Creativity a la Elizabeth Gilbert

February Blahs, Blues, Books

I have just finished reading Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende. It was a good read, as the saying goes. Perhaps its most important feature was to give me ideas and techniques to incorporate into CUSHING. For instance, the cover page is a photograph of the main character. The event of having the photo taken was only referenced in the last chapter of the book. My own cover design is a photo taken in 1907 of the four main characters of my book. Who took the photograph? What was the occasion? What happened immediately before and after the event?


Another feature of Allende's writing is the way she weaves history, philosophy, geography, and medical practices of the time, into her storyline. She also frequently reiterates key events from another perspective, the way we all do with our own lives. It helps to keep the reader up to speed (especially useful if the book is put aside for a few days) and adds a dimension of psychological realism.


Books are the antidote to the blues or blahs for any seasons of our lives. They relax, invigorate, stimulate, challenge, entertain all at the same time. And, coupled with a glass of wine or cup of tea, become the best companion on a beach by the lake, in a leather chair by the fire, in a cosy bed propped with pillows, and especially on a cool February day in front of a sunny window.