Why I Want to Listen to Audiobooks More

I haven’t listened to many audiobooks in the past. I absolutely loved the Pride and Prejudice audiobook, having wanted to read this book for a long time but I was put off by the writing style as I had read a sample during my studies that I did not like. The audiobook was a great way to go.

I’ve been in a reading slump for a while and I have realised that I am almost always doing something else. If I have spare time I try to work on my blog. I want to start fitting in gaming again and I thought that it would be a great idea to listen to audiobooks whilst I play games (not when there are big dialogue scenes in the game). This would also mean that I am reading more and I can listen to audiobooks whilst doing social media which I spend a lot of time doing.

So Shape: Healthy Meals and Snacks on the Go

So Shape sell shakes that are not only good for you in terms of nutrients but that can also help you to lose weight. There are three different challenges which cover either 5 days, 14 days or 28 days. They offer both snacks/desserts and meals. I opted for the 14 day challenge and 6 different flavours: chocolate, brownie, stracciatella, mint chocolate, vanilla and white chocolate and caramel. So basically all of the chocolate related flavours. In my package I received a shaker, an instruction manual and 30 different powdered flavours. You pour some water into your shake, add the powder and shake. The shake also comes with a diffuser which you can put fruit in and have a fruit flavoured water.

My Goals Going Forward

In my last post, I discussed what I had learnt from having no internet for 48 hours. In this post, I am going to go more in depth on what I learnt about my goals during this time.

1.       I want to keep blogging

This was an obvious one. Of course, I want to keep blogging! I love blogging and I hope to continue to grow this website.

2.       I want to keep making progress in my creative writing

I have been in a writing slump for a while. I kept feeling like I had no inspiration and I wouldn’t really be able to write until I can travel one day and soak up new inspiration. Reading hadn’t been helping me to write and no matter how long I left it, my muse was not returning. However, during my time without internet, I remembered how much I want to share my worlds with, well, the world. I have always wanted to help people with my writing and that has not changed. I want to create the characters and worlds that are roaming around inside me and release them to be enjoyed by others. Although I am still struggling with writing, I have decided to keep working on one project at a time. I am going to keep editing my book, Through the Portal, until I get to where I need to write more and then I will write new chapters. Even if I do this slowly, I still want to be making progress to finish this book and help find out what happens to the characters. It may take me a long time to write a book but I also really want to help people with my blog!

Five Things I Learnt From My Internet Detox

I just finished doing 48 hours without internet in aid of Cancer Research UK. Here are the things that I learnt during this time.

1.       It is ok to use the internet sometimes 

I often feel bad that I use the internet as much as I do. I think that I should be doing other things instead. However, I have realised that it is ok to use the internet. It is ok to spend time on social media, post things and talk to others, as long as you are not spending too long on there or spending time on social media or accounts that make you feel bad about yourself.

2.       Without internet you can relive some good old times

Not having access to internet 24/7 reminded me of when I was younger and we literally did not have access to internet 24/7. We had to spend our time in other ways. The one activity that I spent most of my time doing was playing video games. I used to love spending time playing the same game over and over again and a lot of the games I never even completed because they were too difficult for me but it was still a lot of fun! Without internet, I actually played a couple of games that I had been thinking of playing for a while, without distraction. I could fully immerse myself in the game and in that moment. No muting the sound to watch a video at the same time, no pausing the game to check social media and it was good.

Rapid Fire Book Tag

This is a book tag created by Kate from GirlReading (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-46EzDWdSY). There are a series of book related questions to answer so let’s go:

Q: E-Book or Physical Book? 

A: E-book, I know this is a controversial answer but I love my kindle so much! It is light to hold, keeps my page open and tells me an estimate of how much longer I have left in the book which helps motivate me to keep reading.

Q: Paperback or Hardback? 

A: I don’t really have a preference!

Q: Online or In-Store Book Shopping? 

A: I love shopping in a book store. Being surrounded by books is one of my favourite places. I can look at all of the different books available and choose whichever is available at the time. I often find books that I wasn’t originally planning on buying!

Q: Trilogies or Series?

A: I love series because then there are more books to read, as long as the books still continue to be great and there is enough story to last across more books.

Guest Post: The Psychology of Writer's Block by Kim from writersideoflife.com

I want to talk about the dreaded realm of the tortured artist: Writer's Block. Anyone who calls themselves a writer has experienced it. Your coffee is hot and your fingers are poised over the keyboard. The cursor flashes black in a sea of white. All those ideas that were rushing around while you were trying to get to sleep are gone. Your mind is completely blank.

What is writer's block?

Writer's Block is defined as the condition of being unable to think of what to write or how to proceed with writing. I love the quote by Thomas Mann; “A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.” So what makes it harder for us writers?

Fear of criticism

Writers are inherently sensitive people. They have to feel things deeply to be able to write about them in a way that feels relatable to other people. It follows that they will think deeply about others' attitudes towards their work.

April/May Goals

Aru Shah and the End of Time

Hello! I have been spending a lot of time blogging and working on social media in relation to this. I love doing this but in between I am spending a lot of time just scrolling through social media and I am not getting other things done that I want to do. So here is a list of my goals to achieve over the next month or so:

Read

I really want to finish more books a week and I have been experiencing a reading slump in April! So my goal is to try to read even more. I need to actively make sure that I am fitting in reading time where possible because I love reading and there are so many more books that I want to read! My 48 hours of no internet is this weekend (28^th-29^th April) so I am hoping that will help kickstart some more reading (this is for Cancer Research UK and you can donate here).

Art

I have always wanted to be good at art and over the years I have experimented with different arts and crafts. Earlier this year I was lucky enough to obtain a drawing tablet to draw digitally and I have so far made a couple of drawings that I am proud of but I would like to try fitting in regular drawing time to practice and improve. 

Guest Post: Mental Health & Creativity by Hannah from thedysfunctionaldamsel.com

Today’s guest post is by Hannah from http://thedysfunctionaldamsel.com/I am honoured that she wrote a post discussing dealing with her mental health issues to share with you all. 

Hannah often writes about mental health and trying to navigate through life while making weird metaphors, pretending to be dinosaurs with her toddler and ranting about her obese dog.

My relationship with mental illness and creativity has been evolutionary. I was diagnosed with depression when I was merely 11 years old. I can remember feeling like an outsider even then, and not in the cute “no one gets my preteen angst” sort of way. Instead it was insidious self-hatred. I always felt as if I was stuck behind a glass pane, with my nose pressed against the window while I voyeuristically watched others enjoying their lives. I wanted so badly to have effortless joy, but had no idea how to find it or if I was even meant to have it. My acceptance of what I felt, of what I was, and just of myself truly started with channeling my creativity.

Because We Are Bad: OCD and a Girl Lost in Thought by Lily Bailey Review

Deciding what to do with your life

Finding what you want to spend your time doing- both for a career and for your free time, is something that can be really difficult to do. You may feel lost or you may have an idea. However, this idea can change as you grow older and that is okay. Even if you feel lost now, don’t worry, you will find your way. Here are some tips that may help:

What do you already enjoy? I have a passion for books, I love writing and reading and so it seems natural for me to hope for a career in this industry. You can always think of subjects that you enjoyed at school or people that you look up to.

What jobs stand out to you? It is okay to try different jobs, take work experience or internships or temporary jobs. Research related careers on job websites. For UK graduates, I would recommend Prospects.