Comedy writing, like all writing needs structure and a sense of style to be engaging. The success of most stand-up comedy, even when improvised, seems to rely on content that is animated and packaged as parody. Most comedy sets involve … Continue reading
One of the most appealing aspects present within songwriting is the freedom it grants the writer in terms of style and structure; any subject can be broached in any way, maybe that’s why it proves to be such a cathartic … Continue reading
Sometimes a simple, no-frills approach to writing is the best policy, even when it comes to complex subjects like love. Not having to skim off the froth from flamboyant language and instead reading plain words that are honest and heartfelt … Continue reading
Sting has followed a path steered by his proven affinity with the written word. The course of his musical career traces an evolving relationship with language, as he finds new ways to record and interpret his experiences, thought processes and creativity in a finely tuned, honest approach.
The words of a song can influence, guide, heal, enlighten and move. Sting uses the powerful format of writing to encase new scenes and situations in single songs, covering a breadth of emotion. From flurries of fury and impassioned pleas to carefree meanderings in sunset barley fields; an inherent talent has been cultivated, capturing emotion, setting mood and communicating concepts with chords and lyrical content that when played, pinpoints exactly what it means to be alive.
He always manages to create meaningful pieces, infused with relatable content that are almost engineered to last as classics. Whether personal or abstract; Sting isn’t afraid to experiment with his musical style. His song writing skills seem completely transferable, from orchestral interpretations and soul renditions to the early origins of his pop and rock days together with the later sounds of jazz and folk influences; Sting manages to incorporate a medley of genres comfortably across albums and within individual songs, offering an eclectic energy that completely captivates the listener.
Recently I saw Sting perform in Gateshead as he celebrated 25 years as a solo artist, with his Back to Bass tour. What struck me, even before he sang a single note, was his natural way with words. It was clear that his ability to transcribe his thoughtful nature so precisely is what has earned him his right to decades in the spotlight. Slipping into storytelling quite easily he quickly built a rapport with the Newcastle audience from which he originated. Reaffirming the audiences’ affections, with real warmth and humour, Sting shared anecdotes of walking alongside the river with his youngest daughter just days before, as he showcased the gems of his city. Walking beside the Tyne evoked a flood of memories as he reminisced about going to the market as a small boy on a Sunday with his father, who would buy him a token toy. It was almost as though he could sense the silent attentiveness of the crowd, as we proudly witnessed a homegrown talent leave us in no doubt as to why he is now known the world over.
The local newspaper’s review the next day summed the night up perfectly, proudly concluding, ‘A great night with a band of awesome musicians, and a charismatic singer-songwriter who’s lost none of his powers. Welcome home, Sting.’
Read the full article here.
During the gig, Sting told us that when sitting down to write a song he would first write the music and then let the lyrics fall into place, an unconventional method but one that has proved monumentally successful nonetheless. Together he would walk us through his memories, of where he was when he penned the first lines of a song, which then made each of the following performances even more powerful and vivid, as the images he had given us unfolded in what seemed like technicolour, while the music’s beats and chords intensified the messages.
In his eclectic set was a song that I hadn’t heard before, and one that stood out as a tragedy. Distinctly the song depicted the determination and unity that existed between two foxes. The ‘End of the Game’ throws the listener into a fast pace chase as two foxes flee for their lives, inspired he said from living in the countryside and directly, from trying to find new ways to barricade wild foxes out of his chicken enclosure, with comically put, varying degrees of success. The song however is full of sadness and urgency, as the pair try to outrun their inevitable fate. The music depicts the dramatic dash that ensues, conveying the ebb and flow of their energy levels, as well as the thoughts that run parallel through the minds of the foxes, while Sting narrates the story as they draw closer to their deaths.
What makes the song so moving is the ways in which the foxes are portrayed as romantic partners, spurring themselves on by envisioning a fantastical future together, running away side by side through forests, streams, fields and brambles, heading to the shore while being poetically ‘Carried to the great ocean by the drag of the moon ’. Their determination to escape eventually becomes replaced by an acceptance of the reality that dawns and they run instead into their dreams and finally on into the heavens.
In the video below shows Sting perform ‘End of the Game’ accompanied by the might that is the Philharmonic Orchestra. Sting takes the opportunity to incorporate an Oscar Wilde quote into his introduction; his love for words is apparent, his whole view of life is guided my the power and magic they can bestow. He owes his livelihood, his lifestyle to the art of words and his fans their delight, to his poetic perspective.
In the video below, Sting looks back on a career that spans a staggering 25 years. He is still prone to deep reflection and by his own self admission, at 60, has not yet arrived at a place where he thinks he has it all figured out. Sting is obviously intelligent but an emotional intelligence is what really shines through, especially when he describes and responds to his environment; combining eloquence with a down-to-earth delivery that is part of a formula which allows him to write songs we can appreciate and value. In the opening to this interview Sting becomes entirely engaging as he returns to storytelling mode.
His first musical memory is described as a scene full of movement and feeling, as he watched his mother play the piano; “I’d be on the floor, the pedals were odd, the loud and the soft pedals, they moved kind of a-rhythmically”. Sting went on to talk about the importance of listening, which is often key when finding the inspiration that in needed for creative writing, “It’s a receptive organ, it’s a feminine organ, we get information…… then we use our hands.”
He goes on to talk about spirituality and the death of his father, together with a desire to dedicate a song to him,“I knew I had to write something because that’s always been my therapy, the way of processing emotion”. He constantly finds value in new subject matters, and even admits to the experience of writers block. “My whole being that was involved in being creative, suddenly had gone!”, but is comforted when he is able to draw from a past that is already easily accessible. A writer’s block is not a sign of a bad writer, merely that a new source needs to be tapped into; a creative challenge can often result in some of our best work as it stretches our abilities as writers, resulting in better outcomes. He reminisces about the ship building on his street, a subject that he describes wistfully and enigmatically, comparing his own life to their birth and journey out to sea,“so big it would just blot out the sun, and these ships of course would never come back, once they were launched they would leave, and that became very symbolic I suppose, of my own life”.
The next video shows a snippet from Sting’s recent 60th birthday concert, where he gathered famous friends together to sing songs from his huge back catalogue. Here, Wonder joins the stage to sing ‘Fragile’ and immediately and inimitably injects an infectious soulfulness, stamping his own identity onto the classic song to showcase the full potential of masterful lyrics. Sting is clearly in awe of Wonder, and too, seems to take something fresh from the song. The performance is a testament to both Wonder and Sting’s immense talents. What better way to see your song writing ability praised than have the legend that is Stevie Wonder sing it for you; it all comes to life right in front of him as he shares the stage. What a tribute and a well deserved one. Here’s to song writing!
I thought I’d post this letter that my eight year old cousin Grace wrote to me. It shows how the written word can demonstrate affection in a different way and how children use it as a means of effectively expressing … Continue reading
Words suddenly seem to acquire greater significance when they are etched, carved, chiseled or inscribed onto a surface. A message read in a new medium, shimmers with added character, standing out as a notable record of emotion or thought. I usually find that words chiseled in stone seem to command respect, compared to the script inscribed on jewellery which is more delicate, and sentimental, its permanence symbolising words that make up an everlasting commitment. Carved into wood, words are crafted softly and smoothly, where often natural words such as ‘botanic’ work well; on the other hand tree barks often exhibit rugged, impromptu declarations, which have become archetypal gestures of love. And illuminated, words are instantly glorified and glamorised, associated with the heights of fortune and fame, drawing crowds and attention. In all their forms, words are continually invited into our world, willing our eyes to pass over their letters and digest diverse messages.
The written word is such an integral part of expression that it penetrates our existence with its varied offerings, just like art appears in towns, cities and parks. Remaining as voices that speak out from tree barks, walls, lockets, statues and glowing lights, the worth of words are showcased in all their contrasting simplicity and complexity, for all to see, enriching our experience of places, rather than just sitting between the pages of books or logged within the digital ether.
Tracing letterforms and words with our finger tips can help us connect to its meaning. It’s a tactile way of interacting and relating to words as a physical presence rather than just as an impression. Even on a page, running your hands across the raised print can help us form an attachment to what we’re reading. Braille is a prime example of how words can be felt and understood without the need to see them.
Prayers can be carved in stone, where they seem to take on a venerable state. A building dedicated to worship, which has inscriptions carved on or within its structure helps to strengthen and promote it as a domain reserved for sacred practices and teachings, as walls become blessed with words.Writing is a timeless way of preserving and passing down great knowledge to future generations, and in the case of religion, beliefs and counsel. If those words are chiseled or engraved on a structure, their life will be lengthened, minimising the chance that they will become lost or erased.
Recently I saw an installation by Tracey Emin. It was a sentence scribbled in neon light, suspended against the night sky; taken from 
a biro scrawled napkin that read ‘Be Faithful to your dreams’, its strong sentiment, which directed to the heart of the reader, essentially asks them to not let dreams fade and be replaced by acceptance. Like a jolt of light, it allows them to look at things a fresh. That’s why this installation works so well as a bright, bold vision. But even if you were to read this in its original state on a napkin, left in a cafe, crumpled on a table, it would still have the power to make you stop and think and maybe re-examine the decisions that had led you to your present circumstances. When I first saw this simple sentence, alone, high and lit up, its impact was dazzling and unforgettable. Maybe that’s why stars long to see their names in lights, there is definitely an impressive charm about glowing words that can’t fail but to go unnoticed.
During a trip to Italy, with my friend two summers ago, we decided to take the train from Venice to Verona to visit a well know tourist attraction, Juliet’s House; it is supposedly the setting where Shakespeare based his famous romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet. On approach to the entrance of this famous house, walking down the hot Italian street, lined with modern, designer shops, a brightly coloured, aged doorway comes into view, standing apart from glass fronted window displays, it is decorated with layer upon layer of graffiti style love notes. The top layer is patterned with a huge white love heart that symbolises exactly why visitors were flocking to its entrance, in search of luck in love. Scrawled in paint, tipex, felt-tip, biro and crayon; anything that was to hand when visitors stopped by. It is said that if you leave a message here, the golden statue of Juliet, which stands gracefully in the courtyard will grant you fortune in love.
When you turn into the corridor that leads into the courtyard and to the famous balcony, bustling crowds confront you, all scrambling and eager to leave their message and attach it to the walls with chewing gum. The two walls leading to the courtyard both flutter like frills, as the breeze catches what seems to look like a petticoat of layered material, thick with multi-coloured notes. As the notes lift up, underneath are small areas of wall patterned with some of the first messages. It’s obvious that the wall space ran out quickly, as messages merge into each other and are now illegible.
It seems we cannot help but make our mark with words, to record our thoughts and feelings, as evidence of ourselves, where we passed or stayed, made clear for the world to read. I’m sure most people would like the thought that they were able to make passers-by stop in their tracks, intrigued by their words. Whether it’s carved on a tree, written in the sky, projected on the side of a building or engraved in gold; it seems the urge to leave our mark and define our territory with a literary print proves hard to resist.
The tattoo is an ancient art form that dates right back to Neolithic times, when the body was used as a natural and available canvas to display creative symbols that could be exhibited as a clear statement of identity, at every available opportunity.
Tattoos in all their forms, project the wearer’s personality and style in an instant. They can help to draw attention to the wearer’s femininity or masculinity, enhance sex appeal, promote a spiritual identity, cultural heritage, sense of humour or articulate an idea or pearl of wisdom. As with every artistic undertaking, the creative possibilities seem limitless; the decision and reason behind every tattoo is guided by an individual’s experience and perspective, their interests, preferences, passions and beliefs, emblazoned boldly for all to see or hidden demurely playfully as a mark of character. A tattoo has the ability to reveal the essence of who we are, past and present, our intentions, our mistakes, all appear in ink as a permanent impression of outward identity.
More often than not, people opt for drawn, image based tattoos; however, written designs also have a certain charm all of their own. The beauty of letter forms, can take shape in an array of fonts, that transform the tone behind a statement to form linear or interlocking patterns of ornate, dramatic results that invite curiosity as onlookers decipher its message.Typography and calligraphy are just two examples of how words can be experimented with in order to create letter art. As a tattoo script can wrap, twist and bend, then circle swirls to trace and compliment the body’s natural contours, or cascade down lines such as the spine or shoulder-blade, or be neatly tucked away behind ears or along the hairline as single words, sentences or even lengthy passages. Words can even replicate the shape of jewellery, each letter representing a chain or bead hung like a necklace, bracelet or more solidly as a ring. The tattoo is a permanent accessory that contributes towards any outfit.
Letters can be made into decorative pictures with added cursive swirls that extend as leafy stems that blossom and grow out from letter forms. Pictures can also be incorporated within the spaces of letters, just as they were inside the spaces of medieval capital letters that started a new chapter; this combination marries the best of both worlds. Instead of the body as just a blank canvas it also becomes a blank page, coming full circle to use ink, writing’s most associated medium. Not only do the tattoos contain ideas and musings, poetry or cherished sentiments, they also exist as stamps of beauty that define the human race as proud creators and owners of language and literature.
Tattoos that contain words are sometimes spiritual in nature, acting as a script that protects them, or reminds them of something sacred, acting as something they can carry around with them permanently, as a message to the world, without having to say a word. Choosing to adorn your body with words, borrows from writing and language that instant ability to communicate and provoke thought. Tattoo designs often depict elements that are important to a person at a particular stage in their life, telling a story of their own. Unique history’s are recorded, be it in past loves, lessons learned, music or people they have been inspired by; all are mapped out as psychological and spiritual destinations journals life upon the body.
Some celebrity tattoos include:
A line inspired by Shakespeare’s King Lear, ‘We will all laugh at gilded butterflies.’ – Megan Fox (right shoulder-blade)
‘Know your rights’– Angelina Jolie (base of neck)
A quote from Tennessee Williams, ‘A prayer for the wild at heart, kept in cages’ – Angelina Jolie (right inner forearm)
A phrase in Latin, ‘VII – Perfectio In Spiritu’ translates as ‘Seven- Spiritual Perfection’ – David Beckham (right inner forearm)
‘Death is Certain’ – Johnny Depp (on his ankle)
‘Their beauty captures every eye, a gift from God for all mankind, they lend us wings so we may fly, to ride a horse is to ride the sky’ Leona Lewis – (From the nape of her neck and down her spine)
‘absurdites de l’ existence’ translated as ‘life is absurd’ – Brad Pitt (on his forearm)
‘Move or Bleed’ – Christina Ricci (left ribcage)
Where a message is placed can have a huge significance on how it’s interpreted. For example, the word ‘HOPE’ tattooed on the knuckles of one hand, when read alone has a wholly positive effect, but when joined and read together next to the other hand, with the word ‘LESS’ blazoned across the knuckles, ‘HOPELESS’ is spelled out, which is an altogether more depressing message, yet it communicates a strong, unforgettable sentiment, reminding us that hope can quickly and easily turn into despair if you let it. One word like this can be powerful enough on its own. It shows that we can play with the construct of language, transforming its meaning, when broken up and added to, as well as where it is placed in context. A famous example is the clever positioning of ‘Shhh’,which is tattooed on the singer, Rihanna’s index finger, which when pressed to her lips instructs, using actions to replace speech she can silence audiences.
At the heart of the text-based tattoo is an ability to connect and communicate, to display word craft that can trigger thought, prick our conscience and move us. Just skimming these simple symbols can unlock our minds. As a living, breathing page the wearer flirts with the flexibility of language, becoming advocates for the freedom of speech in the process.
Sometimes less is more. It can be the same with writing. A long piece of intricate work has its place and once we’re gripped it can draw us in to its depths. However a short, sharp burst of sheer brilliance … Continue reading
I’m glad I came across this video of Goldie Hawn, talking to aspiring actors. She made a lot of sense and I found her approach to the idea of creativity captivating. The expressions on the faces of the audience are confirmation of her inspiring message, which she delivered with confidence, as she mesmerised in the role of mentor. It was clear that she has had practice at giving advice, whether that’s to her family and friends or professionally, she seems to be someone that speaks from experience, which makes the content all the more valuable.
Her thoughts upon the act of writing and holding your nerve, even when it sometimes feels like it would be easier to give up, strikes a chord and it can be applied to all challenges we face. She talked about writing and all other creative processes as an isolating act. People such as Wordsworth and Lautrec are just a couple of people that spring to mind, individuals so immersed in their art that they became almost outcasts, conjuring ideas upon hillsides and a voyeur that sat on the sidelines and recorded the lives of others. Yet to be inspired means we have to observe other people and other things, taking a step back in order to capture the full measure or character of a person or scene. To create, whether we like it or not, often requires time and peace.
There’s no avoiding the fact that writing, like all creative pursuits, is by its very nature a solo endeavour. You experience the highs and lows alone, you take on the blame when things don’t work out, yet you receive all the glory when they do! As a writer, you can’t particularly share the burden but that means that you can also revel in your accomplishments. Hawn also points out that success can be as tough as failure. Knock backs are part of life. Not everyone can love your work. But equally, if you suddenly get a break and become a success story, then the journey to sustain that success is just the beginning. You also have to deal with the added pressure of fame and as it’s often said, ‘It’s lonely at the top’, but, is it just as lonely when you’re sat in a room with only a laptop and the radio for company, or is it just a different kind of solitude?
As with anything, perseverance and optimism can power you on. Nothing seems wasted when you spend your time devoted to something you enjoy and believe in.
Watch Goldie Hawn offer some golden nuggets of advice. Whatever line of work you’re in, whether that’s a writer, an actor, an artist, or a postman; her philosophy on life definitely provides that extra motivation that we all need from time to time:
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