Disclosure: This article contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, DailyStraits.com may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through these links at no additional cost to readers.
Perth, May 13: Creativity rarely happens in one neat place.
For singer-songwriter Tia, ideas can arrive anywhere — on a plane, in a bath, in the shower or from a single word heard in passing.
“Anywhere. It could be on a plane, in a bath, in the shower, or if someone says a word I like, I tend to write it down straight away.”
Her process is instinctive and immediate.
Lyrics are written wherever she can capture them quickly, from scraps of paper to her phone.
“I write them everywhere. I get worried and panic that I’ll lose them, so it could be on a newspaper, a sticky note, but mostly my phone, as I usually have it on me. If inspiration strikes, I write it down immediately.”
For Tia, songwriting is also a way to process life.
“My life. It’s really cathartic for me to work through things I’ve been through or experienced, and my favourite activity is overthinking things, so writing is the perfect outlet for that. My next album really is probably one of the most cathartic, personal works I’ve ever written.”
That same idea — turning obsession, experience and emotion into creative work — also appears in the writing process of biochemist and researcher Dr Neil Domigan, whose debut geopolitical thriller The Deity Constant blends fiction, science and faith.
Asked about his writing style, Dr Domigan said: “In The Deity Constant my style is ‘faction’, a fictional story intertwined with world view facts.”
“I strive to write simple direct prose, editing to use the right word, not the almost right word, and use my emotional truth to give characters depth.”
The book took years of work, with Dr Domigan saying it took “4,500 hours, part time over five years and one year full time in Vanuatu.”
For readers interested in creativity, ambition and the worlds that shape artists, Kobo has several fashion-focused titles worth adding to the reading list.
The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger follows Andrea as she lands a dream job at Runway magazine in New York, only to discover the ruthless world behind high fashion.
The House of Gucci by Sara Gay Forden explores the Gucci dynasty and the 1995 murder of Maurizio Gucci.
Gods and Kings by Dana Thomas looks at the rise and fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano, while The Beautiful Fall by Alicia Drake traces the rivalry between Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent.
For memoir lovers, The Chiffon Trenches by André Leon Talley offers a vivid account of life inside the fashion world, while Fashionopolis by Dana Thomas examines the human and environmental cost of fast fashion.
Media & PR: editor@dailystraits.com. Copyright 2021–Present DailyStraits.com. All rights reserved.