Tag: writing

Just writing

Practice Makes Perfect

nhpureandsimple

Really?

Doesn’t perfection have a bit of biased tone in the phrase?

Isn’t it just a figurative expression?

You have been practising writing for a while, maybe for years. Right?

Me too.

But this doesn’t mean the product is perfect.

I don’t think the works of those great, famous writers are perfect either, even with the support and help they receive.

So technically, practice is not about perfection, 

but improvement.

The more you practice, the more you improve… 

or the more you get used to and familiar with the thing.

When you’ve improved and become familiar with whatever you’re doing, you’re doing well, or maybe even very well.

If that’s what “Perfect” means that, then it makes sense.

Practising writing, for example, is great to improve your talent,

find your voice,

and probably make use of your own musings.

Practice makes none of these perfect,

but perhaps more interesting or more… creative.

And that’s what turns whatever you’re practising into an enjoyable routine, a task, or even a habit.

Practice builds consistency, improvement, and…

more importantly confidence.

So… keep practising, not for the sake of perfection, but to prove to yourself that you can do it.

That’s all.

With practical thoughts,

Nahla

 

Just writing

Why I Can’t Write

nhpureandsimple

Because I don’t have ideas.

That’s probably the first logical answer.

Or perhaps because I don’t have time.

That also makes sense.

Or…

You may say it’s because I have so many ideas, but can use none.

Have you ever struggled with this last problem?

I have.

Over the last few days, whenever I decided to write down something, another idea would pop into my head and start fighting with the first.

Before I could put an end to the fight, a third idea came from here and there and interfered.

As I was wondering whether this interference made any sense, a fourth idea pushed its way into the crowd.

I gave up and returned to my book.

Sometimes you have so many ideas that you end up writing nothing.

But sometimes… this very chaos is exactly what we need to write about.

By the way, this applies to life too.

When everything feels chaotic, a mess, and out of control, 

that’s the very moment when solutions, changes, and opportunities begin to appear.

The birds sing after the storm.

People come out and walk, steady and free.

And writers watch all of that and think,

That’s the time to write.

For sure.

With chaotic and quiet thoughts, 

Nahla

Just writing

Let’s Pretend…

nhpureandsimple

This let’s pretend is all about close your eyes and dream.

Well… not closing your eyes and dozing off, but turning on the light to imagination, to hope, and perhaps even to happiness.

Children are the best at make- believe.

They use let’s pretend to dream about the future, about their growing-up lives.

They play this let’s pretend game to have fun.

They cling to this let’s pretend as a shield to avoid and escape punishment.

Writers make-believe too.

Their let’s pretend characters become full of life on the page. 

Their let’s pretend thoughts turn into words a reader can hold. 

And their let’s pretend world becomes real in imagination.

Pause…

This was how I began this post last night with this idea which I borrowed from a non-fiction book about creativity and IQ tests. By the way, do we really need all the fuss around them?

I don’t think so.

Now, back to the main idea.

Instead of going back to finish my post, I decided to complete Dostoevsky’s Poor People. 

I did finish it, but that wasn’t a good idea. 

Because I abandoned the post and slipped straight into reviewing the book. 

But the idea of let’s pretend started nagging me, buzzing into my head, with a single plea; 

Please let’s pretend you didn’t read the book.

Please finish the post.

I tried.

But, I couldn’t.

The book seemed to cut the flow of my post thoughts with its hopeless narrative.

It’s understandable how the story reflected the miserable and hard life the author experienced during the time he was writing it. 

But still, I found myself wondering; why he didn’t play this let’s pretend game, just once, to make- believe some hope in the miserable story? 

Honestly, I don’t know.

But at least I made it — and finished this post.

 

With let’s–pretend–happy thoughts, 

Nahla

Philosophical musings

What Do You Think About The Stars?

nhpureandsimple

Well… this is not astronomy or astrology or astrophysics. I have nothing to do with any of those.

I simply think of stars as stars; luminous lanterns created to shine in the sky, to guide, or once used to guide, our ancestors across land and sea all over the globe. 

Strange how little we see of them nowadays. They still exist in abundance up there in the sky, but most of us are busy, mainly chasing human stars, brand stars, evaluation stars, review stars, and those golden and silver stars. But those literal stars cannot compare to a single luminous creature shining up there in the sky. Its distance, its quality, its meaning, its light, its power, its mystery, all are beyond compare.

In olden times, when human life was deeply connected with those sky lanterns, people personified them as the best of the best. Those far away stars were friends, listeners, watchers, consultants, lovers, and more. Poets wove them into poetry. Travellers took them as companions. Workers waited for them. Children counted them. Lovers dreamed beneath them. Even animals and birds nestled into their places with the first sight of them.

Have you ever noticed how real stars rarely appear amid noise? You have to seek them in quiet, simple places ; on mountains, by the sea, across dessert sands, or anywhere tranquil. Their silver light is a treasure, revealed only to those who pause to appreciating it. 

Now what do you think about the stars?

Here’s a verse from Gibran’s poem,

“The sorrow of the soul is nothing but an illusion, that doesn’t last, and the clouds of the soul reveal the stars within its folds.”

Can you see that the stars symbolise the light that can be seen even in the most greyest and darkest night—yourself?

With hope and peace,

Nahla

daily prompt, Just writing

Can a Blog Be Your Favourite Place?

nhpureandsimple

What is your favorite place to go in your city?

Why not?

All you have to do is to think about it.

Actually, I like this idea. 

I like to think about how, in my blog, I begin to practise creativity, how I find my voice, and how ideas and thoughts start to flow. 

It becomes my favourite place in my city of writing. 

By the way, I have another favourite place in my imaginative city—books. 

You can’t write without reading, can you?

Books are not only for reading with your eyes but also for imagining with your mind.

You imagine characters, and you also imagine their places, their cities, and their era.

Or you may prefer science, philosophy, or even politics, and there too, you’ll find yourself as if you were in your favourite place.

So, wherever you live, in a small or big city, if you pick up a book and really enjoy it, your reading will turn into a visit, short or long, to a special, imaginative spot in your imaginative city.

Just imagine: step out for a moment from the real world, from the actual city. 

Now step into your imaginative city,

to write

or to read.

With hope and peace,

Nahla

Just writing

Should I take such umbrage in this situation?

nhpureandsimple

Well… sometimes you just don’t know how or why people behave this way or that? And honestly, in this situation, it’s better not to make a big deal of it.

So, today my daughter and I took the bus home. It wasn’t busy, but it was so warm inside the bus. All the windows were locked, and most people seemed to have a bad cold.

Isn’t it normal to open the window where you sit?

I think it is, especially if you feel like sitting in a sauna.

So, I consulted my neighbour, who was my daughter, and she said, “yes please mama.”

I stood, stretched to reach it, and finally pulled it open. Sometimes you just wonder why they design the windows that high… but perhaps it’s for some safety reasons.

Anyway, how refreshing it was to feel the cool air above your head, and to smell the scent of the fresh rain instead of the thick, condensed air inside the bus.

Just a few minutes later, and as my daughter and I were talking, and out of nowhere, I heard a woman’s voice nearby, not asking or even suggesting that the window be closed but saying she was closing it. In a flash, she pushed it shut, and just like a ghost disappeared.

For a second, my daughter and I looked at each other, wondering why she closed the window. She wasn’t the one sitting next to it, and since the seats in front and behind us were empty, there was no way she would be affected by it.

As our journey wasn’t taking long, I didn’t make a fuss. I told my daughter, “Perhaps she was sensitive to the fresh, cold air.” We smiled, and continued our conversation, and soon got out into the real fresh air.

Should I have taken umbrage at such behaviour?

I think… I did better by ignoring her and her action completely.

What do you think?

With hope and peace,

Nahla

personal thoughts

Who will you be?

nhpureandsimple

I came across an interesting question on Instagram, written in Arabic. So here I am, translating and sharing it with you.

When you’re alone and you start talking, who are you— the speaker or the listener? 

Interesting, isn’t it?

It happens quite often that I’m alone at home. My sons have already moved to other cities for work. They are not too far, and usually visit us on the weekends. So when my husband goes to work and my daughter to school, that’s when I am alone. 

But by alone, I don’t mean lonely for my hands are usually full with chores, studies, and other interests that make time pass in the blink of an eye. 

Now do you mind a bit of philosophy today? 

Great.

Here’s my own interpretation of the question. 

When you are alone, wherever you are, with no company but yourself, and you feel like breaking the silence around you, will you speak out loud to yourself or will you listen to it? 

Can you make yourself a case study? 

Imagine it’s all quiet around you as you begin writing your post. In that moment, are you speaking or are you listening? Which one are you doing right now?

But first, before the experiment, can you consider that it’s a bit strange to talk out loud to yourself, especially when you are alone. You might start to doubt your sanity! 

Funny how a memory just crossed my mind that fits with all of this.

Years ago, my father-in-law saw a man walking down the road, talking out loud with no one around. He felt sorry for him, thinking; oh poor man had lost his mind. He couldn’t stop laughing when he knew that the man was using headphones. 

Sometimes, out of anger, happiness, or disappointment, you might burst into a tantrum even when you’re alone. In those moments, speaking to yourself can actually be good for your sanity.

Now back to the question, and the case study.

In my case, before writing, I am the listener. But, as I write, I become the speaker. In other words, before I begin, I mainly listen to things around me, including my own thoughts. Then, when I sit down and decide to write, I break the silence and speak.

Why don’t you write your own interpretation? 

With hope and peace,

Nahla

Just writing, personal thoughts

Talk, so I Can See You

nhpureandsimple

This is one of the most special and poetic expressions in the Arabic language. 

Isn’t it beautiful?

And what a brilliant choice to use talk and see!

When you talk, you simply… talk, spontaneously, casually, using your voice, your feelings, your words. In other words, when you become you, the other can hear, see, and know the real you better. Whatever you are and whatever experience, profession, or talent you have, the other can’t see any of it until you talk. 

But things doesn’t rely only on the one who talks; listeners have their important share too. A listener’s good eyesight and hearing are not enough if they really want to see the one talking. To really see someone, is to use your heart. That’s why the blind and the deaf can see you as well as anyone else.

Not everyone who listens, truly listens. Have you heard of this saying before? May I make this tiny addition: Not everyone who listens, truly listens —or truly sees. 

Even when you read a story, you come to know the characters better through their dialogue. The more they talk, the more you see them, unless you’re not interested in the book at all.

By the way, don’t you agree that writing is one of the most creative and artistic ways of talking? 

I do—for some people, talk flows more in writing, and see deepens more in others’ writings. These are the same ones who believe talk lives in writing, and see broadens through others’ writings.

With hope and peace,

Nahla

Just writing

Please Bear With Me

nhpureandsimple

Starting today, please don’t be surprised if I like and dislike your post at the same time. Or if you catch me me follow a conversation I have no idea how and when I get into. Or if I subscribe and then unsubscribe to your blog. 

Oh my … I am pretty sure things like that have happened before, but honestly that’s mainly because of a lagging internet connection or a frozen screen. If this happens today or tomorrow, or even already did, my sincere apologies!

So starting now, hopefully for just a few days, I might be a bit clumsy because I am using a new device. Every time I switch to a new one, funny things happen. Sometimes I wish I had kept the old one as there was no thing wrong with it. But my sons want to get me a special gift for my special day, and here I am using it. It’s actually great, but my brain needs time to befriend it. 

You know the most annoying thing right now? It is Jetpack app. I can’t find the Reader icon as I used to on the other device. So I’ve switched to using WordPress in the browser, and I’m trying to navigate my way through it.

Hopefully things will get better soon.

With hope and peace,

Nahla

Just writing

Joy and Blogging

nhpureandsimple



Blogging is really fun. Well… that’s how I see it.

Imagine writing with no obligations, no deadlines, and no pressure. Just you, your thoughts, your imagination, and your piece of writing.

And … it’s also another way to hear others and be heard. Some voices are loud, some whisper. Some are bold, some shy. Some dramatic, some romantic. Some informative, some subjective. Isn’t that beautiful?

How interesting it is that, within this big collection of voices, you, in most cases, don’t know and would never expect to cross paths with another blogger. It’s even more interesting that you may have nothing in common. Your origins, cultures, religions, beliefs, and even your mothertongues might be totally different. The only thing that brought you together is blogging, which may also be for different reasons.

Isn’t it a joy to find peace in writing?
Of course it is.

No wonder some people say that writing is a simple, soothing remedy for mental and emotional well-being. Perhaps it’s because the paper, or the screen you’re tapping on, just listens. It waits patiently until you finish your piece with no interruptions, no complications. Perhaps it’s because you can express yourself, your feelings, and your thoughts more freely in writing than speaking. Or maybe… it’s simply because you love the feeling of being a writer.

And finally, there’s a joy in reading others’ thoughts which can make you smile, laugh, cry, or even teach you something new … and maybe even different.

Keep writing with joy!


With hope and peace,

Nahla