Creativity
Play
idea
All you need to know to start skipping stones like a pro
With the right attitude, stone skipping is a rebellious act that will leave you feeling like you have glitter in your veins
by Julie Benda
Creativity
idea
A life of splendid uselessness is a life well lived
Like the fertile soil of a well-kept garden, a life of splendid, utter uselessness yields abundance beyond our immediate aims
by Joseph M Keegin
Stories and literature
guide
How to create compelling characters
It’s not only writer’s intuition. Use personality psychology to create just the right blend of surprise and believability
by Kira-Anne Pelican
Creativity
film
This artist’s clever work moves Deaf culture from the margins to centre stage
Directed by Chiemi Karasawa
Memoir
idea
Learn the art of journaling and archive your life
Journaling is an art and a daily practice that allows you to write your life and find your way, one sentence at a time
by Sarah Boon
Beauty and aesthetics
idea
Beauty is not an ornament to the good life, it is at its heart
Why does the hand want to draw what the eye sees as beautiful? Why do we respond to beauty by creating the beautiful?
by Nick Riggle
Creativity
guide
How to be lucky
Most of us think that luck just happens (or doesn’t) but everyone can learn to look for the unexpected and find serendipity
by Christian Busch
Creativity
film
Human and machine worlds converge into dizzying, dreamlike visual art
Directed by Robert Seidel
Music
idea
They’re playing our song! The philosophical puzzle of cover songs
Can a song be both the original and a copy? Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, and the ‘crazy’ philosophical puzzle of song covers
by P D Magnus
Stories and literature
idea
Are successful authors creative geniuses or literary labourers?
Some writers are explorers, like Edgar Allan Poe. Others are exploiters, like Jules Verne. Which type is better off?
by Oleg Sobchuk
Stories and literature
guide
How to plan your novel
Inspiration rarely comes as a mysterious visitation from the muse. Far better to learn the techniques and habits of the craft
by Jason Whittaker
Philosophy of art
film
Is the concept of originality in art a bit, well, unoriginal?
Directed by Drew Christie