https://thomascotterill.ca/2021/08/03/down-to-earth-spirituality/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/universe-520x346-1.jpguniverse-520x346https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/universe-920x613-1.jpguniverse-920x613The struggle to be true to oneself has never been harder than it is today.https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/universe-2935936_1920.jpgWorld of FacesThe struggle to be true to oneself has never been harder than it is today.2022-05-21T22:06:49+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/contact/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/message-in-a-bottle-beach.jpgMessage in a Bottle InboxRomantic but impractical. (photo: pdpics.com)2023-05-19T07:55:55+00:00weekly0.6https://thomascotterill.ca/2013/03/10/romanticisms-claim-on-individuality/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/wanderer-above-the-sea-of-fog.jpgWanderer Above the Sea of Fog by Caspar David Friedrich Romanticism promotes an anti-social emphasis on individuality and self-absorption. (photo: public domain) 2022-05-15T00:40:39+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/11/26/emotions-turned-art-into-communication/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/munch__the_scream.jpgThe Scream by Edvard MunchEdvard Munch's famous painting, The Scream, gives some idea of the emotional expressionist technique. (Image: public domain)2022-05-15T00:38:26+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/05/15/why-brian-s-pratt-sells-so-well/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/the-unsuspecting-mage.jpgThe Unsuspecting Mage - CoverPratt’s heroes have sound values and genuine courage. 2020-10-09T18:28:58+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/10/31/deal-creatively-with-the-inner-critic/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/nietzsche.jpgFriedrich NietzscheGerman philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche suspended his inner critic, decided his writings were spectacular, and suffered a massive ego inflation. (Photo: public domain)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/portrait_of_friedrich_nietzsche.jpgPortrait_of_Friedrich_NietzscheNietzsche suspended his inner critic and went mad.2019-04-20T05:36:31+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/06/22/human-beings-are-always-half-asleep/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/young_darwin2.jpgYoung Charles DarwinEvolution recognizes that humans are a work in progress. We are not yet, and perhaps never will be, completely conscious. (Image: public domain.)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/hecate-the-night-of-enitharmons-joy-1795.jpgHecate - The Night of Enitharmon's Joy - 1795In the Underworld. The land of dreams is irrational, surreal, and highly symbolic. (Image: public domain.)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/rape-of-persephone-by-luca-giordano.jpgRape of Persephone by Luca GiordanoHades had to steal his bride and spirit her off to the Underworld to symbolize the way we resist exploring our unconscious minds. (Image: public domain)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/189446_m-the-three-fates-greek.jpg189446_m -The Three Fates - GreekThe Three Fates, the Greek concept of destiny. Jung claimed unconscious dreams are experienced as fate. (Image: public domain.)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/cornucopia.jpgCornucopiaA cornucopia might symbolize the rich harvest of a day’s ideas, emotions, and experiences. (Image: public domain.)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/2972361_com_blake_s_nebuchadnezzar_minneapolis.jpg2972361_com_blake_s_nebuchadnezzar_minneapolisMan or beast?https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/rossetti_proserpine.jpgrossetti_proserpinePersephone and the pomegranate. Bursting with seeds, the fruit is a symbol of fertility and potential. The beginning of spring is the morning of the world. Winter is a metaphor for sleep. (Image: public domain,)2019-04-19T20:30:07+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/05/13/review-rebellion-by-rachel-cotterill/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/rebellion-by-rachel-cotterill.jpgRebellion - CoverThis uninspiring book cover hides an exciting adventure fantasy with a female hero and a martial arts theme.2019-04-16T19:28:36+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/05/20/review-scat-by-jim-graham/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/scat-cover.jpgScat CoverCheck out the great reviews this stellar SF novel has garnered around the web.https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/scat-by-jim-graham1.jpgScat by Jim Grahamhttps://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/scat-by-jim-graham.jpgScat by Jim Graham2019-04-16T19:28:22+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/06/06/review-revolution-by-rachel-cotterill/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/revolution-frontcover-v1.jpgRevolution - front coverRevolution is a fast paced, engrossing, and enjoyable read.2019-04-16T19:27:55+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/06/08/guides-to-understanding-creativity/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/storr-cover.jpgThe Dynamics of CreationAnthony Storr is unsurpassed when it comes to writing about creative people and the mysteries of the creative process.2019-04-16T19:27:42+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/06/25/review-birdie-down-by-jim-graham/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/birdie-down-new-cover-smaller.jpgBirdie DownThis one is usually free at Smashwords. Why not enjoy an exciting read that costs you nothing?https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/birdie-down-cover.jpgBirdie Down CoverA Classic SF Adventure2019-04-16T19:26:56+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/08/18/where-does-will-come-from/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/coronation-chair-paradox.jpgCoronation Chair for a KingWill occupies the seat of power in the psyche. But where is that seat?2019-04-16T19:25:10+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/09/09/in-the-comic-footsteps-of-douglas-adams/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/the-garden-wall-cover.jpgThe Garden Wall - coverA good comic science fiction novel by a university student.2019-04-16T19:24:32+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/09/09/the-troubled-hero-is-a-champion-of-individuality/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/wotan-visits-mime.jpgWotan Visits MimeHeroes in myth, legend and literature are often profoundly troubled and provide deeper insights than action heroes. (Image: public Domain.)2019-04-16T19:24:19+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/09/21/are-creative-people-less-sane/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/man-woman-yin-yang-symbol.jpgMan Woman Yin Yang SymbolCreative people tolerate awareness of polarities and contradictions rather than trying to bury one side or the other. This can make them seem unpredictable.2019-04-16T19:23:01+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/09/27/make-bliss-your-creative-compass/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/compass_rose.jpgDecorative Compass RoseCertain shades of feeling are associated with your authentic will and can be used as a reliable inner guide or compass.2019-04-16T19:22:29+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/10/01/lifestyles-of-writers-and-other-creative-people/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/barnhill-jura-where-orwell-wrote-19841.jpgGeorge Orwell's Country Retreat in the HebridesCheap rural retreats such as George Orwell's remote home in the Scottish Hebrides are a staple in the lives of creative people.2019-04-16T19:21:45+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/10/05/what-is-your-lifes-theme/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/tree_of_knowledge-custom.jpgWisdom Harvests the Tree of KnowledgeMany great writers have used the themes from their own lives as the themes in their books and stories. Do you know what your themes are?2019-04-16T19:21:15+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/10/07/creative-people-explore-hidden-realities/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/hermann-hesse-in-1927.jpgHermann Hesse in 1927Hermann Hesse used simple doors to symbolize the entrance to hidden realities in his controversial novel, Steppenwolf. (Photo: Wikimedia)2019-04-16T19:18:46+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/10/11/writers-are-often-early-birds-or-night-owls/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/screech-owl-on-perch1.jpgScreech Owl on PerchWriters can use hours of the day when little is happening. The need for a more certain income may leave them no choice. (Image: public domain.)2019-04-16T19:16:32+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/10/13/creative-individuals-are-promethean-rebels/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/prometheus.jpgPrometheus BoundPrometheus stole the gods’ fire. Creative individuals steal the gods’ thunder by exercising free will. 2019-04-16T19:16:16+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/10/15/your-worldview-will-sneak-into-your-novel/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/yggdrasil-by-oluf-olufsen-bagge-1847-public-domain.jpgYggdrasil by Oluf Olufsen Bagge 1847Yggdrasil, the world tree, was the Nordic symbolic representation of the world. These days, worldview varies on an individual basis, but always has an underlying humanness shared by all. (Image: public domain)2019-04-16T19:14:12+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/10/21/what-makes-some-people-become-extraordinary/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/muses-inspiration.jpgThe Muses Bring InspirationFormerly, the Muses were thought to make people extraordinary. Nowadays we see inner bickering as the cause.2019-04-16T19:13:32+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/10/23/the-happiness-of-constant-striving/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/danaides_waterhouse_1903.jpgThe Danaides by John William Waterhouse, 1903Success may not be necessary to attain happiness. For many, the striving itself becomes a fulfilling and satisfying way of life.2019-04-16T19:13:14+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/10/27/why-creative-people-once-feared-psychoanalysis/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/vancouver-olympic-flame-2010_500.jpgVancouver Olympic Flame 2010Some highly creative people once believed that psychoanalysis would extinguish their creative flame and impair achievement. (Photo: public domain)2019-04-16T19:12:50+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/11/10/the-guiding-hand-of-the-unconscious-mind/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/watts-galahad.jpgGalahad by George Frederic WattsThe sense of the numinous generated by the unconscious mind can lead us on a great quest for self-discovery and lifelong self-realization. (Photo: Wikimedia)2019-04-16T19:12:00+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/11/12/idealism-and-perfectionism-are-enemies-of-creativity/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/lady-justice-3.jpgLady JusticeIdealism and perfectionism prevent creative people from seeing their work objectively, thereby impairing the ability to assess its worth.https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/gavel-and-scales.jpgGavel and ScalesIdealism and perfectionism prevent creative people from seeing their work objectively, thereby impairing the ability to assess its worth.https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/owl-with-red-eyes-md.pngowl-with-red-eyes-mdIdealism and perfectionism prevent creators from seeing their work objectively, thereby impairing the ability to assess its worth.https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/wappers-scene-from-belgian-revolution.jpgWappers - Scene from Belgian Revolution (public domain)Idealism and perfectionism impair a creator's ability to judge their own work.2019-04-16T19:10:17+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/11/16/repressed-wishes-can-sink-you/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/battling-a-headwind.jpgBattling a HeadwindTrying to press on when you want to do something else can feel like battling a stiff headwind. You are waging war on yourself.2019-04-16T19:05:38+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/11/22/does-old-age-mean-nothing-left-to-lose/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/19370-yiddish-proverb-old-age-600.jpgOld Man and Old Age ProverbWhile much else may have fallen away, wisdom and strengthening inner resources are the just rewards of a long life. Make sure you preserve them.2019-04-16T19:02:10+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/11/28/can-illness-be-a-creative-opportunity/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/war-of-the-worlds-french-edition-1906.jpgIllustration from War of the Worlds - French Edition (1906)Out of work, suffering from tuberculosis, and coughing blood, H. G. Wells saw his situation as a great opportunity. (Photo: public domain)2019-04-16T18:56:20+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/12/14/how-philosophical-writers-think/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/rembrandt-philosopher-meditating.jpgDetail from Rembrandt's Philosopher MeditatingEffective philosophical works need a suitable scale, a unique personal perspective, and a definite focus. (Image: Wikimedia)2019-04-16T18:51:04+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/01/18/review-the-quickening-by-mari-biella/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/the-quickening.jpgThe Quickening CoverIf you enjoy period ghost stories that generate a sustained atmosphere or mood, The Quickening is a feast. 2019-04-16T18:50:03+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/01/28/how-to-recognize-cognitive-dissonance/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/cup-of-cognition-the-childrens-cup-1894.jpgCup of Cognition - The Childrens Cup, 1894When we look upon our actions and see they do not coincide with our beliefs, we become distressed. This is one form of cognitive dissonance, a kind of jarring discord within the psyche. (Image: Wikipaintings)2019-04-16T18:49:42+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/02/01/reason-and-emotion-clash-in-the-arts/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/salvador_dali-profile_of_time.jpgSalvador Dali's Profile of TimeSalvador Dali’s melting clocks and watches are the best known examples of surrealism, one of art’s less rational movements. (Image: Wikipedia)2019-04-16T18:48:04+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/02/22/review-that-scoundrel-emile-dubois-by-lucinda-elliot/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/that-scoundrel-emile-dubois-cover.jpgThat Scoundrel, Emil DuBoisA sophisticated and sensual blend of humour, horror, and romance.2019-04-16T18:47:07+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/02/26/the-ship-as-metaphor-for-the-self/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/square-rigged-sailing-ship.jpgSquare-rigged Sailing ShipFunctional aspects of the authentic self may be compared to the working parts of an old-fashioned sailing ship. (Image freeclipartnow.com)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/louisa_may_alcott2.jpgLouisa May AlcottLouisa May Alcott, author of the classic Little Women, undoubtedly had something like this metaphor in mind when she said, "I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship." (Photo: public domain)2019-04-16T18:46:42+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/03/06/do-memes-have-a-life-of-their-own/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/robert-j-sawyer.jpgRobert J. SawyerSF writer Robert J. Sawyer often jokes that he is more interested in the survival of his memes than his genes. (Photo: sfwriter.com)2019-04-16T18:46:11+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/03/30/review-the-tower-of-bones-by-frank-p-ryan/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/tower-of-bones-cover.jpgTower of Bones - coverCharming, sinister, and exciting all rolled into one. The dazzling sequel to The Snowmelt River.2019-04-16T18:45:22+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/09/10/a-magical-book-about-a-magical-place/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/magic-of-findhorn-2-enhanced.jpgThe Magic of FindhornAn enchanting look at an early New Age community in Scotland.2019-04-15T20:59:37+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/08/04/how-do-we-acquire-a-calling/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/gylen_castle_kerrera-3.jpgThe Romantic LandscapeThe romantic landscape may summon the feeling. Call it joy, delight, enchantment, or bliss, we all spend more time chasing it than we realize. These special feelings point the way to our spiritual or vocational calling. https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/butterfly_tearose.jpgButterfly on TearoseWhat Delights You?https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/cute-boy-face-with-butterfly_w725_h544.jpgThe Magic of Childhood...some enchanting experience.2019-04-15T20:54:17+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/09/18/experiencing-ideas-as-authority-or-terror/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/sceptre-orb-and-imperial-crown-of-austria.jpgSceptre, Orb, and Imperial Crown of AustriaYou must regard your own emotionally important ideas with the respect due to proper authority. To be authentic, you must live by these defining and guiding ideas. (Photo: public domain)2019-04-15T20:50:53+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/06/27/the-desire-for-an-idealized-self/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/c-s-lewis-2.jpgC. S. LewisThe case of C. S. Lewis reveals that the desire for a splendid false self leads to self-alienation.2019-04-15T20:42:22+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/07/03/the-unconscious-mind-is-the-human-quintessence/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/the-sacred-grove-2.jpgThe Sacred GroveTrees are a source of the mysterious quintessence, which is an externalization of the unconscious mind. (Image: Wikipaintings)2019-04-15T20:39:56+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/04/28/the-morality-of-robert-louis-stevenson/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/robert_louis_stevenson-by-count_girolamo_nerli-smaller.jpgRobert Louis Stevenson by Count Girolamo NerliQuestions of morality so concerned Stevenson that he called ethics his “veiled mistress.” All of his works carry his moral values. (Image: Wikimedia)2019-04-15T20:39:02+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/05/25/religious-conversion-can-block-self-discovery/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/conversion-of-st-paul.jpgConversion of St. Paul on the Road to DamascusSudden religious conversion may be a way of avoiding the much more rigorous process of self-discovery and self-acceptance. (Image: Wikipedia)2019-04-15T20:33:09+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/05/31/replacing-gods-inner-and-outer-comfort/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/hebrew-god.jpgThe Hebrew Concept of GodGod once provided both physical security and inner comfort. Now our needs are divided between the state and psychology. (Photo: public domain)2019-04-15T20:32:48+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/05/01/we-need-new-explanations-of-reality/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/passing_of_the_parliament_bill_1911.jpgPassing of the Parliament Bill, 1911Legislation enforces the ideology of those who elected the government, but may quash the ideology of those who voted another way. (Photo: Wikimedia)2019-04-15T20:30:03+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/02/22/doctrine-is-not-the-only-alternative-to-scepticism/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/chekhov-2.jpgAnton ChekhovA biographer has suggested that Chekhov had no world view and was thus free of illusions. But what is the cost? (Image: public domain) https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/chekhov.pngChekhovA biographer has suggested that Chekhov had no world view and was thus free of illusions. https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/anton_chekhov_1898_by_osip_braz.jpgAnton_Chekhov_1898_by_Osip_BrazA biographer has suggested that Chekhov had no world view and was thus free of illusions.2019-04-15T20:27:12+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/02/13/ego-must-vow-obedience-to-the-self/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/templar-knight-swearing-fealty.jpgTemplar Knight Swearing FealtyFor there to be peace in the psyche, ego must recognize its proper role and swear obedience to authentic will as a knight swears to obey his liege lord. (Image: public domain)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/knight-on-horseback.jpgKnight on HorsebackFor there to be peace in the psyche, ego must swear obedience to authentic will as a knight swears to obey his liege lord.2019-04-15T20:26:39+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/02/09/considering-the-god-gene/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/god-gene.jpgThe God GeneThe gene that makes us want to be part of something greater than ourselves does not have to make us religious. (Image: public domain)2019-04-15T20:25:32+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/12/31/are-you-fed-up-and-longing-to-be-a-hermit/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/forest-hermit-smaller.jpgForest Hermit and His HutThe mindset of an anchorite can be useful in everyday life.2019-04-15T20:23:36+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/02/03/the-difference-between-being-and-identity/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/radio-tower.jpgRadio Tower with Outgoing WavesBeing is analogous to a radio carrier wave. Identity is the music that modulates the wave and gives it meaning. (Image: public domain)2019-04-15T20:22:18+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/12/12/slicing-the-life-of-pi/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/life-of-pi-cover.jpgLife of Pi CoverCan we skip thinking, ignore reality, and believe something just because we like the sound of it?https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/lifeboat-and-sailors-cropped.gifLifeboat and sailors - croppedCan we ignore reality and believe something just becasue we like the sound of it?2019-04-15T20:21:21+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/08/28/why-personal-philosophies-of-life-are-becoming-rare/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/brunier-photo-of-observatory-and-night-sky.jpgThe Cosmos Fascinates UsEinstein had his cosmic religious feeling, but today's preference for emotion at the expense of reason represses or impairs the urge to work out a personal philosophy of life. (Photo: S. Brunier/ESO)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/cosmos-by-hubble.jpgCosmos by HubbleToday's preference for emotion at the expense of reason represses or impairs the urge to work out a personal philosophy of life. (Photo courtesy NASA)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/hildegardesixdayscreation.jpgHildegardeSixDaysCreationToday's emphasis on emotion at the expense of reason represses or impairs the urge to work out a personal philosophy of life2019-04-15T20:16:06+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/11/04/wisdom-nourishes-the-human-spirit/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/wither-wisdom-emblem-enhanced.jpgWither Wisdom Emblem - enhancedHard-won personal wisdom is the only cure for spiritual hunger.https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/wither_-_emblem_wisdom.jpgwither_-_emblem_wisdom (public domain via Wikimedia Commons)Personal wisdom is the only remedy for spiritual hunger.2019-04-15T20:08:37+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/11/08/does-the-self-have-a-future/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/self-future.jpgThe Self's Problematic FutureSelf-awareness makes life more worthwhile, but it can also be surprisingly destructive. Can we afford to indulge today's luxurious sense of self? (Image: Thomas Cotterill)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/mandala-2.jpgmandala-2Self-awareness makes life worthwhile, but it can also be destructive.2019-04-15T20:01:03+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/12/08/the-cult-of-the-individual/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/albert_camus-1-wpclipart-com.jpgAlbert CamusAlbert Camus' emphasis on the individual left him with the feeling that "man in the world is absurd." (Image: public domain)2019-04-15T19:58:37+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/12/29/did-feminism-kill-sylvia-plath/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/sylvia-plath.jpgSylvia PlathFeminism may have played a role in Sylvia Plath's chronic psychological difficulties. She felt oppressed by white men, especially her dead father. (Image: public domain)2019-04-15T19:57:14+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/03/23/unconscious-political-correctness/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/no-political-correctness-sign.jpgNo Political Correctness SignIt is possible to absorb politically correct (and other) attitudes without realizing what is happening. (Image: Thomas Cotterill)2019-04-15T19:46:49+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/01/02/do-we-ever-really-change/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/snowman.jpgSnowman with ChildrenC. S. Lewis described his sudden religious conversion as “melting like a snowman,” but he was merely returning to his childhood roots. (Image: public domain)2019-04-15T02:57:33+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/01/04/review-hidden-boundaries-by-c-s-mcclellan/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/hidden-boundaries.jpgHidden Boundaries - coverIf you relish a thought-provoking read that will open your eyes to aspects of life you may not be familiar with, Hidden Boundaries is highly recommended.2019-04-15T02:57:11+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/01/08/tradition-can-ease-the-fear-of-death/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/man-fighting-death.jpgMan Fighting DeathTradition can ease the fear of death by overcoming social- and self-alienation and providing assurance that some part of us will live on. (Image: wpclipart.com)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/grim-reaper.pngGrim ReaperTradition can ease the fear of death by providing assurance that some part of us will live on.2019-04-15T02:56:53+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/01/10/ego-is-only-a-supervisor-in-the-psyche/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/odysseus-sirens.jpgOdysseus and the SirensOdysseus resisting the song of the sirens symbolizes ego's struggle with unconscious contents. (Image Wikimedia)2019-04-15T02:56:23+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/12/02/the-virtuous-intellectual/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/a-mosaic-depicting-plato.jpgA Mosaic Depicting Plato’ and His AcademyThere are three important intellectual virtues, but you can still be an intellectual without them. (Image: public domain)2019-04-14T19:46:53+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/12/04/what-powers-the-human-psyche/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/working-mind.jpgWorking MindDoes reason or emotion rule the mental roost? Or is there another factor? (Image: public domain)2019-04-14T19:45:00+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/12/10/epiphanies-and-cascading-system-failures/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/philip-k-dick.jpgPhilip K. DickAmerican science fiction writer Philip K. Dick fell victim to a mental cascading system failure and mistook it for an epiphany. (Photo: Wikipedia)2019-04-14T19:43:12+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/12/16/the-zen-man/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/buddha-statue.jpgBuddha StatueIt is a mistake to compare Buddhism's wholeheartedness with Jung's idea of authenticity.https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/sputnik_1.jpgSputnik IInspired by Sputnik, Jung advised putting the ego in orbit around the larger self.2019-04-14T19:42:49+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/12/20/fishing-language-from-the-sensory-deprivation-tank/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/fishing-09.jpgMan Thoughtfully Fishing with a StickLanguage is essential for sustaining consciousness. Without it, we go into a coma. (Image: Reusable Art)2019-04-14T19:41:24+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/12/22/the-purpose-of-consciousness-is-language/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/the-conversation-by-ribot-theodule-augustin.jpgThe Conversation by Ribot Theodule AugustinThe purpose of consciousness is language which enables us to communicate and co-operate. (Photo: Wikimedia)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/embrace_the_world.pngEmbrace_the_WorldThe purpose of consciousness is language which enables us to communicate an co-operate2019-04-14T19:40:36+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/01/06/we-live-in-baroque-times/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/danse-macabre-holbein.jpgIllustration from Danse MacabreThe modern taste for shock, irrationality, the supernatural, and everything to excess remarkably resembles the earlier Baroque period. (Image: Wikimedia)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/goody_two-shoes_1888.jpgGoody Two Shoes (1888)The modern taste for shock, irrationality, the supernatural, and everything to excess remarkably resembles the earlier Baroque period. (Image: Wikimedia)2019-04-14T19:40:04+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/01/24/janusian-and-synergistic-thinking/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/janus-blue.jpgThe Two-faced Roman God JanusJanusian thinking is the combined use of logical and associative thinking. It can make a creative person appear unstable.2019-04-14T19:39:22+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/03/30/humans-are-pattern-seeking-primates-hunting-for-habits/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/dryburgh-coat-of-arms-on-tartan.jpgDryburgh Coat of Arms on TartanThe tartan is a pattern without meaning (other than denoting clan) while the patterns on the coat of arms are heraldic and loaded with meaning. (Photo: dryburgh.us)2019-04-14T19:39:03+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/02/11/language-outperforms-symbols/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/fremont_rock_art_thompson_cyn_utah_3_m.jpgFremont Rock Art in Thompson Canyon, UtahSymbolic representation suffers from an excess of ambiguity. (Image: Greg Gnesios)2019-04-14T19:38:45+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/04/25/death-dreams-and-synchronicity-oracles/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/john_william_waterhouse_-_the_crystal_ball.jpgThe Crystal Ball by John William WaterhouseIt can be a rough ride, but gazing into crystal balls or consulting oracles will allow you to dialogue with your unconscious mind. (Image: public domain.)2019-04-14T19:36:49+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/05/04/the-intrinsic-rewards-of-mental-activity/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/mind-related-activities.jpgMind Related ActivitiesMind related activities can be so absorbing we neglect vital functions such as eating. (Photos: public domain)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/chimpanzee_congo_painting.jpgAbstract PaintingCreators can get so caught up in mind-related activity that they forget to eat. (Photo: Wikipedia)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/arthur_schopenhauer.jpegarthur_schopenhauerSchopenhauer missed the active creative function of mind. (photo credit: publicdomainclip-art.com)2019-04-14T19:36:00+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/05/10/beware-excessive-conceptualization/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/jigsaw-md.pngjigsaw-mdSolid conceptualization (putting the pieces together) needs time and all of the mind's resources, not just language. (image credit clker.com)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/clock-question.jpgIt Is a Question of Taking the TimeSolid conceptualization (putting the pieces together) needs time and all of the mind's resources. The language portion of thinking must be supplemented by association, intuition, etc. (image credit pixabay.com)2019-04-14T19:35:34+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/06/03/sherlock-holmes-disease/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/conan_doyle.jpgArthur Conan DoyleArthur Conan Doyle used his famous character, Sherlock Holmes, to exemplify the perils of boredom for those with powerful intellects. (Photo: Wikipedia)2019-04-14T19:35:11+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/06/24/the-inner-nag-vs-inner-wisdom/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/two-faced-man.jpgTwo Faced ManThe human mind has two aspects, one of which can be a nag and the other a source of great wisdom. (Image: Gutenberg)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/tragic-and-comic-theatre-masks.jpgTragic and Comic Theatre MasksThe human mind has two aspects, one of which can be a nag and the other a source of great wisdom. (Photo: Wikimedia)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/two-roman-theatre-masks.jpgThe Two Roman Theatre MasksThe human mind has two aspects, one of which can be a nag and the other a source of great wisdom.2019-04-14T19:30:08+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/07/09/understanding-your-creativity/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/lightning-bolt-yellow-titled-box.jpgWhen Inspiration StrikesCreative people do not always understand their own creative process.2019-04-14T19:29:18+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/07/23/sleepwalking-through-reality/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/sleepwalker.jpgSleepwalkerMany of us sleepwalk through our lives in a muddled state of cultural hypnosis.2019-04-14T19:28:45+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/07/25/synergistic-thinking/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/synergy-3d.jpgSynergy 3DSynergistic thinking makes a synthesis of linear and non-linear thinking. In other words, it blends logic and association. 2019-04-14T19:28:26+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/07/31/did-the-human-mind-create-the-cosmos/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/cosmos-enhanced-upright.jpgAn Old Model of the CosmosDo human beings create the cosmos by thinking and conceiving ideas about how it works?https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/cosmos-enhanced.jpgAn Old Model of the CosmosAn Old Model of the Cosmoshttps://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/cosmos1.jpgAn Old Model of the CosmosAn Old Model of the Cosmos2019-04-14T19:28:00+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/08/02/are-you-living-wilfully/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/hades-persephone-hollar.jpgHades, Persephone, and Cerberus with The FatesIn the ongoing explosion of irrationality, some modern thinkers are trying to deny the power of human wilfulness and restore the old notion of Fate. The ancient Greeks personified the belief as three goddesses called The Three Fates.https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/gunslinger_001.jpgGunslinger ClipartDoes praying for God's intercession amount to hiring a Divine gunslinger? (Image: public domain.)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/acorn_stoves_enhanced-lettered-smaller.jpgAcorn of Fate ImageWere we all born with an Acorn of Fate?2019-04-14T19:27:32+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/08/12/second-hand-worldview/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/sebastian_cabot_with_globe.jpgExplorer Sebastian Cabot with GlobeMost folks just buy into the consensus worldview of their time unquestioningly adopting it as they grow to maturity, but this means we have a secondhand worldview made by others.2019-04-14T19:27:09+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/08/24/using-mood-to-enhance-your-creativity/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/moody-night-scene-on-the-river.jpgMoody Night Scene on the RiverWe can deliberately use mood to enhance our ability to notice relevant information within ourselves and in the world around us. (Image: Vintage Printable)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/upset_mood.jpgAnnoyedWe can deliberately use mood to enhance our ability to notice relevant information within ourselves and in the world around us. (image credit: wpclipart.com)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/moodring1.jpgMoodring1The unconscious mind and the world around us "respond" to mood - just like the famous ring2019-04-14T19:26:51+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/08/26/revealing-new-angles-on-psychology/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/brain-public-domain.jpgInner Workings of the BrainIt can be useful to view psychology from the more concrete perspectives of creativity research and recent investigations into brain function and human cognition. (Image: public domain)2019-04-14T19:26:35+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/08/30/androgynous-minds-generate-synergistic-thinking/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/samuel-taylor-coleridge.jpgSamuel Taylor ColeridgeSamuel Taylor Coleridge claimed that a "great mind must be androgynous." (Image: Wikimedia)2019-04-14T19:22:34+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/09/05/do-you-know-what-you-really-want/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/depression.jpgDepressionNot knowing what you want can cause debilitating depression. There is a remedy, and you are already carrying it around with you. (Photo: Public Domain Pictures)2019-04-14T19:22:15+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/09/25/being-creative-with-associative-thinking/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/side-view-of-the-brain.jpgSide View of the BrainThe unconscious mind produces an associative running commentary on our thoughts and surroundings. https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/shell_collection_smaller.jpgShell_Collection_smallerAssociative thinking ties in with our conscious thoughts and the world around us.2019-04-14T19:19:54+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/09/17/the-lonely-thinkers-path/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/plato-raphael-enhanced.jpgPlato as Imagined by RaphaelWith the emphasis now on feelings are we, as a society, losing sight of the value of thinking? (Image: public domain)2022-07-24T01:15:02+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/09/29/popular-creativity-theories/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/graham_wallas_c1920s.jpgGraham Wallas, 1920sEnglish social psychologist Graham Wallas gave us the famous five-stage theory of the creative process.2019-04-14T19:18:47+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/10/03/only-the-strong-can-be-solitary-thinkers/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/the-thinker-auguste-rodin-350px.jpgThe Thinker by Auguste RodinRodin’s famous statue of the thinker shows him alone. Sustained solitude is a requisite for insightful thinking.2019-04-14T19:18:30+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/10/19/potent-personal-images-drive-creativity/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/devils_tower_crop.jpgDevils Tower Is a Potent ImageLike the fellow in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, creative people struggle to express a significant "image of wide scope."https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/stonehenge.jpgStonehengeA creator may be driven repeatedly to produce works that incorporate a personal image of wide scope.2019-04-14T19:17:37+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/10/25/the-minds-task-is-to-produce-future/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/space-colony-smaller.jpgInterior of a Futuristic Rotating Space ColonyThe human race depends on its ability to predict the future with reasonable accuracy. At the personal level, mind is the primary tool for “producing” future. (Photo: NASA)2019-04-14T19:17:07+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/10/29/the-creative-eureka-experience/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/jan-baptist-weenix-portrait-of-renc3a9-descartes.jpgPortrait of René Descartes by Jan Baptist WeenixRene Descartes had one of his greatest eureka moments while lying in bed idly watching a fly hover in the air. (Image: public domain)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/light-bulb.jpglight-bulb (public domain via Wikimedia Commons)The eureka moment may be described as the "bath, bed, and bus scenario."2019-04-14T19:16:34+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/11/02/the-creative-persons-holy-grail/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/sangreal_or_holy_grail.jpgThe Sangreal or Holy GrailCreative people get lost and become blocked when they fail to recognize that the endpoint or goal of their project has shifted. (Image: public domain)2019-04-14T19:15:26+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/11/18/filter-the-junk-from-your-experience/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/lenticular-cloud-public-domain.jpgCloud Resembling a UFOUFO or cloud? It is foolish to be uncritical of your own experiences; you must make them a matter of conscience and knowledge. How you choose to interpret and remember the experience does matter.2019-04-14T19:12:35+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/11/30/cargo-cults-of-the-unconscious-mind/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/douglas-c-471.jpgDouglas C-47 Cargo PlaneNot all cargo cults have to do with South Seas islanders and US supply planes. The West has its own peculiar cargo cults. (Image: public domain)2019-04-14T18:55:57+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/11/24/the-constant-self-is-real/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/4emporerriderwaite.jpgTarot Card Showing the Emperor on His ThroneThe authentic self is real, constant, and stable. Once found and accepted, it can provide a centre, still point, and anchor in life.2019-04-14T18:55:35+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/07/17/how-creative-people-think/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/young_woman_pompei.jpgThoughtful Young Woman of PompeiCreative people are both more flexible and more selective in the way they think. (Image: public domain.)2019-04-14T18:54:30+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/07/09/solitude-can-generate-chaotic-thoughts-and-negative-moods/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/alone-in-the-park.jpgAlone in the ParkA little solitary time can be restful, but for most people, spending too much time alone allows a disordered mind which then generates negative moods. 2019-04-14T18:53:44+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/06/17/the-nature-of-genius/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/albert-einstein.jpgAlbert EinsteinGenius combines reason with imagination, a unity most easily seen in the visual arts, but also there in the ground-breaking work of scientists such as Albert Einstein.2019-04-14T18:52:52+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/06/19/remembering-a-falling-leaf/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/tree-by-varadi-zsolt.jpgTree by Varadi ZsoltOn a still autumn evening I could hear withered leaves slithering to the ground. My unconscious mind began making associations.https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/falling-leaves.jpgA Woodland Path in AutumnAutumn colours and absolute stillness.https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/hiroshige-van-gogh-cropped.jpghiroshige-van-gogh - croppedhttps://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/sunrise-over-forest-and-grove_jpgblog.jpgsunrise-over-forest-and-grove_jpg!Bloghttps://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/autumn-leaves-publicdomainpicturesnetdavidwagner-400px.jpgautumn-leaves-publicdomainpicturesnetdavidwagner-400pxAutumn is the best season in life for philosophizing.2019-04-14T18:51:54+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/05/31/a-few-select-books-about-writing/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/bookshelves.jpgA Collection of Prized BooksFrom the earliest days of writing, aspiring authors have garnered shelves of books about writing in all its aspects. A few select titles become inspiring favourites. (Image: Wikimedia)2019-04-14T18:46:52+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/05/28/indie-writers-need-critical-feedback/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/lewis3.jpgC. S. LewisC. S. Lewis (of Narnia fame) depended on editors to clean up his shaky spelling and clumsy punctuation.2019-04-14T18:46:09+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/05/22/my-favourite-indie-publishing-books/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/porretto-cover-1.jpgAn Indie Writer's OdysseyFrancis Porretto's enjoyable and enlightening look at the indie writing experience.2019-04-14T18:45:16+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/06/04/writers-solitude-and-creativity/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/cabin.jpgLog Cabin in the CountryWriters sometimes live simple solitary lives in remote places so they can devote more time to their work. Yet there are times when solitude is just a state of mind. (Image: wpclipart.com)2019-04-14T18:33:31+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/06/10/dedicating-your-life-to-writing/2019-04-14T18:27:17+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/06/15/art-imitates-and-instructs/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/yin_yang_tree.jpgYin Yang TreeIn a two-sided manner, artists imitate life while presenting a moral or aesthetic message.2019-04-14T18:21:01+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/06/21/virginia-woolfs-moments-of-being/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/media_xl_1060292.jpgYoung Virginia Woolf, 1902Woolf believed even trivial incidents can have intense emotional significance. She treasured certain moody moments of being and used them to great effect in her work. (Image: public domain)2019-04-14T18:17:06+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/06/12/indie-writers-are-artists-too/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/brianspratt.jpegBrian S. PrattFantasy author Brian S. Pratt is an excellent example of an indie writer who has achieved remarkable success.2019-04-14T18:15:54+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/07/01/do-indie-writers-need-a-pen-name/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/mark-twain.jpgMark TwainMark Twain is probably the most famous pen name. A special nom de plume can make you stand out, but there are other pros and cons.2019-04-14T18:14:50+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/06/27/ebook-covers-for-indie-writers/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/scat-cover3.jpgDemonstration Ebook Cover for the sci-fi novel SCAT.After finding the public domain artwork, I made this cover in fifteen minutes using a donationware application called PhotoScape. 2019-04-14T18:14:07+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/07/07/personal-transformation-through-writing/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/joseph-wright-the-alchemist.jpgThe Alchemist in Search of the Philosopher's Stone by Joseph WrightWriting over a long period can be a powerful alchemical process of personal transformation.2019-04-14T18:08:21+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/07/13/the-wound-and-the-bow-revisited/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/edmund-wilson.jpgEdmund WilsonEdmund Wilson, author of The Wound and the Bow, argued that suffering was the mother of creativity. But what if suffering and creativity are actually siblings?2019-10-13T11:35:36+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/07/21/artists-strive-to-give-life-meaning/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/lighthouse-3.jpgLighthouse Beneath the Midnight StarsLighthouses and stars are examples of those images with a rich array of symbolic meanings favoured by writers, poets, and painters.2019-04-14T18:00:22+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/08/08/living-the-creative-life/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/thomas1.jpgThomas Edison in His LabWe have all heard the stories of how the creative Thomas Edison practically lived at his lab. (Photo: Wikimedia)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/vincent-van-gogh-11282050974xklb.jpgVan Gogh in Wax - PublicDomainPictures.NetVincent Van Gogh2019-04-14T17:58:40+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/08/10/writing-gives-thoughts-value/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/tyger-by-blake-enhanced.jpgThe Tyger by William BlakeDo your thoughts have any value if you keep them to yourself?2019-04-14T17:56:05+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/08/22/creativity-can-cause-anxiety/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/paris-dreams-by-fran-hogan.jpgParis Dreams by Fran HoganStrong innovation, striking originality, and prolonged gestation periods can all generate feelings of anxiety. (photo: publicdomainpictures.net)2019-04-14T17:54:24+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/09/03/is-genre-fiction-junk-fiction/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/old-books-11281939505msrn.jpgRow of Old Leather Bound BooksIn this age of inclusivity we must not lose sight of the difference between literature and genre fiction.2019-04-14T17:51:35+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/09/01/the-creative-magic-of-absorption/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/450px-domenico-fetti_archimedes_1620.jpgArchimedes by Domenico Fetti (1620)We are at our creative best when completely absorbed in what we are doing. (Photo: Wikipedia)2019-04-14T17:51:07+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/09/03/silver-quill-blogger-award/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/the-silver-quill-blogger-award-enhanced-dragonfly.jpgThe Silver Quill Blogger Award Iconhttps://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/the-silver-quill-blogger-award-enhanced.jpgthe-silver-quill-blogger-award-enhancedhttps://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/the-silver-quill-blogger-award.jpgthe-silver-quill-blogger-awardThe Silver Quill Blogger Award2019-04-14T17:46:46+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/09/07/where-creative-people-get-their-ideas/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/john-atkinson-grimshaw-golden-light.jpgGolden Light by John Atkinson GrimshawTrivial incidents in an artist's life can inspire complex works. Art can sometimes inspire art.2019-04-14T17:45:36+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/08/24/western-socialism-is-secularized-christianity/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/united-nations-building.jpgUnited Nations BuildingMany conservatives see the UN building in New York as the "Vatican" of the socialist movement. (Image: public domain)2019-04-08T17:26:03+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/03/27/the-origin-of-high-quality-creativity/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/writing-desk.jpgWriting Desk by Olga Rozanova (cubism)High level creators learn how to combine their own worldview with the process of self-discovery to develop their unique artistic vision. (image: wikipaintings)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/artist-painting.pngartist-painting—High level creators learn how to combine their own worldview with the process of self-discovery to develop their unique artistic vision. (image credit: public domain clip art.org)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/virginia_woolf_tavistock_square_london-stu-phillips.jpgVirginia_Woolf,_Tavistock_Square,_London - Stu PhillipsHigh level creators learn how to combine their own worldview with the process of self-discovery to develop their unique artistic vision.(photo credit: Stu Phillips via Wikimedia)2019-04-05T00:22:49+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/06/12/impatience-can-overwhelm-artistic-vision/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/post-haste-3.jpgBooks and ImpatiencePatience prospers the creative process. Impatience can cripple it.2019-04-04T07:04:04+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/06/29/how-to-develop-your-story-idea-into-a-plot/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/tarot-male-knight-of-cups-300x587.jpgA Brave Knight on His White StallionThe hero of your story faces change and must struggle against a villain to reach a clearly stated goal.2019-04-04T06:14:59+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/06/30/dealing-with-intricacy-time-and-pace-in-fiction/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/intricate-web-of-time.jpgThe Intricate Web of TimeWriters and readers see the intricacy, time duration, and pacing of a work of fiction quite differently.2019-04-04T06:02:14+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/07/15/why-you-should-keep-a-reading-diary/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/reader.jpgReading a BookA reading diary can prompt powerful insights that enhance your understanding of the literary world and even life itself. Some of this blog's posts are based on my own diary entries. (Image: Pixabay)2025-04-28T10:02:36+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/07/18/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-hermit-writer/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/cabin-in-winter-wind.jpgCabin in Winter WindWinter can be hard on hermit writers trying to live on the cheap.2020-01-15T19:29:11+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/07/24/some-personal-thoughts-on-the-life-of-malcolm-lowry/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/malcolm-lowry-and-his-shack-in-1940s-dollarton.jpgMalcolm Lowry and His Shack in 1940s DollartonLowry suffered from acute anxiety and had his most productive periods in a secluded squatters camp in Dollarton, British Columbia.2019-04-04T05:51:53+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/06/13/a-visionary-view-of-writing/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/william_blake_by_thomas_phillips.jpgWilliam Blake by Thomas PhillipsWilliam Blake's insightful thoughts on writing and creativity have long inspired famous creators.https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/lovers-whirlwind-william-blake.jpgLover's Whirlwind by William BlakeWilliam Blake's insightful thoughts on writing and creativity are as unique as his visionary paintings.2019-04-04T05:46:58+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/10/17/literature-is-philosophy-for-its-time/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ophelia_1894_enhanced-public-domain.jpgOphelia by John William WaterhouseLiterature is philosophy in that it expresses the general attitude towards life prevalent in a particular period and place. (Image: public domain)2019-04-04T05:32:16+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/04/16/what-socrates-meant-by-the-examined-life/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/socrates-bust-in-vatican.jpgThe Socrates Bust in the VaticanWhen Socrates said, “the unexamined life is not worth living” he was challenging us to a lifetime of rigorous introspection. (Photo: Wikimedia)2019-04-04T05:24:15+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/01/04/when-it-comes-to-brains-are-you-on-the-left-or-the-right/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/brain-hemispheres.jpgLeft and Right Brain HemispheresThe current popularity of intuition and irrationality says the left brain is inferior to the right brain. In reality, there are two sides to this question! (Image: public domain)2019-04-04T02:13:21+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/04/07/gnosticism-is-freelance-religion/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/angel.jpgHeavenly Angel Among StarsGnostics practice a kind of "freelance religion." They shun dogma and seek confirmation of spiritual truths through intuition and personal experience. (photo: public domain)2019-06-29T02:08:14+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/08/30/explaining-mysticisms-dark-night-of-the-soul/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/john-of-the-cross.jpgSaint John of the CrossThe dark night of the soul is a lengthy period of deeply troubling doubt and hesitation. It ends when a sufficient level of acceptance has been reached to allow the final enlightenment to dawn. (Image: public domain)2019-04-02T21:13:05+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/09/15/how-to-ensure-you-finish-your-writing-project/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/atlas-roman-god.jpgThe Roman God AtlasUnless you are the Roman god Atlas, too much material in your work could put you at risk of not finishing it. (Image credit: public domain)2019-04-01T19:28:16+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/09/23/synergize-your-creativity-with-concurrent-projects/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/multiple-lives.jpgMultiple LivesCreators often have several intuitively-related projects in progress at the same time and exploit the situation to synergize their creative powers with constant cross-fertilization. (Image: public domain)2019-03-31T21:18:28+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/03/19/liebster-blog-award/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/liebsteraward-sharpened.jpgLiebster Blog Award IconMany thanks to Lucinda Elliot for her kind nomination.https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/liebsteraward.jpgliebsterawardMany thanks to Lucinda Elliot for her kind nomination.2019-03-31T20:51:59+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/12/27/intuitive-insights-can-be-slow-in-coming/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/rainer_maria_rilke_1900.jpgRainer Maria Rilke, 1900While it might end in a sudden epiphany, the lyric poet Rainer Maria Rilke saw intuition as a years-long process. (Image: Wikipedia)2019-03-31T01:05:09+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/01/22/inspired-by-the-wind-in-the-willows/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/wind_in_the_willows_cover.jpgEarly cover for The Wind in the WillowsThe Wind in the Willows author Kenneth Grahame was obsessed with recapturing the rustic magic of his childhood in Berkshire, not only in his works but in his life. (Image: public domain)2019-03-31T01:00:35+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/06/18/young-h-g-wells-exemplified-the-struggling-writer/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/young-h-g-wells.jpgYoung H. G. WellsYoung H. G. Wells is a good example of the writer of modest means struggling to write full time. 2019-03-31T00:50:56+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/07/21/loyal-reader-award/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/loyal-reader-award-icon.jpgLoyal Reader Award LogoThis is the award where other bloggers get to lay their claim on you!2019-03-30T23:56:19+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/05/22/how-mood-inspires-creative-people/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/daphne-du-maurier-at-ferryside-1931.jpgDaphne du Maurier at Ferryside 1931Mood (or atmosphere) and a sense of place are intimately related. Writers who have a strong sense of place prefer to work in specific locations.2019-03-29T22:37:36+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/08/14/ebook-pricing-strategies-for-indie-authors/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/state-of-confusion.jpgState of ConfusionConfusion abounds when deciding the best price for ebooks.https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/state-of-confusion-md.pngState of ConfusionConfusion abounds when deciding the best price for ebooks2019-03-29T17:04:55+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/09/19/outrunning-the-hound-of-heaven/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hound-of-heaven-illustration.jpgHound of Heaven IllustrationSome religious converts claim they felt hunted or fished for by God. Others liken the God sense to being pursued by a dangerous hound.https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/dangerous-hound.jpgDangerous HoundSome people have felt that God pursued them like a dangerous hound. (photo: publicdomainpictures.net)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hound-of-heaven-illustration.pngHound of Heaven IllustrationDo we really need a spiritual life in the religious sense?2019-03-28T21:33:19+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/01/12/how-van-gogh-lost-his-artistic-vision/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/vincent_van_gogh.jpgVincent van Gogh - Self PortraitVincent van Gogh is a sobering example of how artistic vision can lead a creative person into difficulties. (Image: WPClipart)2019-03-28T14:22:18+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/07/15/classic-writers-and-personal-computers/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/laptop-author-collage.jpgLaptop with Classic AuthorsWord processor anyone? Would great writers of the past have welcomed personal computers?https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/jeffersonsdeskdetail.jpgThomas Jefferson's Portable DeskThe portable desk was the original laptop for writers2019-03-28T07:39:27+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/04/10/debunking-the-butterfly-effect/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/the-butterfly-effect.jpgThe Butterfly EffectAt the level of our lives, the famous butterfly effect is largely an urban myth. (Image: Thomas Cotterill)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/butterfly_effect.pngButterfly EffectAt the level of our lives, the famous butterfly effect is largely an urban myth. (photo credit: wpclipart.com) 2019-03-27T06:06:00+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/11/06/natural-selection-works-on-societies/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/tree_of_life_by_haeckel1.jpgTree of Life by HaeckelHumans are much less subject to evolutionary pressures at the individual level. Those forces now apply at the level of society.https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/stylized-dna.jpgStylized DNAhttps://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/tree_of_life_by_haeckel.jpgTree of Life by HaeckelHumans are much less subject to evolutionary pressures at the individual level. Those forces now apply at the level of society.2019-03-27T04:09:08+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/11/14/review-the-snowmelt-river-by-frank-p-ryan/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/the-snowmelt-river.jpgThe Snowmelt RiverA captivating epic fantasy with a unique modern twist: mobile phones are magically transformed into objects of immense power.2019-03-25T19:19:51+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/11/14/the-useless-passion/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/simone_de_beauvoir.jpgSimone de BeauvoirSimone de Beauvoir’s useless passion is the desire to escape death by becoming God.2019-03-25T01:17:05+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/11/20/bertrand-russells-philosophical-loneliness/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/bertand-russell.jpgBertand RussellBertrand Russell craved someone who could see into his soul and relieve his sense of loneliness and separation. (Image: public domain)2019-03-25T00:10:05+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/03/14/why-the-west-is-falling-apart/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/separatist-movements-in-europe.jpgSeparatist Movements in EuropeA preoccupation with ethnicity, minorities, and differences erodes national identities based on what a people have in common. (Photo: public domain)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/occupy-wall-street-protesters.jpgOccupy Wall Street ProtestersOccupy Wall Street is a fine example of blaming someone else for your problems. (photo credit: public domain via Wikimedia Commons)2019-03-23T14:01:04+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/04/01/simone-de-beauvoir-on-death/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/sartre_and_de_beauvoir_at_balzac_memorial.jpgSartre and de Beauvoir at Balzac MemorialSimone de Beauvoir and Jean Paul Sartre wanted more from life than it could give. (Photo: Wikipedia)2019-03-22T17:54:47+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/07/05/fantasy-writers-and-the-sense-of-enchantment/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/scene-from-snow-white-and-the-seven-dwarves.jpgScene from Snow White and the Seven DwarvesWriters are often trying to recapture a favourite mood. Work after work is produced as they hone in on the cherished feeling tone, which can be quite specific and durable.https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/moody-river-scene-smaller.jpgMoody River Scene - smallerMoody River Scene2019-03-22T13:24:59+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/07/19/successful-novels-are-filled-with-emotion/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/generic-book-cover-titled.jpgBook Titled Living Vicariously by E. MotionWe read books to enrich our emotional lives by living vicariously through the moving experiences of a novel’s characters.2019-03-22T11:52:22+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/09/13/stephen-kings-work-habits/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/gladiator-smaller.jpgJean-Leon Gerome's Famous Gladiator Painting (Pollice Verso) of 1872Outline or extempore? Which writing gladiator do you favour? (Image: Wikimedia)2019-03-20T20:10:05+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/12/18/neo-primitive-thinking/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/hoover_dam_from_air.jpgAerial view of Hoover DamProjects like the Hoover Dam, once considered "progress" are now condemned by crude environmental thinking that resembles the worldview of primitive societies. (Image: public domain)2019-03-18T15:34:42+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/07/30/should-writers-draw-characters-from-life-or-imagine-them/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/d-h-lawrence-portrait.jpgD. H. LawrenceD. H. Lawrence was notorious for using lovers, friends, and acquaintances as thinly disguised characters in his sexually explicit novels. (Photo: public domain)2019-03-15T04:13:04+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/07/29/how-artists-develop-their-artistic-vision/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/tree-of-life-rivers.jpgTree of Life with Angels and RiversMany creators hold their personal artistic vision with religious zeal. (Image: public domain)2019-03-14T15:21:10+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/07/06/h-g-wells-struggle-with-sensuality/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/rebecca-west.jpgRebecca WestRebecca West is perhaps H. G. Wells' most famous lover. Their affair has been described as "explosive."2019-03-11T17:07:33+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/09/07/chasing-happiness-cannot-replace-personal-growth/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/alfred-north-whitehead.jpgAlfred North WhiteheadA. N. Whitehead said learning is impossible without the desire to learn. This matters because all personal growth requires us to learn something. (Image: public domain)2019-03-10T08:29:04+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/06/01/how-to-do-a-messy-blog-startup-be-happy/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/smug_cat_high_tail.jpgSmug Cat with High TailHow it feels to be a 62 year-old blogger with three weeks experience under his belt! (Image: WPClipart)2019-03-08T21:31:07+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/05/24/should-indie-writers-choose-print-or-digital/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/e-reader-look_1.jpgNineteenth-Century Girl Using an Ereader Inexpensive handheld ereaders changed everything. Sales of printed books are plummeting.https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/printing_press.jpgOld Hand Operated Printing PressPrint is now ancient and definitely on its way out. Your local bookshop probably fills space with new kinds of merchandise.2019-03-08T21:13:31+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/05/18/the-trouble-with-modern-scientists/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/458550_com_einstein_tongue.jpgAlbert Einstein in a Lighter MomentThe strangeness of quantum mechanics has inspired an inappropriate outburst of mysticism in scientific thinking. (Photo: public domain)2019-03-08T21:09:13+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/05/11/a-philosophical-writers-blog-begins/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/autumn-leaves.jpgAutumn LeavesAutumn is the best season in life for philosophizing. This blog presents a mature writer's attempt to integrate creativity, philosophy, psychology, and spirituality. (Photo: Public Domain Pictures)2019-03-08T21:05:09+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/12/22/review-sylvias-lovers-by-elizabeth-gaskell/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/sylvias-lovers.jpgSylvia's LoversGaskell's engrossing novel of life and love in an 18th-century English whaling town deserves to be more widely read.2019-03-08T20:58:29+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/12/24/disliking-yourself/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/eleanor_rigby_statue_liverpool.jpgEleanor Rigby Statue in LiverpoolLike The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby," you may experience self-alienation as a feeling of intense loneliness or inner emptiness. (photo: Erik Ribsskog)2019-03-08T20:57:01+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/01/14/sartre-on-freedom/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/jean_paul_sartre-1.jpgJean Paul SartreSartre had an exaggerated need for freedom, which may have come from his experiences in Nazi-occupied France. (Photo: WPClipart)2019-03-08T20:42:22+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/01/16/monotheism-ends-religion/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/devil.jpgPortrayal of the DevilMonotheism weakens religion by removing the Devil as an explanation for evil. (Image: public domain)2019-03-08T20:41:35+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/01/18/schillers-idea-of-the-heroic/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/friedrich_schiller.jpgFriedrich SchillerSchiller thought Medea's boiling of her children alive was an act of heroism! (Image: Wikipedia)2019-03-08T20:39:08+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/01/20/the-search-for-personal-moral-and-ethical-truth/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/gottfried_wilhelm_von_leibniz.jpgGottfried Wilhelm von LeibnizPhilosophers such as Leibniz work out entire philosophical systems. Ordinary people settle for a set of personal values. (Image: wpclipart.com)2019-03-08T20:35:56+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/01/26/exploring-the-sufi-concept-of-nafs/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/turkish-sufi.jpgA Turkish Sufi in Traditional GarbThe Sufi sect represents the inner mystical dimension of Islam. The nafs is a sound psychological concept. (Photo: Wikimedia)2019-03-08T20:33:58+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/01/30/ideas-are-key-to-writing-success/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/spiral-notebook-blue.jpgSmall Spiral NotebookTo succeed as a writer you need more than just a notebook full of story ideas. You also need a clear idea of where you are going with your writing.https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/spiral_notebook_open.jpgspiral_notebook_openTo succeed as a writer you need more than just a notebook full of story ideas. You also need a clear idea of where you are going with your writing. (Image: wpclipart)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/spiral-notebook-tall-title.pngSpiral Notebook for IdeasTo succeed as a writer you need more than just story ideas. You also need a clear idea of where you are going with your writing.https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/spiral-notebook-titled.pngSpiral Notebook - titledI found an old goal scribbled on the inside cover of a small spiral notebook.2019-03-08T20:32:42+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/02/05/orwells-struggle-with-the-false-self/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/george-orwell-bbc.jpgGeorge Orwell at the BBCGeorge Orwell was driven hard by what one biographer has called his “Puritan daemon.” (Image: BBC)2019-03-08T20:31:08+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/02/07/do-you-believe-history-must-be-fair/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/algerian_war_collage_wikipedia.jpgAlgerian War CollageWar in Algeria prompted Camus' insight that some people believe in history and also want history to be fair, even if settling accounts means tolerating terrorist attacks on the formerly dominant. (Photo: Wikipedia)2019-03-08T20:30:28+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/02/16/the-mental-gatekeeper/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/gatekeeper.jpgGatekeeper at WorkOur mental gatekeeper, the origin of repression is entirely of our own making. (Image: Wikipedia)2019-03-08T20:27:39+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/02/19/love-will-or-reason-what-is-your-approach-to-life/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/three-ways-of-life-approach-text-engraved.jpgThe Three Ways of LifeYour authentic self will determine which approach to life you favour. (Image: Thomas Cotterill)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/three-ways-of-life-approach-text.jpgThree Ways of Life - Approach Text2019-03-08T20:24:28+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/03/02/how-we-misunderstand-what-is-normal/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/hurricane-near-florida.jpgHurricane near FloridaWeather is just one of many areas where we have lost sight of what constitutes normal. We now use a medical model rather than a statistical one. (photo credit: wpclipart.com)2019-03-08T20:13:02+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/04/04/the-glorious-psychology-of-blogging/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/vikings-landing.jpgViking Raiders Coming AshoreLike those shaggy sword wielding vikings of old, today’s bloggers are willing to risk life and limb to achieve immortality through glory and renown. (Photo: US History Images)2019-03-08T19:43:20+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/04/13/turn-your-anxiety-into-an-asset/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/anxiety.jpgMan Getting Anxious over His FinancesContrary to what you might expect, anxiety can be a very useful feeling. (Photo: Public Domain Photos)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/smiley_anxious.jpgsmiley_anxiousAnxiety can be a very useful feeling. (image credit wpclipart.com)2019-03-08T19:41:30+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/04/19/teachers-are-too-big-for-their-britches/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/teacher-in-classroom-with-young-students.jpgTeacher in Classroom with Young StudentsTeachers have become toxically self-important at the expense of their hapless pupils. (image: clipartpal.com)2019-03-08T19:39:35+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/04/22/do-you-live-in-the-past-the-future-or-the-eternal-now/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/father-time-etching.jpgFather-Time-etchingFather Time may relentlessly march on, but people relate to time in different ways. (public domain image)2019-03-08T19:38:59+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/05/07/your-easy-life-may-be-depressing/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/churchill_poster_war.jpgWinston Churchill War PosterWinston Churchill often battled depression calling the dark mood his “black dog.” (Photo: Wikimedia) 2019-03-08T19:35:09+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/05/13/intellectual-alchemist-at-work/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/computer-work-station-pictorialized.jpgOld Computer Work StationWorking out a thorough understanding of my writing had the alchemical effect of illuminating and solidifying my entire worldview. (photo: Pdphoto)2019-03-08T19:33:18+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/05/16/simone-de-beauvoir-on-lifes-possibilities/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/simone_de_beauvoir-older-enhanced.jpgSimone de Beauvoir at 60Simone de Beauvoir thought our lives are programmed in childhood with a limited set of possibilities. (Photo: Wikipedia)2019-03-08T19:32:32+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/05/19/very-inspiring-blogger-award/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/very-inspiring-blogger-award.jpgVery Inspiring Blogger Award2019-03-08T19:31:36+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/05/28/the-importance-of-being-superior/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/alfred_adler-enhanced.jpgAlfred AdlerPioneering psychotherapist Alfred Adler recognized our innate need to feel superior in some legitimate way. (Photo: public domain)2019-03-08T19:27:46+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/06/06/coping-with-the-complexity-of-writing/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/writing-complexity.jpgWriting ComplexityMaking even small changes in a piece of writing can lead to seemingly endless ramifications. (Image: Thomas Cotterill)2019-03-08T19:25:23+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/06/09/edgar-allan-poe-c-s-lewis-and-monty-the-cat/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/edgar-allan-poe-2.jpgEdgar Allan Poe - 2Edgar Allan Poe could not put his troubled past behind him and move on. (photo : Wikipedia)2019-03-08T19:24:35+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/06/15/always-here-if-you-need-me-award/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/always-here-if-you-need-me-big.jpgAlways Here If You Need Me AwardYes, but am I always here because I'm reliable - or because I'm totally obsessive? (i.e. Are you sure you want to know me?)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/always-here-if-you-need-me-big.pngAlways Here If You Need Me Award BadgeYes, but am I always here because I'm reliable - or because I'm totally obsessive? (i.e. Are you sure you want to know me?)2019-03-08T19:19:40+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/06/21/imagination-can-stimulate-will/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/maldives-beach-at-night.jpgPhosphorescent Waves on a Maldives Beach at NightImagination can illuminate buried, forgotten, or neglected sources of joy and energize your life by putting will back into the picture.2019-03-08T19:16:37+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/07/12/getting-the-writing-done/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/plan-to-succeed.jpgPlan to SucceedTo take the next step in your writing project, you must be able to see the next step. Plans do work.2019-03-08T19:08:21+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/07/27/the-concept-of-liberation-in-psychology/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/at-eternitys-gate-by-vincent-van-gogh.jpgAt Eternity's Gate by Vincent van GoghPsychotherapy seeks to liberate the sufferer from emotional pain thus restoring greater freedom of action. (Photo: Wikipedia)2019-03-08T18:59:13+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/08/05/only-moral-novels-achieve-longevity/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/old-man-with-book-converted.jpgOld Man with Old BooksMoral novels attract wider critical attention and are more likely to achieve longevity. (Image: public domain)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/laurel-wreath-longevity-award.jpgMock Award for a Moral NovelMoral novels attract wider critical attention and are more likely to achieve longevity. (Image: WPClipart - decorated)2019-03-08T18:57:16+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/08/11/new-writers-benefit-from-identifying-with-famous-authors/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/h-g-wells-mature.jpgH. G. Wells in Middle AgeH. G. Wells makes a good role model for the commercially inclined genre writer. (Photo: public domain)2019-03-08T18:56:25+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2013/08/21/the-human-need-for-heroism-glory-and-renown/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/beowulf-with-raised-sword-enhanced.jpgBeowulf with Raised SwordA perceived lack of meaning in life may indicate a desire for a more heroic and glorious way of living. (Image: public domain)2019-03-08T18:55:31+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/07/27/build-novel-chapters-with-scenes/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/builders-at-work.jpgBuilders at WorkAt the level of structure, writing a novel is like a construction project. Understanding the basics will allow you to use imaginative architecture.https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/ill-for-build-novel-chapters-from-scenes1.jpghttps://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/shaman-1.jpgshaman-12019-03-07T00:18:36+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/10/09/affirmation-or-negation-two-ways-to-approach-life/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/charles-williams-smaller.jpgCharles WilliamsInklings member and author Charles Williams surprisingly demonstrated that either affirmation or negation of life can be a legitimate path to personal fulfillment. (Image: public domain.)2019-03-05T16:48:45+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/07/03/make-your-storys-setting-work-for-you/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/woman-before-the-rising-sun-by-caspar-david-friedrich.jpgWoman before the Rising Sun by C. D. FriedrichSetting also affects the reader’s mood. Impact and impress your readers by deliberately working on their emotions. Make them feel something and they will remember you. (Image: public domain.)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/dungeon-pictures-1.jpgdungeon-pictures-1You can develop a character by showing how he or she reacts to your setting and why. (Image: public domain.)https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/desert-portrait.jpgDesert PortraitSetting can make characters act. In the desert you must find water. (Image: public domain.)2019-03-03T14:58:35+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/about/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/old_books.jpgAntique Leather Bound BooksI love reading, thinking, and writing. What goes on in my mind inevitably ends up in my stories, books, and blog. (Image: wpclipart.com)2020-05-24T15:45:11+00:00weekly0.6https://thomascotterill.ca/2012/08/16/how-artists-and-scientists-explain-the-world/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/600px-2003-32-gravitationallens1.jpgThe Cosmos We Seek to ExplainArtists and scientists explain the world in very different ways. Surprisingly, scientists are abstract while artists are concrete.2019-02-24T20:27:15+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/07/11/henry-millers-childhood-reading/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/henry-miller.jpgHenry MillerHenry Miller is a good example of how childhood reading has a powerful effect on the kind, and style, of work writers produce as adults.https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/child_reading_in_large_chair.jpgchild_reading_in_large_chair2019-02-24T20:25:50+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/09/11/creative-freedom-is-overrated/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/h-g-wells.jpgH. G. WellsWhere anything is possible, nothing is interesting. - H. G. Wells (Photo: public domain)2019-02-24T19:35:45+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/11/16/blogger-idol-award/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/bloggeridollogo2.jpgBlogger Idol LogoThanks to that stellar blogger Adam S for the award nomination. May his beat go on.2019-02-24T19:05:20+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/enchantment/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/the-magic-of-findhorn-cover5.jpgThe Magic of FindhornAn enchanting look at an early New Age community in Scotland.2019-02-24T06:53:10+00:00weekly0.6https://thomascotterill.ca/my-work/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/cover-art-for-einsteins-folly.jpgCover Art for Einstein's FollyMy short story will be available soon.2019-02-24T06:52:07+00:00weekly0.6https://thomascotterill.ca/2012/06/14/the-tao-of-writing/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/lao-tzu-riding-the-ox.jpgLao Tzu Riding the OxRelying on intuition to guide your writing can lead you badly astray in ways that are hard to fix.https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/druids-performed-ritual-sacrifices.jpgDruids-Performed-Ritual-SacrificesDruid in Full Ceremonial Costume2019-02-23T19:57:17+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/08/06/are-culture-wars-a-symptom-of-western-decline/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/constarch19thengraving.jpgVictory Arch of Emperor ConstantineThe victory arch of Roman emperor Constantine. The arch once symbolized spectacular victory – there are many examples in European cities - but its shape does suggest a process of rise and inevitable fall.2019-02-23T19:11:37+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/08/20/socialism-tramples-unpopular-minorities/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/herd-of-cows-28761290720728wwf.jpgHerd MentalityWho shall we trample next? Socialism allows majority voting blocks to use government as a weapon against minorities. (Image: publicdomainpictures.net)2019-02-23T18:36:44+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/10/24/did-you-know-writers-play-blog-tag/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/mari-biella-and-lucinda-elliot-novels.jpgNovels by Mari Biella and Lucinda ElliotThe Quickening is a wonderfully moody ghost story set in the English fenlands. That Scoundrel, Emile Dubois is an amusing gothic with a touch of time travel and a vampire or two.https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/that-scoundrel-emile-dubois.jpgThat Scoundrel, Emile Dubois CoverA sophisticated and sensual blend of humour, horror, and romance.2019-02-23T15:38:35+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.ca/2012/12/06/battling-our-inner-conflicts/https://thomascotterill.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/karen_horney.jpgKaren HorneyKaren Horney explained how both sides of an inner conflict are things we do not want!2019-02-23T10:23:17+00:00monthlyhttps://thomascotterill.cadaily1.02025-04-28T10:02:36+00:00