darren r hill

the creative minimalist

The site needs a bit of a refresh, so as they used to say it is under construction. As such things might not look right, work right, or even feel right. But only until everything is new and shiny. After that… who knows.
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This month has been productive despite global chaos, and I have noticed the importance of maintaining a positive and intentional creative practice.
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This week’s creative field notes include how I am keeping up with February Album Writing Month and coming up with a few other creative ideas.
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January has been a difficult month for this creative minimalist. However, the festival of Imbolc is as good a time as any to make a creative new start. This week’s vlog explores recent creative highs and lows.
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As we begin the new year of 2025, I’m excited to share my collection of journals with you in this week’s vlog. I have a new daily planner, as well as music and fiction journals, and various vocabulary notebooks.
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My word of the year for 2025 is odyssey. It both a journey with a destination in mind and plenty of wiggle room for distractions.
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Elements — Weekly Creative Prompt
It’s time for another weekly creative prompt word. These weekly words, or prompts, are to give me, and anyone else who wants to join in, some focus to our creative work.

Last week I tried to merge two musical ideas. In my head I could hear them working together and seeing as both had come to a creative halt, I thought this could be the solution. Notes, motifs, and many other constituent parts make music. Therefore…

This week’s creative prompt word is:

Elements — an essential or characteristic part of something:

I have a strong personality trait that likes to know how things works and are made, so this is perfect for me

Let the prompt inspire you in any area of creativity that you are interested:
- writing fiction
- art journaling
- songwriting
- journaling
- photography
- painting
- composing
- blog posts
- art therapy
- anything that could use a little nudge to begin
When I put the two musical elements together they clashed, they reverberated, and they jostled with each other. One thing they didn’t do together was work. The musical elements were incompatible. But without trying, without attempting, I would never have known. And now I have learned something; sounding good in my head does not overrule the fundamentals of music theory. In fact, the reason it didn’t work was that both ideas had too many elements already in them to mix into something new. (Breaking rules can work and is a great creative tool, but in this case, it didn’t.)

I now have ‘elements’ written on the board above my computer. I am confident it will inspire me on my creative journey this week. Furthermore, I can already feel it impinging on how I might move those musical pieces forward and play in my journal.

As mentioned before, this isn’t a ‘challenge’ but the prompts can be used that way if you want. If you do create anything using them, I would love to see or hear about it. Leave a link in the comments below or tag me @darrenrhill or #thecreativeminimalist on any social platform.

Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
namaste
d
xox

If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

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14 March 2021
The Path a Friday Fiction Writing Prompt
A Fiction Writing Prompt exploring a path to stretch the literary muscles. No rules. No word counts. Simply write and explore.

I am lost. I don’t know which way to go. Wait. Is that a way forward? Have I found a path?

Writing Prompt Expanded

Finding a direction in life can be its biggest mystery. We look for direction and answers in philosophy, religion, pleasure, or pain. There is almost no limit to potential answers and solutions and therefore, roads to travel. As such, we can find ourselves, confused or even lost. This may be a temporary or seemingly permanent state of being.

This prompt is all about a path. In the previous paragraph, the path would appear as a metaphor, however, it could be a literal path as well. In fact, I might go so far as to suggest that the best metaphors are ones we literally live out. Being lost in the forest whilst looking for life’s meaning could be the revelation we really need. Let’s explore the way ahead, our path, in this writing prompt.
- Why do you think there is a path?
- How does the realisation of a path change your feelings?
- What do you have to do to follow this path?
- What are your hopes or fears if you follow this path?
This is fiction, but like all these prompts it can be used for personal reflection. The path is a powerful metaphor and one I return to quite often. It has been my creative prompt word this week too. And, as so often, given me plenty to think about and explore.

As always these writing prompts are optional and entirely open to your interpretation. Use them as a starting point for a short story, something a little more grandiose, or for time in your journal. If you do write something, please share it or a link, in the comments, use the hashtag #ffwp or tag me @darrenrhill. I’d love to read what you create. Write and enjoy the learning process.

Original forest path image by jplenio from Pixabay

Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
namaste
d
xox

If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

Sign up for my (ir)regular newsletter to keep up to date with my creative adventures, including special offers, and join me on Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Pinterest
12 March 2021
Looking for a path – Wordless Wednesday

10 March 2021
Path — Weekly Creative Prompt
It’s time for another weekly creative prompt word. These weekly words, or prompts, are to give me, and anyone else who wants to join in, some focus to our creative work.

We have entered the month of March. In some circles this signifies the beginning of spring. With the arrival of spring, my thoughts invariably look toward the future. What do I want to do? Where do I want to go? I begin to plan my way forward. I seek a way to get to where I desire. Therefore…

This week’s creative prompt word is:

Path— a course of action or way of achieving a specified result:

this isn’t the only definition of the word, but it seemed the most apt to me for the year ahead

Let the prompt inspire you in any area of creativity that you are interested:
- writing fiction
- art journaling
- songwriting
- journaling
- photography
- painting
- composing
- blog posts
- art therapy
- anything that could use a little nudge to begin
I now have ‘path’ written on the board above my computer. I am confident it will inspire me on my creative journey this week. However, this word signifies more than just a creative direction, it has a practical aspect. Just as new life becomes a serious prospect in spring, I feel it is time to get serious about my path ahead.

As mentioned before, this isn’t a ‘challenge’ but the prompts can be used that way if you want. If you do create anything using them, I would love to see or hear about it. Leave a link in the comments below or tag me @darrenrhill or #thecreativeminimalist on any social platform.

Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
namaste
d
xox

If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

Sign up for my (ir)regular newsletter to keep up to date with my creative adventures, including special offers, and join me on Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Pinterest
7 March 2021
Friday Fiction Writing Prompt exploring grow
A Fiction Writing Prompt exploring the word grow to stretch the literary muscles. No rules. No word counts. Simply write and explore.

I didn’t know if it was a plea, prayer or premonition, but the word left my lips as I saw the first shoot… ‘grow’

Writing Prompt Expanded

Waiting for something to happen can be frustrating. It can test our patience. However, this prompt is about the next step. The waiting is over, there is progress, something is happening.

This prompt is all about expectation and need. You know what you want to grow, but there is plenty of time between emergence and fruition.
- What are you wanting to grow?
- What new emotions emerge as the process begins?
- What are your hopes?
- What are your fears?
The image suggests that it is a plant you want to grow, however, feel free to use this prompt as a metaphor. There are many things that we would like to grow, relationships, success, well-being, healing. Any of these can be explored in your fiction, or in your journal. And may your words emerge and grow into something creative.

As always these writing prompts are optional and entirely open to your interpretation. Use them as a starting point for a short story, something a little more grandiose, or some reflective time in your journal. If you do write something, please share, or mention it or a link, in the comments, use the hashtag #ffwp or tag me @darrenrhill. I’d love to read what you create. Write and enjoy the learning process.

Original plant image by Ngo Minh Tuan from Pixabay.

Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
namaste
d
xox

If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

Sign up for my (ir)regular newsletter to keep up to date with my creative adventures, including special offers, and join me on Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Pinterest
5 March 2021
Grow — Weekly Creative Prompt
It’s time for another weekly creative prompt word. These weekly words, or prompts, are to give me, and anyone else who wants to join in, some focus to our creative work.

The other day I was driving and the sun was out, it felt like a lovely spring day. On the side of the road, I saw some daffodils. They were the first flowers I had seen in the wild this year in fact, the first flowers I had seen anywhere since last year. But there they were, new life by the side of the road. Spring is often associated with new life, new beginnings, and new developments. Therefore…

This week’s creative prompt word is:

Grow — germinate and develop:

grow is a verb, often used with objects and other words to create more complex phrases and sentences, basically, it can create and develop them

Let the prompt inspire you in any area of creativity that you are interested:
- writing fiction
- art journaling
- songwriting
- journaling
- photography
- painting
- composing
- blog posts
- art therapy
- anything that could use a little nudge to begin
I now have ‘grow’ written on the board above my computer. I am confident it will inspire me on my creative journey this week. Furthermore, I can already feel it bringing new life to ideas and developing others that have been on hold during the wintertime. Spring is hereabouts, what can you grow?

As mentioned before, this isn’t a ‘challenge’ but the prompts can be used that way if you want. If you do create anything using them, I would love to see or hear about it. Leave a link in the comments below or tag me @darrenrhill or #thecreativeminimalist on any social platform.

Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
namaste
d
xox

If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

Sign up for my (ir)regular newsletter to keep up to date with my creative adventures, including special offers, and join me on Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Pinterest
28 February 2021