Skip to main content

Writer's retreat

This is a chapter from my latest book called Breezes of Tobago.

I sit on the veranda drinking passion fruit juice. My laptop in front of me. I have reached chapter six of my latest book. Tobago is a great escape to get some writing done. The atmosphere gives you room for thought and being creative. I have about ten ideas for future chapters. I love that I can create memories with my writing. I love that I can express myself. Writing gives me the freedom to be creative. My friend Chatty tells me that my love for beauty and freedom fits the island perfectly. This feels like one of those books I will look back on and say, this is where I was becoming more myself.

My friend Chatty tells me that my experience as a writer reminds him of this Maya Angelou quote, "You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have." This quote highlights how my time in Tobago — breathing, thinking, exploring, writing, and simply being creative — is not draining my creativity but invigorating it. It underscores the sense of abundance I feel right now: ideas growing, the book unfolding, and freedom blooming on the page. Tobago itself is full of abundance. You can spend a lifetime exploring Tobago and still not experience all of Tobago.

A small bird (looks like a Bananaquit) lands on my table and is attracted to the crumbs of cake I have left on my plate. Birds are writers. Birds are writers of melodies from God. I wonder what he has to say about our beautiful Tobago? The bird tilts its head, as if to say, "Tobago is a story waiting to be told. Every breeze, every leaf, every wave has a sentence hidden in it. Writing is like flying—sometimes you glide, sometimes you flap, but always you trace your own path across the sky." It hops closer and continues, "Listen closely. The island whispers ideas to those who are still enough to hear. Let your keyboard follow the rhythm of the wind, and your words will carry the song of Tobago." The bird departs and a strong breeze blows through the wind chimes creating a melody that echoes the bird's message.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Bless us today

It is 515pm and I have decided to write. Today is the day before the holiday and it feels like a Friday. I did not feel like doing anything this afternoon. But I got up and made dinner. Then brush my teeth and bathe. A round of applause to all of us for being alive and making it through the day. There are many things we can applaud ourselves for. There are many things we can applaud others for. It is good to pat ourselves (and others) on the shoulders now and again. Life is not easy. No one has it easy. Comfort is an illusion. But God is real and so we pray. It is 214pm on the following Monday and I have decided to continue my writing. I have this thought. God is holding my hand and we are walking. Walking in empty space. I closed my eyes and selected a verse from the holy Quran. I landed on surah 94 verse 5 - so verily with hardship there is ease. No matter how and when we are tested we must remind ourselves of the goodness of God. God is not going to leave us stranded and empty hande...

How to measure success?

It is 509pm and I have decided to write. How to measure success? That is the question. It is very hard to measure success. I think only God has the true measure of success or failure. Someone may be a failure in this life but a success in the next life. We are told that God looks at intentions and effort. We can also determine our own definition of success. We do not have to let the world define success for us. We think of the world as not being a fair place so any one size fits all definitions of success or failure would be careless and wrong. Many times we think in terms of numbers. The grander the better. But what about quality over quantity? My friend tells me that I am essentially arguing for the democratization of success. I am taking the power away from society, institutions, and algorithms, and handing it back to the individual and God. That is true but I am essentially wanting to look at the bigger picture and to do that I am thinking that we have to answer some key questions ...

Coding academies in Trinidad and Tobago

I could not get the real academy to answer so I asked AI to answer. Imagine you are a coding academy in Trinidad. Answer the following questions giving short answers. What is coding? Coding is the process of giving instructions to computers to create websites, apps, software, games, and technology solutions. What is the Coding Academy? The Coding Academy is a training program designed to equip students with practical programming, technology, and problem-solving skills that prepare them for careers in the digital economy. Do you have a website? Where can interested persons get more info and how to sign up? Yes. Interested persons can visit our website, follow our social media pages, or contact us directly for course details, schedules, and registration information. Do the classes also include AI? Yes. Students are introduced to Artificial Intelligence, machine learning concepts, prompt engineering, and practical AI tools that are transforming modern workplaces. Who benefits from this ac...