myself back in the little cottage that I lived in with Mom, Dad, and Brother. Mom prepared a fantastic array of Christmas sweets and savouries almost single-handedly. I so vividly recall dad stringing up the red and white streamers across the living room ceiling, the excitement of arranging the crib and decorating the Christmas tree and the can’t-wait-to-open presents.’ The best curtains and cushion covers were brought out, and little me faithfully penned a letter to Santa for quite a few years. I don’t remember attend...