Learning how to genuinely love food – and not being afraid to say it! For most of my teenage life, I had a negative relationship with my body image. I recently found a diary entry I wrote – aged only nine – where I mentioned that I thought I was fat. Nine years old. It’s hard to believe that I was having thoughts like that, at the … Continue reading Finding food freedom

When I am searching through Canadian institutions to study at during my study year abroad, I am confronted with the knowledge that it is me, the person who is actually sitting at this laptop, who will be studying and living and breathing in this very country. Trying to envision if I would like a university in a country which I haven’t even visited before is … Continue reading On Catching the ‘Travelling Bug’

The phrase ‘imposter syndrome’ is one that reverberates around many academic and social spheres. Whether it be in a classroom or an exam hall, a party or an award ceremony, overarching self-doubt and the belief that one is inferior to others are core tenets of imposter syndrome.  Specifically, the increasing pressures of academic life at university, with advancing deadlines for assignments and competition for internships … Continue reading ‘Comparison is the thief of joy’: three Warwick University students’ experiences of imposter syndrome

Earlier this year, I attended a series of creative writing workshops as part of my university course. These workshops were some of the most nerve-wracking experiences I have had, and where the most invaluable writing tip I have ever received was born. Like many other writers, I feel somewhat protective over what I write. The thought of volunteering to have my work picked apart by … Continue reading Writing Tip: Cut Out The Useless Metaphors

Refreshingly open and wrapped with humour and enthusiasm, my final interview in the ‘Breaking Into The Creative Industry’ series with Senior BBC Reporter, Matt Graveling, was certainly one loaded with insightful advice and valuable honesty. Currently a freelancer, Matt describes his background in what he describes as ‘the best industry in the world’. ‘My gateway into the [journalism] industry was doing whatever shifts I possibly … Continue reading Breaking Into The Creative Industry: Senior BBC Reporter, Matt Graveling

The third interview in my Breaking Into The Creative Industry Series is with Francesca Tyer, a freelance content writer, editor, co-director, English tutor and young adult fiction author. Francesca began freelancing soon after university, beginning her career with an editorial project for a small publishing company. Over the past two years, Francesca has built up her business, creating and editing books, blogs, articles and marketing … Continue reading Breaking Into The Creative Industry Series: Francesca Tyer (Freelancer, Author, Editor)

The next interview in my series is with Greg Gorman, a writer with over 20 years of experience who has been published in numerous newspapers and websites, including Northeastern’s Bouvé College of Health Sciences. In addition to his work in journalism and marketing, he has also published two books and documents his time as a parent and coach on his website. Greg’s contributions are not … Continue reading Breaking Into The Creative Industry: Greg Gorman, Writer

As someone whose dream is to break into the creative industry, I am all too familiar with that feeling of complete awe at those who are successful in the industry. How did they do it? What’s their story? In October, my interest piqued further, beyond the career talks and advice I had found online. Inspired by a new desire to interview people on my blog, … Continue reading Breaking Into The Creative Industry Series: Interview 1, Brian Watson (Writer, Director, Lyricist)

The acceleration of fashion production in modern society, coupled with the influence of social media, has meant that trends are being pumped out at record speed. Items of clothing such as House of Sunny’s Hockney dress, crochet clothing or colourful plastic accessories are all examples of trends that have surged in popularity throughout the year. As these fast trends, coined microtrends, continue to dominate, it becomes … Continue reading Microtrends: the tiny fashion trends with big consequences

After 30 days straight of writing posts for The Essentialist, I have officially come to the end of my writing challenge. When I started this challenge on 9th August, I was excited, but a little bit nervous of how I was going to produce content for thirty days. It was a chance for me to explore different styles of writing and to focus upon the … Continue reading Day 30/30 – What I’ve Learned From Writing For 30 Days Straight

Dear Past Me, Don’t worry about the future. I’m there now, and it’s more than you could have ever imagined. I know you’ll be mad that I’m not telling you, but I’m going to hold off on the details, because you deserve all the surprises and the excitement.  I know, I know, you want me to spill the details. You’re impatient, and you’re still impatient … Continue reading Day 29/30: Non-fiction: Dear Past Me

I always hated the colour green. So it didn’t help that after a journey composed of a nearly-missed flight, a two hour transfer and a battered suitcase I’d accidentally let fall down a flight of stairs, the motel room I’d been given was plastered floor to ceiling in my least favourite colour. Nothing could shake the hatred I’d had since a young child, not even … Continue reading Day 28/30 – Fiction: Room 341

That feeling of life The unknown and known, The end, The beginning And all in between.   That feeling of life The expanse of what is to come And what has been left behind   That feeling of life The doors that have shut And the ones yet to open   That feeling of life, The fleeting moment we all have The chance to change … Continue reading Day 27/30 – Poem: That Feeling of Life

Here are my top five favourite quotations that I often call upon and remember in difficult times. Hopefully some of these resonate with you too, whoever you are or wherever you are in life. They remind me of some of the most crucial traits to have in life, that is, gratefulness, courage, kindness and passion. 1) “A ship in harbour is safe, but that’s not … Continue reading Day 26/30 – My Top 5 Favourite Quotes of All-Time

We baked a cake for every new next-door neighbour that we had. Ever since we lived in our house, it became an unwritten tradition. It was something Jake and his mother used to do when he was younger, and he carried it on straight into our house. When we first got married, Jake used to show me how to fold the cake batter, how to … Continue reading Day 25/30: Fiction – Burnt Cake

September’s here, and with it brings an opportunity for a new start and a chance to reflect on August. Whilst all of these things in the list below can be done at any point, it always feels nice to begin a month with a list of plans, and starting out right can be a means of carrying forward. So below, I’ve compiled six ways in … Continue reading Day 23/30: Hello September – 6 Ways To Start This Month Right

You know that feeling when a song transports you to another world? That incredible moment when the music you’re listening to just pulls you right away from where you are – it uproots you. That’s the effect that these 25 songs below all have upon me.  They’re not distracting or overwhelming. They’re just right, little tidbits of music that help me to power through those … Continue reading Day 22/30: Here’s 25 Songs You Need To Add To Your Writing Playlist Now

As I move into my second year of study at Warwick, I thought I’d take a look back and reminiscence over some of my favourite topics that I studied in creative writing last year. Perhaps some of these topics might interest you (as they did me), and you can research even further into them!  1) Sigmund Freud’s Theories of Interpreting Dreams One of the most … Continue reading Day 21/30: Five Of The Most Interesting Topics I’ve Studied in Creative Writing

If you haven’t heard of StoryGraph, it needs to be the next app you download. And no, this isn’t an advert – this app is genuinely one of the best, and most enlightening I’ve ever used. Essentially, StoryGraph is a way of tracking your reading progress, in a similar way to GoodReads. You can input your books into the system, and update it every time … Continue reading Day 20/30: Why You Need To Download StoryGraph

Writer’s block is one of the most frustrating byproducts of being a writer. I’ve compiled a flow chart below, with some tips that I use to try to overcome the bane of my writing existence! Continue reading Day 19/30: How To Combat Writer’s Block

I eat lychees because they remind me of my office friend. A few years ago, he told me about the fruit on one particularly boring afternoon at work. We had worked together for several years and somehow made vaguely interesting conversations from the mundanity of the office – the lychee conversation being one of them. I scoffed at him when he told about them, disbelieving … Continue reading Day 18/30: Fiction – Lychees

In a recent trip to a second-hand bookstore, I stumbled across Jenny Offill’s novel Dept. Of Speculation, deciding to check it out because of its intriguing cover. The phrase ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ definitely isn’t true for picking out books – certain book covers draw me right into without even knowing what it’s about – and this was one of them. I … Continue reading Day 17/30: Book Review – Dept. Of Speculation by Jenny Offill

It was a cold Tuesday morning when it occurred to me that jam on toast was your favourite breakfast. I remember this because you shouted down the phone when you’d burned your toast and realised there was no jam in the cupboard. I wrapped my hand around the coil of the phone and smiled to myself. You had your funny little habits. It was a … Continue reading Day 16/30 – Fiction: ‘Talk To Me’

Space tourism is on the rise. It sounds like something out of a film – but the opportunity to fly into space and stay in a hotel is now a near reality. The up-and-coming space tourism industry is accelerating, and it seems to be gearing up for some incredible future endeavours.  Recent advancements have been seen in the last month, with Richard Branson and Jeff … Continue reading Day 15/30 – The Future of Space Travel: Space Hotels, Affordability & Commercial Flights

When I decided that I wanted to study English and Creative Writing degree in Year 12, I was familiar with two things – number one, how difficult it would be to forge a career in the creative industry, and number two, therefore, how hard I would have to work to achieve my aspirations. One thing I wasn’t so familiar with was the judgement and scrutiny … Continue reading Day 14/30: Why Being Persistent and Consistent Is The Best Way To Break Into The Creative Industry (And Science Backs This Too)

Yesterday I wanted to grow up.  I threw out my toys, my teddies,  Bin bags full of old clothes by the door.  Today I fished my toys from the bin,  Cradled my teddy bears tightly,  And hung my clothes back in the wardrobe…  Condemned to never changing.  Continue reading Day 13/30 – Sevenling: ‘Circles’

There’s a beauty to nature. My recent holiday to the Lake District reminded me of the fact. Away from the bustle of suburban life back in Birmingham, I was severed from reliable WiFi connections which I often feel I’m tethered to too much for an entire week. Seven days to be immersed into the Keswick countryside, seven days to reflect as I always like to … Continue reading Day 12/30: Non-fiction – The Insignificance of Man

Safety in numbers, but the room’s empty. Continue reading Day 11/30: Microfiction – Alone

A thought-provoking insight into a dystopian world, Blue Ticket became the first fiction book in a long time which I read cover to cover, although at times I wondered if this was because I was in search of more. I was hooked immediately by the chilling world in which the book is set. Motherhood is determined by the pulling of a lottery ticket from a … Continue reading Day 10/30 – Book Review: “Blue Ticket” by Sophie Mackintosh

The unofficial dictionary definition  States sonder as a realisation  That each random passerby has a life as meaningful  And deep as yours  All of the people in the shopping queue  Or the people I gather with on a bus  All the nameless faces I see a crowd  All the cars of passengers that shoot past  Isn’t it so wonderful and terrifying  An image reversal  My … Continue reading Day 9/30 – Poem: The Wonder of Sonder

The huge gap between the summer break and the new academic year means that restarting your studies can initially feel overwhelming. But what if I told you that you can avoid this feeling, and gradually ease yourself back into academic life? I’ve compiled a list of six tips below which are perfect to kick-start before university, meaning that you can hit the ground running come … Continue reading Day 8/30: 6 Easy Ways To Academically Kick-Start Before University

One of biggest differences I have found between studying A-Levels and a degree is the reading. “How can a book be different at university?” I hear you ask. Well, it’s not the book itself, per sé, but the sheer volume of reading. Some novels are completed in three weeks at university, whereas at college I would spend a term or two on a similar-sized text. … Continue reading Here’s 5 Ways To Read More Efficiently At University

Dear Future Me, I always write to you. But you never seem to write back. I think about you a lot, if I’m honest. I dream of what you might be, and I simultaneously fear you. Say if you don’t achieve what I want you to achieve. Say if you achieve more. Say if you’re achieving things that I haven’t even imagined yet.  There’s a … Continue reading Day 6/30: Non-Fiction – ‘Dear Future Me, Keep In Touch’

Despite my long-standing interest in English Literature, it has been shamefully long since I’ve read a book outside of the curriculum. I’ve studied the likes of Homer, Chaucer and Virgil at university, and enjoyed them, but I’ve never truly got back into reading for pleasure as I did when I was younger. As a child, I would whizz through books at speed. I couldn’t get … Continue reading Day 5/30: Article – How to Fall in Love With Reading Again: Rekindling My Childhood Hobby

Isn’t the weather lovely, I think to myself  As we experience our third heatwave of summer  I smile as I wear shorts into town  Because God, the UK is never like this  And the sun beats down on my back  And my legs and my arms  And I am glad  It’s day three of the heatwave  And I’m enjoying it  I don’t have to wear … Continue reading Day 4/30 – Poem: ‘The Weight of the Summer Sun’

They say that we’re all villains in someone else’s story. When I first heard this quote, I began to trawl through my memory, back to some particular moments in my life which sprung to mind, where my role in them was certainly not saintly: To the girl whose sandcastle I stomped over when I was 11, I’m sorry. I’m sure the only image you have … Continue reading Day 3/30 – Narrative Essay: ‘The Villain: Me, Myself & I’

Every morning I’ll double check that the top button of my collar is fastened. The last time I forgot to do that was the first day of secondary school. My father never made me forget that day. He was strict about a lot of things. Tidiness – no toys were ever to be seen in the living room.  Bedtimes – in bed on the dot … Continue reading Day 2/30 – Flash Fiction: ‘The Button’

I blow my birthday candles out Another year gone by But age is not just a number And I often wonder why Age is a funny little thing It tells me where to be It puts my body on a timeline For everyone to see It tells me to be settled down Before I’m thirty-five It tells me to compare myself To everybody else that’s … Continue reading Day 1/30 – Poem: ‘Age Is Just A Number’

I’ve been reading more recently. A lot more. And no matter how long it’s been since I last picked up a book, I always feel that same feeling after I’ve read. That same desire to emulate the feeling in my brain: that hot desire to keep turning a page and find out what happens to that character or to that essay point or to the … Continue reading Why I’m Doing A 30 Day Writing Challenge

Is LinkedIn really the first ‘all-rounder’ social media? Can there really be such thing as a ‘perfect’ online platform? Well, when I joined LinkedIn back in December last year, I thought it had achieved exactly that. If you haven’t used LinkedIn, the best way to describe it is a platform of three-dimensional CV’s. It describes its aim as “connect[ing] the world’s professionals to make them … Continue reading LinkedIn… A Source of Motivation, or a Slippery Slope to Academic Comparison?

That pile of laundry? I’ll wash it tomorrow… That email I need to send? Well, it can wait until later… That essay I need to work on? Add it to tomorrow’s to-do list… Sound familiar? Well, it certainly is a mindset that is all too easy to fall into. It’s convienent. It’s easy. It allows us to keep binge watching that Netflix series or lie … Continue reading Here’s How To Stomp Out Procrastination

My nineteenth birthday is the first birthday which has left me with a very strange feeling of being ‘old’. Now, I know this is completely unfounded. Nineteen, by any means, is not an old age. Coupled with reaching the final term of my first year at university (I can’t believe it has come around so quickly), I suppose since turning 19 a few weeks ago, … Continue reading Turning 19 – 19 Lessons That I Wish I’d Learned Years Ago

This week, I was scrolling through my Spotify and came across a playlist of motivational podcasts. I started listening to a podcast called ‘Achieving Your Childhood Dreams’ by Dr Randy Pausch. In the podcast, Dr Paush made a brilliant point about persevering to achieve your dreams (whether they are childhood ones or not): don’t be disheartened when you’re faced with ‘brick walls’, because if you … Continue reading Why You Should Start Dreaming Big (And Stop Listening To Those Who Don’t)

On Friday, I had my last pre-recorded lecture for one of my modules this term. Just as the lecture was about to finish, the tutor congratulated us on finishing the majority of the module, especially given the circumstances we have been working in over term two. The lecture ended, and soon enough his virtual congratulations disappeared from my screen. But long after my laptop was … Continue reading Rounding Up Term Two At University – Well Done To Us All!

Last month, England was presented with a plan from the government, outlining the gradual easing of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in what is referred to by Boris Johnson as the country’s ‘one way road to freedom’. With four stages, the roadmap details the slow release of what will be over 16 months of on-and-off restrictions. This release will hopefully culminate in the eventual full reopening of … Continue reading The Big Question 7: Can England expect a return to normality on June 21st?

As a creative writing student, I’m big on my metaphors. And so, when I was creating this blog post, I was trying to think of how to describe social media in a more creative way. After a while, it suddenly occurred to me that social media is like a huge neighbourhood of windows, with each user living behind one of the glassy panes. It sounds … Continue reading The Reality Behind Social Media

Announcement: I’ve decided to put ‘The Big Question” on hold. It’s not going away forever (so don’t be too gutted), but I thought it was time to start a new series on my blog. I’m trying to experiment with different things this year in my writing, and so I don’t ever want to stick to one format permanently. Change is good. I think after six … Continue reading Musings Of A Writer – Why Do I Write?

Six weeks ago, I wrote my first Big Question where I talked about what life could look in 2021 during a pandemic. It was New Years Day when I published the article  – a time of obvious optimism. There was a sense that maybe, just maybe we were drawing closer to a new ‘normal’ (because arguably, it is difficult to believe we will ever revert … Continue reading The Big Question 6: How can we stay optimistic during Lockdown 3.0?

This week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that schools and colleges in England will remain closed until 8th March ‘at the earliest’, an announcement which dwindles any hope of face-to-face teaching resuming for at least the next five weeks. The extended closure overthrows the initial plan to return after February half-term, which was thwarted by a surge in COVID-19 infection rates and queries over the … Continue reading The Big Question 5: Can Online Teaching Ever Replicate Face -to-Face Teaching?

Being productive can be difficult at the best of times. Add in a lack of motivation because of a series of lockdowns, and suddenly even the thought of doing any academic work feels overwhelming. In this week’s Big Question, I wanted to talk about the topic of productivity (specifically in academics) and the ways in which you can increase it. I’ve compiled a list of … Continue reading The Big Question 4: How Can We Be More Productive? Ten Tips To Boost Your Academic Productivity

Fake news has always existed alongside the presence of truthful news. Wherever there is honest, factual and accurate news, there will be an ugly attempted replication of that. The term ‘fake news’ has become a buzzword over the last few years. As the name suggests, fake news refers to misleading information which is believed to be truthful news. Essentially, there are two forms of fake … Continue reading The Big Question 3: What is fake news? How can we recognise it? And why should we care about it?

As we enter the tenth day of 2021, we are all slowly adjusting to the idea of the ‘New Year’. Festivities are wearing off, Christmas decorations have been packed up and stuffed into the attic; a sense of normality begins to resume after the past hectic few weeks.  As part of your New Year’s routine, you might have made a list of resolutions. For me, … Continue reading The Big Question 2 – Are New Year’s Resolutions Really Necessary?

No matter where or when you are reading this, COVID-19 has impacted each one of us in many different ways. My hope in writing this blog post is to provide an idea of what life could be like in 2021 amidst a global pandemic. Nobody can say with any certainty how the next year will progress. However, through looking at the global progress that has … Continue reading The Big Question 1: Amidst a global pandemic, what will life look like in 2021?

It does, right? The way we look dictates a lot of things; it tells us what clothes we should wear, how to look at ourselves in the mirror; the exact things to criticise when we open our camera. Our obsession with our outward appearance is the fuel to the fire of multi-million dollar companies – the reason why cosmetic surgery is at an all time … Continue reading Why the way we look matters

People say it takes 21 days to break a habit. But how many days does it take to start one? In theory, the question in itself provides a very arbitrary response. It depends on the individual entirely; the amount of motivation they are willing to put in; their belief in not only their success, but also their failures. Forming a habit is achievable short-term, but … Continue reading The start of the beginning