The Celtic perception of the world….. ‘ A belief in the aristocracy of the imagination and the honoured place of the poet; their strong feeling for the supernatural…..And a veneration for nature in all its manifestations; their ritual statement of grief, their sense of sacredness of place and of a communion between the living and the dead; and, most of all, their view of themselves as the guardians of a tradition that was older than any that their conquerors could claim’
Robert O’driscoll,
Celtic historian
Who am I really.....?
I grew up in Rothesay on the Isle of Bute, in the south west of Scotland. I’m also half Canadian (ma pa’s Canadian), and spent much of the 1990’s in the wild west of British Columbia, in Vancouver and the island. Unfortunately I don’t have any native Indian blood but my twin nephews do. The natural world has probably shaped my ideas and perspective from a young age and continues to. I plan to vacate the rat race, but keep ending up in the city. As cities go Edinburgh has a lot to offer – it has a dark romantic air and is very European, though I have been accused of bias to Glasgow (well my mum’s from there, and they do know how to party!). Vancouver is the tops for natural beauty and a stunning environment. In recent years I’ve studied Environmental Science and have worked in aquaculture
I’m also inspired by all things Celtic (not the team, or Rangers). The history, mythology and particularly the music are eternal. For me the continuity exists in musicians like Runrig, Van Morrison, Capercaillie and The Waterboys to name a few. Others in the writers group are sick of me raving about the mystical poetry of Mike Scott. Neil Young is another genius. I love a variety of music, but at heart I’m a punk rocker
I enjoy the outdoor life (this is beginning to feel like a CV!) Camping, fishing, cycling, hillwalking. Travel is one of my passions and I could quite easily live out of a suitcase if there was room to string a hammock. I’m a bit of wanderer. My favourite countries, so far – Mexico, Bulgaria, Belize, Spain and of course Canada. I’d like to get more aquainted with Ireland, and to visit Belgium for its beer, and Greece for the real civilized world. The list could go on….. But for me Scotland is really home, it’s a special place and the people are braw. Two languages I want to master are Spanish and Gaelic.
If you have problems getting motivated to write then I’d recommend joining a writers group. The atmosphere is supportive and you will definitely generate ideas, and maybe unlock your creativity. I think I’m more into faction than fiction, but recently I’ve attempted some poetry, something I never really considered before. It can be quite meditative, maybe even medicinal. At least a purge.
Read his work.