Long time no see. I’m on the final leg of my course in journalism, and it has required my undivided attention. Well, that and the sun!

The course is great and I’m enjoying the process. It´s exciting to journey into the new world in which I will spend my working life. It´s a big wide world with opportunities I’m yet to discover, but I do know that they are aplenty and endless. As with most things in life, it is usually we ourselves who draws the limits.

I have always had a budding writer in me, but was to take many a long winded side track before I gave it a fair go to get heard. From the tender age of five or six I´d sit myself down by the kitchen table on early Sunday mornings with my dad’s portable typewriter. It was a nice typewriter; white with black finishing. I can still remember the joy it was to unlock and remove the lid. It was almost devoutly – but then again, it was Sunday.

I enjoyed the ceremony of preparing the typewriter for writing; from inserting the sheet of white paper and the crackling sounds it made when I twisted the platen knob to get it into position. The sound of the type bars hitting the crisp paper was also nice. And the smell of the ink. The ink ribbon was raised in a soft bow to align with the type bars as they slammed into the paper. Touch writing wasn’t a thing in those days, or more so not when tiny little fingers had to gain momentum to get the keytops to even consider moving. The force needed to do so was oftentimes miscalculated, which resulted in them getting wedged and had to be forced apart with brute strength. The metallic slam when hitting the carriage return lever was also a source of enjoyment.

I cannot claim that my writing back then was all that. Truth be told most of the time was probably spent on these more mechanical exercises. I did possibly however feel that I was executing an important piece of work, as my dad wrote his work documents on this typewriter.

It is like my father once said, that it isn’t hard to come up with something new,

it´s much harder to come up with it all on your own; that’s what he said.

to me.

— Olav Duun.

Writer Olav Duun, born 1876, is considered one of Norways greatest novelists, and was nominated for the Nobel price in literature. I´ve taken the liberty to translate his quote into English. It is a process to change mode from being a Nurse where your work mainly takes place outside of yourself, to turn the focus inwards to create everything out of “nothing”. Creativity is a state which kind of comes and goes as it pleases,- and if you want to come along for the ride you better hopp on the train when it´s there. Creativity may seem like the train times in, shall we say, very laid back and not so structured countries, where time tables and actual departures alike, are fairly random. You must allow plenty of time and be patient, and you’ll usually reach your destination eventually. In the mean time you just have to enjoy where you are, and frequently check if the train has arrived at the station and is ready for boarding. If you don’t you might miss out on all the rides.

In the world of writing freewriting is the thing; writing, writing and then some more writing; without assessment and censorship. For me it also helps to engage in other creative activities such as music, dancing, reading and time spent in nature, either as in doing something or just being. It isn’t always fruitful, but I always leave for home with a joyous heart.