The Sound of Paper

The Sound of Paper is another book on the creative life by Julia Cameron.

If you are feeling in need of a creativity boost, or just wish to read a lovely book, then this is one to enjoy.

I have four books by this author in my library at home, and this one is tempting me to add it to the collection. It is full of essays that track the seasons as the author compiles ideas for this work. You get a nice view into Ms Cameron's world, both personal and professional, but not so close as to create a feeling of voyeurism. It strikes me as someone sharing their 'flashes' of realisation and personal insight, but with a touch of down-home comfort.
I find myself feeling as though we were having a chat together over a cup of tea as I read these wonderful snippets of life. The form of the book appeals to me very much because of this tea-time feeling and the short essay structure.

Each essay concludes with a simple exercise which you can do to provoke and provide food for your creative soul. Actually, even if you weren't requiring it for 'artistic reasons', the exercises are still worth doing for the fun of it.

If you want to start from the beginning, then start with The Artist's Way.
You will find the themes of the books to be similar, but with "The Artist's Way" it is a more structured process of freeing yourself up to your own creativity. "The Sound of Paper" feels more like a Sunday afternoon amble through the creative playing fields.

On the whole I would give this a rating of 4 out of 5.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

John's birthday present was to have a backrow seat, complete with a bottle of bubbles for the first evening session of The Chronicles of Narnia at the Lido.

For those who haven't been to the Lido in Epsom, you should give it a go. Very civilized with wine and little cakes, or coffee if you prefer. Seat size is generous, as is leg room.

So, a quick review of the movie.

I enjoyed it very much. It was lovingly filmed and the children were all excellent, with most of the focus on Lucy, Edmund and Peter. The character of Susan didn't shine out quite as strongly as the other three.
Tilda Swinton as the White Witch did a very nice job of being icy cold, and Liam Neeson as Aslan's voice was a terrific choice of strength and softness. The general CGI wasn't quite as good as that done for LOTR, with the obvious exception of Aslan. He was beautifully rendered.
As John remarked afterwards, it was a nice film and worth going to see. BUT, he wouldn't buy it on DVD. I would agree with his comment.

If you want a movie to spend a quiet Sunday afternoon at, this would be a good choice.
Rating: 3 out of 5

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

John's birthday present was to have a backrow seat, complete with a bottle of bubbles for the first evening session of The Chronicles of Narnia at the Lido.

For those who haven't been to the Lido in Epsom, you should give it a go. Very civilized with wine and little cakes, or coffee if you prefer. Seat size is generous, as is leg room.

So, a quick review of the movie.

I enjoyed it very much. It was lovingly filmed and the children were all excellent, with most of the focus on Lucy, Edmund and Peter. The character of Susan didn't shine out quite as strongly as the other three.
Tilda Swinton as the White Witch did a very nice job of being icy cold, and Liam Neeson as Aslan's voice was a terrific choice of strength and softness. The general CGI wasn't quite as good as that done for LOTR, with the obvious exception of Aslan. He was beautifully rendered.
As John remarked afterwards, it was a nice film and worth going to see. BUT, he wouldn't buy it on DVD. I would agree with his comment.

If you want a movie to spend a quiet Sunday afternoon at, this would be a good choice.
Rating: 3 out of 5