Paul Carney
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The will to live
Throughout recorded history, thinkers and natural philosophers have commented on the innate, energetic spark that is imbued within all living things. Eastern and Western civilisations have simultaneously described a will to live, an internal life force, a spirit, or soul,… Continue reading
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What should life be like?
What should life be like? What can we reasonably expect from our existence? I’m not referring to those ultra people, with extreme lifestyles, who live as monastic monks or who have blue blood and live in palaces. I’m also not… Continue reading
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Paul’s music on Youtube
Here are some tracks I wrote and produced around 2010: This track, Miss You is a poignant, self-penned, autobiographical song I wrote when my Mam died in 2008. It’s a real heartbreaker. From my second album Suspicion, this next track… Continue reading
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K2-18b, a planet with 97% certainty of alien life
Scientists have detected a molecule called dimethyl sulfide, or DMS for short, which is the gas that gives beach areas their distinctive smell. The gas is produced by phytoplankton on Earth, and is estimated to be thousands of times stronger,… Continue reading
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Draw Like a Boss
In this interview, author Ashley Edge and Paul Carney explore the purpose of drawing and learning to draw, including explicit instruction. Ashley Edge is a Lake District based artist and the author of the Draw Like a Boss series of… Continue reading
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Mind Control
Oh, how I wish I had the ability to control my thoughts like a meditation master. Bad thoughts would occur, and I’d simply swat them away, able to resume my super-controlled, zen-like mental state without a care in the world.… Continue reading
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It’s Life Jim!
Some scientists now believe the chances of life emerging on Earth by itself are too remote. In a very honest, refreshing, (but complex), scientific paper, Robert Endres of the Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London in December 2025, explored… Continue reading
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Finding God in an age of reason
What evidence is there that God exists? In my opinion, the likelihood of the universe springing into existence by itself, for no reason, is so remote as to be non-existent. The mathematics of this universe forming event are mind-bogglingly extreme.… Continue reading
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The Blob
A short story. The blob floated mindlessly in the darkness. It had no eyes, or senses, save the ability to touch. To feel. It had no explicit conscious thoughts as such. But, driven by impulse, it knew what it wanted.… Continue reading
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One in a billion
In the Big Bang, when the universe was formulated, there should have been a blinding flash of radiation as these opposing forces cancelled each other out. But that is not what happened. By the order of one particle in a… Continue reading
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Welcome to the spirit world.
A short story. It had been another excellent meeting, Wendy thought, as she tidied her props away into her handbag and picked up her phone. Her back was killing her from sitting on a hard seat all night, but she… Continue reading
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Reality is a load of balls
It is easy for imaginative humans to slip into science-fiction, or non-evidence based beliefs, simply because they fit our own world view and yet the reality is just as interesting. At the heart of everything we see, hear, feel, and… Continue reading
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Come on down, try your luck on Fortuna’s Wheel of Fortune!
If physicist Sabine Hossenfelder is right, then it means we live in a Predetermined Universe – everything that can happen has already happened, we just don’t know it yet. Hossenfelder then goes on to say that information cannot be destroyed,… Continue reading
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Stephen Hawking: Is there a God?
“One could define God as the embodiment of the laws of nature. However, this is not what most people would think of as God. They mean a human-like being, with whom one can have a personal relationship.” Hawking refers to… Continue reading
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Star Trekking
If you could be someone else for a day, who would you be, and why? As a huge Star Trek fan, I would be Captain James T. Kirk for the day. I’d lead a mission to go boldly where no… Continue reading
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Beyond Words
All of our thinking is through words, all of our actions, all of our science, all of our literature, all of our history, all our technology, all our kingdoms and empires. All of it stems from language and communication. And… Continue reading
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Pure awareness is heaven
What are your thoughts on life after death? Where do you think we go when we die? Perhaps you think you’ll live eternally in a heavenly paradise surrounded by your loved ones. Maybe you don’t believe any of that stuff… Continue reading
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Here’s some flowers for you…
Some examples of my most recent paintings I’ve been doing. These are hand-painted and a return back to traditional media for me. I’m loving it! Continue reading
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False Perceptions
Perceptions, the Buddha said, are very often false, which leads to suffering. We see people as threats, we weave fake narratives, we create all kinds of imaginary perils. We internalise our fears, which only compounds them, elevating them to be… Continue reading
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Movie Night
‘Where the hell am I?’ she muttered to herself, as the vortex gave way to a dimly lit room, complete with brightly-coloured, patterned furnishings and the kind of Jamaican, cultural furnishings she was familiar with from her childhood. ‘Oh wow,… Continue reading
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Roads to Happiness
Two eastern mystics with profound insights into the nature of existence and how to lead happier lives are Sri Ramana Maharshi and Thich Nhat Hanh. Maharshi was a Hindu sage who lived around eighty years ago in India, while Hanh… Continue reading
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Classroom Catastrophes
If there were a biography about you, what would the title be? I wrote a collection of funny short stories about my life as a teacher under the pseudonym Peter Carling. It’s called Classroom Catastrophes and is available from Amazon… Continue reading
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Old man Hokusai
How do significant life events or the passage of time influence your perspective on life? “From the age of 6 I had a mania for drawing the shapes of things. When I was 50 I had published a universe of… Continue reading
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How can an inanimate force become a God?
When we think of a force such as the quantum field, we don’t think of an omnipotent, personified being, we think of an abstract mass of crackling energy; a bubbling froth of excitable forces, where a myriad of particles might… Continue reading
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The axis of evil
Aristotle’s geocentric model of the universe, with earth in the centre, fitted with western Biblical ideologies and so stood for two thousand years until Copernicus upset the apple cart and proclaimed the sun was at the centre of things. Despite… Continue reading
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Bhagavad Gita
What books do you want to read? Books I’m reading at present: The Ethics of Aristotle The Bhagavad Gita the Upanishads The Varieties of Religious Experience, William James Concentration & Meditation Swami Paramananda Tao Te Ching, Lao Tsu The Complete… Continue reading
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True Survivor (the pom-poms)
Harry woke up before the alarm and instinctively woke his wife, Jacinda, too. ‘Hey Jac, come on, you’ve got a long day today, you’re on lates.’ ‘What? Huh, oh God, my head hurts.’ ‘I’ll let you go in the shower… Continue reading
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The grand coder
A computer coder creates a virtual world which replicates our ‘real’ world, and the characters have a form of artificial intelligence. Characters in this world have the ability to sense their environment, and assume what they experience is real. In… Continue reading
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Find your inner creative
If you had a freeway billboard, what would it say? Find your inner creative. Being creative, in whatever form that takes, is a powerful way to make meaning in your life. It is fun, enjoyable and stimulating. It enhances brain… Continue reading
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The Hench
A short story An emaciated young girl, wearing ragged, filthy clothes, scurried quickly between the shadows, darting from place to place, eyes constantly alert. She was hungry. So hungry she was prepared to risk her life to find food. Not… Continue reading
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How to be creative
How are you creative? There’s a common misconception that creativity is only an artistic pursuit, which is wrong. Throughout my career as a teacher of art, I regularly had to correct people who would state that they weren’t creative. We… Continue reading
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Best of Friends
Who are the biggest influences in your life? In previous posts, I’ve outlined how I didn’t have any older male role models to look up to and guide me through life’s challenges, but I certainly had the best of friends.… Continue reading
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Love Conquers All ❤️
What skills or lessons have you learned recently? I’m learning philosophy at present, which I’ve been studying since last year. It’s a huge topic, of course, and though I’m mainly focusing on Western philosophy, I have also been reading Chinese… Continue reading
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An odd thing to find
‘Tonight, we bring you a special report on the mysterious phenomena known as sea pyramids – the strange, glowing triangular prisms that have washed up on the beaches of Japan and the Philippines in recent months. ‘Professor Richard Binks, a… Continue reading
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The True Self
The true Self is the spiritual self. The true Self is the single self; it is not scattered, disorganised or divided. The true Self has no ego. The true Self does not crave attention, fame, status, wealth, or ambition. The… Continue reading
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The Secret of Life
There is a secret to life that is so simple, yet so elusive, and it is this: all the life that has ever existed, in every corner of the universe, has one primary purpose – to find happiness. What is… Continue reading
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An Origin Story
A young girl was seated alone in a plush café, talking into her friend through her smartphone. The friend was on speakerphone, and the girl, although clearly distressed, made no attempt to hide her conversations. The girl sobbed and wailed… Continue reading
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One, two, three, four, five…
Share five things you’re good at. I would rather describe 5 things I enjoy doing. Whether I’m ‘good’ at them is a matter of opinion. These are 5 things I do fluently: Art – here is one of my recent… Continue reading
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I Wish
What is one thing you would change about yourself? Where do I start? Only one thing? No way, there’s a list a mile long: I wish I was fitter, and stronger, and just liked sports and physical activities in general. … Continue reading
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Because there’s night again
Are you more of a night or morning person? This was originally posted as Because the Night for the prompt: what’s your favourite time of day? My favourite time of day isn’t day at all, it’s nighttime. Some are early… Continue reading
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Nietzsche
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a philosopher who advocated the rich, elite and powerful and was against the mechanisms of the church who he saw as shackling people with guilt and shame. His ideas and beliefs have been manipulated and absorbed… Continue reading
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Anchored and empowered
Beach or mountains? Which do you prefer? Why? I’m not sure you can call the peaks of the Lake District mountains, but if they qualify, then I’d always go for them over the ocean. The huge, colossal size of mountains… Continue reading
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Last Night in Middlesbrough
The old man winced in pain as he leant forward to pull the flimsy blanket over his calloused, gnarled feet. Even thick, thermal socks weren’t enough to keep out the icy cold depths of winter. It wouldn’t be long now,… Continue reading
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Dragged kicking and screaming
Do you trust your instincts? Everybody talks about the good old days, the good old days, right? Well, let’s talk about the good old days. As bad as we think they are, These will become the good old days for our children. Gladys Knight… Continue reading
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The Fundamental Spirit
Reality has a fundamental layer that pervades and connects all things. The Hindus call it Brahman; the invisible essence that permeates the whole universe. The Chinese call it the Tao. Buddhists call it the Dharma. Scientists might call it the… Continue reading
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Transcending Time
Do you need time? Time. We all know it. We all feel it’s passing and are bound by its earthly laws. Time is integral to every culture, every place, every epoch. It is known by many names: Father Time, Chronos,… Continue reading
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Dark Matter
As the early universe expanded, dark matter clumps formed. However, the dark matter didn’t expand as quickly as the universe, leaving a sprawling cosmic web of dark matter strands and filaments behind. The intense gravity within the filaments dragged in… Continue reading
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An Almighty state of being
God for me, isn’t a being in the sky, but a creative life force all around me, present in all things. As my regular readers will know, I’ve been on a journey of self-discovery over the last year and an… Continue reading
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Finding Patterns
Pattern Is religion just the brain seeing patterns in things? Human beings have a tendency to attach supernatural meanings to everyday phenomena. Seeing faces in clouds (pareidolia), believing there is a pattern in random events (like in gambling), or confirmation… Continue reading
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Gratitude
What could you try for the first time? I’m struggling to think of anything I’d like to try that I haven’t already. Which tells me that I’ve lived a privileged life and that I should be very grateful for what… Continue reading
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A heart full of hate
When I see people being racist, I am reminded that racial hatred has a long history in Britain: In Celtic Britain, the Iceni hated the Coritani, who hated the Parisi, Then the Romans came and everyone hated them. The Scoti,… Continue reading
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My Greatest Creation
When was the first time you really felt like a grown up (if ever)? Blimey, today’s prompt is asking a lot of me. To think back that long ago requires a superhuman feat of memory, but I’ll give it a… Continue reading
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Believing in Nothing
No one believes in a God who does nothing,” G. K. Chesterton Something rather than nothing It seems obvious to me that something, rather than nothing, created the universe. Proving it, however, is extremely difficult, if not impossible. It is… Continue reading
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How to find truth in the chaos of modern life
A belief is an energy-saving shortcut the brain uses to predict its environment. A fact is a thing that can be externally verified as being proven or true. Three chords and the truth When songwriter Harlan Howard coined the phrase:… Continue reading
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Has feminism destroyed the traditional family unit?
I heard a young US woman talking recently about how Feminism has destroyed the traditional family unit. She called herself a Trad wife, which is another new term to me, and she said that it was a women’s role to… Continue reading
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Poisonous Thoughts
We face some frightening dilemmas in our society today. People are expressing alarmingly conflicting ideas, arguments, hostilities, and opposing views, and it is only getting worse. They spew their hateful bile onto their social media platforms, full of self-righteous, angry… Continue reading
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Yummy Yummy
What are your favorite types of foods? Scrambled eggs on toast A Sunday roast Fish and chips Hummus dips Curry and rice Jalfrezi is nice Bangers and mash Guacamole smashed Gravy on pie Goujons fried Hot pot Omelettes a lot… Continue reading
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If everything that exists has a cause, who or what is the cause of God?
Preface: Some people associate God with that described in religious texts, others like me simply say that God is an unknown higher power. The cosmological argument for the existence of God says that nothing exists without a cause. The universe… Continue reading
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Beware Angry Polar Bears!
How often do you walk or run? I made a lifelong promise to myself that I would only run if an angry polar bear was attacking me. I think it’s really important that I keep this vow so that my… Continue reading
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Leading Myself
Do you see yourself as a leader? Hell no. I think of leadership as having the strength, courage and vision to lead a team and importantly, to get the best out of them. I get on well enough with people,… Continue reading
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Philosophy
What’s your favorite word? My favourite word, is philosophy. Philosophy is a huge domain covering all of human history. Every civilisation has wondered why are we here? How did we get here? What does life mean? There are three major… Continue reading
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Cubism: was there any point in it?
Cubism was borne out of artists’ desire to subvert traditional perspective and interpret objects in new ways. Essentially, it was a new way of seeing. But when all was said and done, was there any point in it?A new way… Continue reading
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Home Bird 🐦
What are you doing this evening? I will relax on my sofa tonight with my missus and our two cats. I do this most evenings after I’ve eaten, watered the garden and done a little bit in my art studio.… Continue reading
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Impressionism
Misinformation about the Impressionist movement on the internet is rife. Even art education resource providers are guilty, lumping Van Gogh and Seurat into the Impressionist movement when they were nothing of the kind. Four young men Impressionism was developed by… Continue reading
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Red Flag People
What personality trait in people raises a red flag with you? Aggressive people who use fear, intimidation, or coercion to get what they want. They appear ultra-confident, speak with authority, use words very cleverly to put you on the back… Continue reading
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Who invented abstract art?
Up until recently, it was believed that Wassily Kandinsky ‘invented’ abstract art. These days, many popular social media posts claim that Hilma Af Klint got there before him. Neither of these beliefs are correct. The truth is, abstraction has always… Continue reading
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Togetherness
Describe your ideal week. My ideal week begins with a cup of tea and sit in my garden, followed by a bit of exercise in my home gym. I’ll do a bit of shopping, then I’ll bake something for my… Continue reading
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Hokusai: the great wave & the secret of immortality
The Great Wave off Kanagawa, 1831 by Hokusai is one of the most iconic images in the world. But it’s important to understand that this Japanese print was not simply a picture of a wave, but a highly symbolic work… Continue reading
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Smokin’ Joe
Name the professional athletes you respect the most and why. I watched a brilliant documentary recently, about 70s boxer Smokin Joe Frazier that confirmed everything I thought I knew about him. Not only was he a world champion boxer, and… Continue reading
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Is Starry Night a religious painting?
Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh is a hugely symbolic painting which represented his feelings about the afterlife. He wrote to his brother Theo that he had a “tremendous need for, shall I say the word—for religion—so I go outside… Continue reading
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Hyperactive Haven
How do you relax? Hmmn, how does someone with ADHD relax? With great difficulty, is the answer. My body is only happy when it’s moving. If I’m sitting on the sofa, I’m tapping my feet or using a fidget device.… Continue reading
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A mind full of itty bitty scorpions
If you had to give up one word that you use regularly, what would it be? I’d like to give up guilt please. It’s not a word I use regularly, but I certainly feel it often enough. Guilt is like… Continue reading
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Where are your missing years?
I was dismayed when listening to a podcast: The Guardian Science Weekly: where do our early childhood memories go? with Nick Turk-Browne, a professor of psychology at Yale University, to learn that in his professional opinion, we are not able… Continue reading
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Grudge Match
Are you holding a grudge? About? The only grudge I’m holding is one with myself. Lots of days I don’t like me. Due to my sleep conditions, I wake up like a bear with a sore head and need a… Continue reading
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Galloping Good yeah
Share a story about the furthest you’ve ever traveled from home. I remember as a 40-year-old, travelling on my first airplane to Cairo in Egypt. As part of my trip, I booked onto a desert horse ride with a local… Continue reading
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10 years sober
It’s my tenth anniversary of being sober. I didn’t think for one minute I’d be able to give up booze when I set out on this journey as I was very alcohol dependent. My doctor told me I needed to… Continue reading
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My Ideal Home
What does your ideal home look like? “If you fill your home with things you love, it will never go out of fashion. You’ll never get bored of it because it’s built on love.” Keith Brymer-Jones My ideal home is… Continue reading
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The Varieties of Simple Experience 🙏❤️
What brings a tear of joy to your eye? “Joy is the state of being that allows one to experience feelings of intense, long-lasting happiness and contentment with life.” Wikipedia We tend to think of joy as a short-lived, intense… Continue reading
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My Constant Companion
Why do you blog? My mind is always active and constantly curious, so my daily blog is my way of framing and forming my thoughts. It helps me set them down, moulding and shaping them into persuasive prose that I… Continue reading
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Interview with my deceased mother & father
Interview someone — a friend, another blogger, your mother, the mailman — and write a post based on their responses. I want to start off by thanking you for everything you gave me. I cannot put into words how grateful… Continue reading
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The Ouroboros
How are you feeling right now? “The sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being.” Carl Jung For me, one of the hardest aspects of having ADHD is emotional dysregulation. I’ve struggled… Continue reading
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Surfing, Sinking, Swimming
What daily habit do you do that improves your quality of life? The habit I do that improves the quality of my life is to employ the strategy of surfing, sinking, swimming. It is a technique I used to use… Continue reading
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Library culture vulture
What was the last thing you searched for online? Why were you looking for it? Can consciousness exist outside of the brain? Yoga as a philosophy and practice of life A child’s history of Fluxus (an art and design movement).… Continue reading
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A golden age of British comedy?
What TV shows did you watch as a kid? I may just be getting nostalgic in my old age, but comedy these days isn’t ‘arf as good as it was when I was a kid. Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, Tommy… Continue reading
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How to be a creative genius
There are so many misconceptions about creativity it’s hard to know where to begin. The general trope is that creativity is some kind of arty feeling of free expression. Make a chaotic mess and you’re being ‘creative’. The problem with… Continue reading
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Because the night
What’s your favorite time of day? My favourite time of day isn’t day at all, it’s nighttime. Some are early birds, up at dawn, meditating, listening to the dawn chorus, or partaking in their ritual first coffee. That’s not me.… Continue reading
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An Atheist Rebuttal
A rebuttal of a New Scientist article by atheist Victor J. Stenger In his 2012 New Scientist article, the God Hypothesis, Victor J. Stenger focusses on the Judaic-Christian-Islamic version of God, and then looks for empirical evidence for it. Here… Continue reading
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Recipe for a good life
What’s your favorite recipe? Ingredients: Continue reading
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A two-year old’s life lessons
Tell us about the last thing you got excited about. As a retired bloke, I live a quiet, contented life with my missus and our two cats. But my real pleasure and excitement comes from spending time with our granddaughter.… Continue reading
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Cities of the Future
How would you design the city of the future? There are many superb architects considering how cities of the future will look. Bjarke Ingels group is one of my favourites. I’ve been a fan of B.I.G for many years. Not… Continue reading
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How do I feel about being called Paul? I Feel Fine
Where does your name come from? The name Paul actually means small, humble, least or little. Penis jokes aside, it is a name that originated in Roman times to distinguish between the younger of two people of the same family… Continue reading
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Motivations on a theme
What motivates you? For the longest time, art & design was my sole motivation. From the practical standpoint of my own practice to the theoretical practice of how to teach it to my students. Art and design is an enormously… Continue reading
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🎥 I got my sights on movie nights 🎬
What are your top ten favourite movies? My choice of movies, like most of the books I read, are selected purely on their entertainment value, or the way they link to important memories in my life. I’m not one of… Continue reading
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For the love of writing ❤️
What do you enjoy most about writing? I’ve written four books. Two non-fiction books were academic books published by Loughborough Design Press. These were relatively easy to write because I was writing about a subject I had enormous knowledge of:… Continue reading
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From Geordie land with love ❤️
What do you love about where you live? I was born in Middlesbrough, and grew up in Stockton-on-Tees. I am a proud Teessider, but when I was around 40 years old I moved to Newcastle, fell in love with the… Continue reading
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Happy with my lot
What positive emotion do you feel most often? The positive emotion I feel most is contentment. I have a loving wife, two brilliant children, a lovely son-in-law, and a gorgeous granddaughter. I’m lucky enough to live in a fantastic home,… Continue reading
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All I have to do is dream
How do you plan your goals? I’m not very good at planning goals. I must have been off school that day. My big strategy in life was to dream my way to them. Looking back, I think I thought that… Continue reading
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A biased old football dog
“I hate Man City. Yeah, they’re a good team, but that’s what happens when you buy success.” “I’ll support Boro ‘till the day I die.” “I knew I shouldn’t have worn that scarf to watch the game, it’s unlucky.” “These… Continue reading
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Emergency Preparedness Plan
Create an emergency preparedness plan Thankfully, real emergencies are rare in the UK. Where I live, we haven’t experienced power cuts, flooding, or a crisis serious enough to warrant the need for an emergency preparedness plan. However, I do believe… Continue reading
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Melding our Minds
A mind meld is a fictional, telepathic link that the character Spock was able to perform on other organisms to connect their minds. But could it possibly be a real ability? Might we be able to connect our thoughts with… Continue reading
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Revolting Pedants
What is a word you feel that too many people use? I couldn’t quite put my finger on why I was struggling with this prompt, until I realised that it was asking me to make judgement calls about other people,… Continue reading
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A Glimmer of Peace
What brings you peace? Ok, I’ll be honest here. Inner peace is not my bag. It isn’t exactly something I have a great deal of experience of. You see, I have suffered mental turmoil for my whole adult life in… Continue reading
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Part of something greater
If the Earth were a hydrogen atom, and I looked out from my window at the electron whizzing past in the air above, I might be tempted to think that this was all there was. After all, I wouldn’t know… Continue reading
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Surgeon Superhero
What profession do you admire most and why? The profession I admire most is a surgeon. I am a huge admirer of TV documentaries showing the operations of top surgeons as they battle to save, or improve the lives of… Continue reading
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Spatchcock & Dingle’s DaDa Department Store!
If you were going to open up a shop, what would you sell? Opening and shutting soon! Spatchcock & Dingle’s DaDa Department Store! The place where everything is for nothing, and nothing is everything. Get yourself down to Melvin’s Magic… Continue reading
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Master of all trades
What is the most important thing to carry with you all the time? The thing I carry everywhere is my phone. I remember very well buying one of the first iPhones early in 2008, before there was even an App… Continue reading
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What is the purpose of our existence?
Reading time 10 minutes For the majority of the world’s population, God is the purpose of their existence. According to the 13th-century Italian scholar Thomas Aquinas, the ultimate goal of human existence is to attain a supernatural union with God,… Continue reading
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Ch-ch-ch-changes
What change, big or small, would you like your blog to make in the world? My blog is a cathartic exercise to help me realise my thoughts, ideas, and opinions about the world. The changes I’d like it to make… Continue reading
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Loneliness of the long distance space traveler
I’m a huge fan of Sci-Fi programmes such as Star Trek where they travel from star to star, trekking the universe in search of intelligent life. But one thing has always puzzled me. The Enterprise space ship seems to be… Continue reading
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Mr Bagpuss
Describe your life in an alternate universe. The temptation of this prompt is to dive straight into describing a superior, alternative version of myself. After all, few people would describe an inferior version of themselves in this alternative universe. But,… Continue reading
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Plain Eater
What’s the most money you’ve ever spent on a meal? Was it worth it? As a typical northern bloke, I’m not one to spend a lot of money on food. I recoil in horror at the thought of paying hundreds… Continue reading
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Together in Electric Dreams
Scour the news for an entirely uninteresting story. Consider how it connects to your life. Write about that. I try to avoid anything with Trump in it. The man is a self-serving, egotistical, wind bag. He is of course, in… Continue reading
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What memories are made of
List 30 things that make you happy. Open fires, Old car tyres, Home-made carts From rubbish-tip parts, Black and white tellies, Trifles and jellies, Thruppence for sweets, Home-baked treats, Scones and cakes, Thursday Gran bakes. Footy with mates Dinners bursting… Continue reading
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A Quiet Place
Describe one habit that brings you joy. A habit that brings me joy is to meditate and reflect in my spiritual place at the bottom of my garden. It is a place I have created of calmness and serenity which… Continue reading
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A universal SATs exam
What are you curious about? I’m curious about God. I’m pretty sure God exists, but I’m also pretty sure there is no Divine Intervention. This is because I have enough evidence to say that the universe creating itself is highly… Continue reading
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The Toymaker
A man makes wooden toys. Every day he goes to his workshop, to lovingly craft and fashion his beautiful toys. He carefully displays them in his shop window, but no one ever buys them. Children say they don’t want wooden… Continue reading
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Making Myself Up
How would you describe yourself to someone who can’t see you? Our descriptions of ourselves change according to who we are relating the information to, and when and where we are doing it. Professor Nick Chater, in his book The… Continue reading
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Traditions
What traditions have you not kept that your parents had? My father had a tradition of leaving us to go to the pub and always being drunk. When I became a parent, I didn’t really know what a good father… Continue reading
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Believing in Something is better than Believing in Nothing
Learned people tell us that there is nothing to this world, save that which can be observed, measured and recorded. They state quite firmly that we must savour things in this life, because there’s nothing after we die. All talk… Continue reading
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Through the lens of others’ eyes
How would you describe yourself to someone? The better question is not how I would describe myself, but how would other people describe me? The woman in the queue at the bank the other day would have described me as… Continue reading
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Archaeopteryx
If you could bring back one dinosaur, which one would it be? Archy-archy-optryx A silly little thing, Wasn’t quite a dinosaur Nor bird, despite its wings. Its looks were almost avian Its feathers spoke of flight, But when you saw… Continue reading
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Shanghai
If you won two free plane tickets, where would you go? Shanghai Continue reading
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Unspeakable Horrors in Gaza
I have no words left inside of me to describe the horrors going on in Gaza right now. Netanyahu uses pathetic excuses to pass the blame off from himself, onto others. Western governments do little or nothing to stop these… Continue reading
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The Carney Clan
What’s the story behind your nickname? Extracts of this post were taken from Cool Names and Cool Kids I don’t have a nickname and it was a such a source of irritation for me for the longest time. In fact,… Continue reading
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Care Package
What strategies do you use to maintain your health and well-being? I’ve done this a few times before, but here we go again: Exercise: Cross Trainer Aerobic floor exercise Walking steps Gardening Mental Comfort: Seeing my mates Music via headphones… Continue reading
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A Spiritual Journey
What are your future travel plans? Life is taking me on a journey at present and it’s one I didn’t seek. Of course, all life is a journey, but this is something completely different. These last few years, I’ve felt… Continue reading
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Dad Jokes
I love this app by developer Luke Taylor. It’s totally free with limited ads and is a great way to start your day. Some of the Dad jokes are just brilliant. A little bit of a chuckle is like a… Continue reading
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Media Police
What would you change about modern society? The thing I would change about modern society is the media. I would make it less sensational, less biased, more honest, fair and transparent. We have to make news less about click-bait drama,… Continue reading
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Damn Great Tracks
What do you listen to while you work? I’ve attached some photos of my music playlists. I spend a long time putting them together. Music has been a huge part of my life. I’ve sung and played instruments since I… Continue reading
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Near Death Experiences
I’ve been reading an old book about Near Death Experiences called Life After Life by Dr Raymond Moody. It very much relates to a topic I wrote about a while ago Where Do We Go When We Die? in which… Continue reading
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Days Gone
What’s your favorite game (card, board, video, etc.)? Why? My favourite game is an apocalyptic computer game about a drifter on a motorbike called Deacon St. John. It’s called Days Gone, and it’s incredibly difficult to beat the zombie hordes.… Continue reading
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The effects of infinity on finite systems
“Imagine you had a perfectly sealed box. Nothing can come in, and nothing can escape. Into this box you placed an apple and sealed it shut. If you waited long enough, the apple would go through various states of decomposition.… Continue reading
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Cake
What foods would you like to make? Cake. Cake. Cake, and more cake. Recipe here Continue reading
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False dichotomies
Dogs or cats? Fried rice or Ricin? Whipped or whipped cream? Galantine or Guillotine? Croissants or crucifixion? Water melon or waterboarding? A false dichotomy is a fallacy based on an “either-or” type of argument. Two choices are presented, when more… Continue reading
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Beautiful Insect Art
I’ve been inspired by the wonderful insects in my garden this year. So, why not I fuse them into my art? I wanted to weave bright, vibrant colours with wallpaper patterns, comparing and contrasting nature with human design. Here are… Continue reading
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Life and time
Which activities make you lose track of time? Einstein showed that, rather than there being a single unified time, time is relative, and so every phenomena has its own time. There isn’t a single entity of time, there are numerous… Continue reading
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What bothers me
What bothers you and why? War bothers me. I mean it’s one thing if two opposing forces want to blow the living daylights out of each other, and people die who have volunteered to fight. At least there’s a personal… Continue reading
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Why Isn’t Life Easy?
Why isn’t life easy? If a God created life, why make it so difficult? I mean, if you were omnipotent, and you were designing life, surely you’d make it so that things ticked over nicely, you’d want them to purr… Continue reading
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It wasn’t me man, honest
List 10 things you know to be absolutely certain. I’m a small boy, standing next to my brother in our shared bedroom, quivering with fear. Our Mam is stood menacingly over us, stick in hand, screaming at us at the… Continue reading
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It wasn’t me Mam, honest.
I’m a small boy, standing next to my brother in our shared bedroom, quivering with fear. Our Mam is stood menacingly over us, stick in hand, screaming at us at the top of her voice. It’s a loud voice. “Which… Continue reading
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Living life to the full
Are you seeking security or adventure? Many years ago, when I was a young man, I visited my Dad, who lay dying in a hospital bed. “Make sure you enjoy your life,” he said. “I’ve had such a good life.… Continue reading
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My Perfect Dinner Party
If you could host a dinner and anyone you invite was sure to come, who would you invite? There’s no one famous I can think of that I’d like to meet more than my lovely friends and family. My wife… Continue reading
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Story Lines
What do you think gets better with age? Some things improve with age. Wine, whiskey, antiques and furniture, even steaks or cheeses. Other times, age spoils. Fruit, bread, cake, and flowers for example. Time can be a friend to some… Continue reading
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Sleeping Ugly
What time do you go to bed and wake up currently? I don’t know who wants to read this. It seems a highly personal topic for a blog, and not especially interesting, but here goes. I go to bed around… Continue reading
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Recurring Theme in My Life
What strategies do you use to increase comfort in your daily life? To increase my mental comfort: A cup of tea and a cake Seeing my mates (with a cup of tea and a cake) Music via headphones (with tea, without… Continue reading
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Splashing in Puddles
So many of us are finding the world overwhelming these days. The constant hostility on social media, the lack of empathy and tolerance for other people’s’ views, not to mention the depressing news stories, climate change and soaring crime, it’s… Continue reading
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Was the world made for us?
Imagine there was a safari park, complete with big cats, monkeys, zebras, giraffes etc. Now, imagine that the human keepers became extinct and the park was left to its own devices, with all the cage doors left open. There would… Continue reading
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The art of growth
What are you most excited about for the future? I’m very excited about my tomato crops this year, my courgettes are looking especially promising, I’ve got some lovely iceberg lettuces growing and boy, you wanna see my strawberries! 🍓 😂… Continue reading
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The Burdens We Carry
What could you let go of, for the sake of harmony? What I need to let go of, or at least regulate, is my emotions. I’ve suffered with emotional dysregulation my whole life and it can be extremely difficult, both… Continue reading
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Music for my moods
What is your favorite genre of music? Asking what my favourite genre of music is, is like asking me what mood I’m in. Music is so strongly related to my emotions. Music calms me and lifts me. It brings me… Continue reading
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Thanks for the Memories
Describe your most memorable vacation. Every journey holds memories. Every trip we do cements itself in our hearts and minds. Every place becomes an emotion. I’ve sat at the foot of the Sphinx, and taken a camel ride around the… Continue reading
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From art expert to student of life
On what subject(s) are you an authority? I spent almost thirty years in education, predominantly teaching art and design. During that time, I built a website www.paulcarneyarts.com to offer free advice to teachers on the teaching of art and design.… Continue reading
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True love cannot be spoken
What’s your definition of romantic? Once upon a time I thought romance was grand gestures, expensive gifts, petals on the bed and all that showy stuff. Over time, I’ve learned that love is bringing a cushion to your wife to… Continue reading
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Counting my Blessings
How do you express your gratitude? Gratitude When I wake, I look around me. I see the beauty of the new day, I listen to the birds, and smell the fresh dew on the morning air. I’m thankful for my… Continue reading
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Make your own future
What are you most worried about for the future? I try not to worry about the future. There’s no point worrying about things I can’t change or affect, so I look to my own space, my own environment. How can… Continue reading
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Teaching is Passion, Connection & Resilience
What makes a teacher great? A great teacher is someone who has something worthwhile to say, and who can inspire pupils to want to learn it. This isn’t about doing a performance, or putting on theatrics, it’s as much about… Continue reading
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The Winds of Dissonance
Have you ever had surgery? What for? I can’t think of any more wonderful application of science than medicine. The knowledge we have accumulated, the abilities we have, are simply astounding. In years gone by, it used to be that… Continue reading
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Habitual Contentment
What are your daily habits? Every day I wash, cook, clean and look after my pets. Every day I water the garden and tend to my plants. Every day I do some form of recreation: read, write, watch TV, do… Continue reading
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Explore Paul Carney’s Two Unique Albums
Paul Carney has released two albums, “Dying Days,” produced by Mike Franklin in 2008, featuring a tribute track for his late mother, and “Suspicion,” recorded in his home studio in 2010. He also performed covers with the band Red Book.… Continue reading
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Hand of God?
Many years ago I had a marine fish tank which took a lot of hard work to keep. I had to make sure it was always at the right temperature. I had to check the pH levels and ensure the… Continue reading
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Sustainability Lifestyle
Are there things you try to practice daily to live a more sustainable lifestyle? I don’t drive my car very much these days, so I’m reducing my carbon footprint a lot in that respect. Also, I haven’t flown in an… Continue reading
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Lumpy Mash
What’s the most delicious thing you’ve ever eaten? I’ve written in earlier blog posts that my Mam was not the best cook in the world. She was very slap-dash, and her motto in life was: ‘Oh, that’ll do’. When cooking… Continue reading
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Uniform Police
If you were forced to wear one outfit over and over again, what would it be? I have been forced to wear lots of clothes throughout my life, most of them were formal and stuffy. When I was little, I… Continue reading
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The Spirit Within Me
How important is spirituality in your life? I define the spirit as the living essence of a person, which includes consciousness, and the bioelectrical life force within all living things. In this way, the spirit is my mind and my… Continue reading
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My Care Package
How do you practice self-care? Seeing mates Doing something different Music via headphones Singing and playing my guitar A candle lit bath Dancing! My heat pad A quiet space A woodland walk My garden Crossword puzzles Scents and aromas Meditation … Continue reading
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Beyond Words
All of our thinking is through words, all of our actions, all of our science, all of our literature, all of our history, all our technology, all our kingdoms and empires. All of it stems from language and communication. And… Continue reading
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Sensory Time Machine
Which food, when you eat it, instantly transports you to childhood? I hated lots of the food in my childhood: tripe, offal, ox tongue, liver, mutton, whitebait; we had to eat anything and everything. We couldn’t pick and choose. There… Continue reading
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King Alfred, the Great.
Who is your favorite historical figure? A man I admire is Alfred, King of the Saxons and commonly known as Alfred the Great. Born into a noble family around 849, he was sickly child (he probably had Crohn’s disease), and… Continue reading
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Judy, Judy, Judy
Write about your first crush. My schoolboy crush was Judy Delphine. I was in primary school, so just a wee lad really. She was so pretty and had such a beaming, beautiful smile. We sat on the same table and… Continue reading
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Home Sweet Home
What countries do you want to visit? I want to visit the British Isles. I live here, but I still haven’t seen as much of them as I’d like. In my mind, Great Britain and Ireland are the most beautiful,… Continue reading
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Sceptical of sceptics
My answers to some climate change sceptic beliefs: 1. Global warming is a con. The Earth naturally goes through cycles of warming. Reply: Ok, you think all the scientists are lying fine, but why would you take a gamble on… Continue reading
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Top of the Class
What’s your favorite thing about yourself? I can’t answer this question. I never ever think about myself in that way. I’m only pleased bits are still working. Every day I wake up, sit on the edge of the bed, and… Continue reading
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Smug and self-satisfied
How do you want to retire? How do I want to retire? Well, I’m sitting here in smug, self-satisfaction, because I already have retired. I took the decision last year when a big contract I was working on ended. I… Continue reading
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Marvellously Old
What’s the oldest thing you own that you still use daily? The oldest thing I own is my Marvel comics. I bought them as a child in the 1970s and have kept them for 50 years. I did have a… Continue reading
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Laughing in the face of it all
Describe one of your favorite moments. How do you select a single moment from a lifetime of moments? There are a lot to choose from. Stuff happens. First words, first steps, first birthday, first girlfriend, first beer, first love, first… Continue reading
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The wonder of nature
What notable things happened today? I was going to say that the most notable thing that happened to me today was getting up out of bed, feeling refreshed. The sun was shining, and I felt good. It was one of… Continue reading
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Valuing our Values
Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny. Mahatma Gandhi We all have values that mould and shape our… Continue reading
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Passions of Paul
What are you passionate about? I’m passionate about my art: I’m passionate about my music: I’m passionate about my writing: I’m passionate about nature: I’m passionate about education. But most of all, I’m passionate about my wife and my family. Without… Continue reading
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A Small Space for Nature
We should never underestimate how much we can influence and affect nature, even on a small scale, and even when we see such depressing reports about the decline of nature and the loss of species. You can make a difference!… Continue reading
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Birds are singing over the bull rushes
What is your favorite season of year? Why? My favourite season is Summer. When the sun is warm on my skin, the birds are singing, the sky is blue, and the flowers are in bloom, what could be better? It… Continue reading
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Artists and their beds
What’s the one luxury you can’t live without? I couldn’t live without my bed. I love it so much, and beds have been a constant theme in art for centuries. Here are some artists who have depicted beds: Continue reading
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My Taglines
If humans had taglines, what would yours be? Some ideas for my taglines are: ▪️ Man of Flint ▪️ The Procrastinator ▪️ The Ultimate Moaning Machine ▪️ There’s some things people want to buy. For everything else, there’s Carney’s art.… Continue reading
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How to lead a good life
What are the most important things needed to live a good life? Dear Margot Here are five life lessons I’ve accumulated over the years. I hope they will help you become happy and healthy when you grow up. There are… Continue reading
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Two rocks sitting side by side
Who do you spend the most time with? Now that we’re retired I’m home all day with my wife. We’ve been married 20 years and it’s fair to say that we have little in common. I’m a culture vulture, she… Continue reading
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I Believe…
Beliefs are the foundations upon which we build our sense of self. They are pivotal to our well being and happiness. But our beliefs are also personal, insecure and subjective. That’s partly because of the nature of knowledge itself, but… Continue reading
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Embarrassing Names
If you had to change your name, what would your new name be? I have no interest in changing my own name, but there have been some quite hilarious name changes over the years. Londoner Sam Smith (not the Sam… Continue reading
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Chocoholic? Not me!
Describe your dream chocolate bar. I don’t have a dream chocolate bar because I don’t eat chocolate. It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s more that it makes me feel sick, and I put weight on. If milk chocolate… Continue reading
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Faraway and Free
Do you remember your favorite book from childhood? The impact Enid Blyton has had on children’s literature is impossible to quantify. Her books have been enjoyed by millions of children around the world, for over seventy years. They are so… Continue reading
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Well thumbed Trollope’s
List three books that have had an impact on you. Why? If you asked me this question on any other day, I would give you different answers. I’ve read so many influential books. What I think is important however, is… Continue reading
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Make your head a nice place to be
What fears have you overcome and how? Phobias have been a constant ‘associate’ of mine throughout my life. They have sometimes been so crippling that I have been unable to work and my relationships have certainly suffered. Breakdowns and traumas… Continue reading
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Get away from it all
It’s hard to be happy if you’re constantly looking inward. When we focus on ourselves too much, when we live inside our own heads, or even when our ailments occupy more of our time than they should, we suffer. It’s… Continue reading
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My Glorious Garden
Describe one simple thing you do that brings joy to your life. A simple thing that brings joy to my life is my garden. The garden has always been the heart and soul of every home I’ve lived in. If… Continue reading
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Serene Sennheiser
How do you know when it’s time to unplug? What do you do to make it happen? My noise cancelling headphones are the best thing I’ve bought recently. I’ve become very sensitive to noise as I’ve got older and it… Continue reading
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Bezzie mates
What quality do you value most in a friend? I’ve been best friends with Mark since I was five years old. That’s 57 years of friendship. I can still remember meeting him on my first day of primary school. There… Continue reading
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What jobs!
What jobs have you had? Aged 15 – pools money collector Also aged 15 – Saturday job working on a market stall selling ladies clothes Aged 16 – factory worker Aged 18 – guitarist in a professional country and western… Continue reading
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Unitarians
Do you practice religion? A few months ago now, I began attending services by a Unitarian church in Newcastle. Unitarians believe in the oneness of God and they affirm the essential unity of humankind and of creation. Unitarianism has no… Continue reading
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I remember…
Do you remember life before the internet? Do i remember life before the internet? Of course. I was born in the early 1960’s. I remember crying when the Beatles split up. I remember watching the moon landings on TV. I… Continue reading
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What am I?
“What am I in the eyes of most people? A nonentity? An eccentric? An unpleasant person. Somebody who has no position in society and never will. In short – the lowest of the low. Well, even if all that were… Continue reading
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Chemical Queen
In the nitric town, The furnace fires have faded, And melting pigs lie cold and charred on foundry floors. Desolate towers of concrete and steel, Like tombs that betray the blackened hearts of beaten men. Trains of fire and flame… Continue reading
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Carney’s Got Talent
What are you good at? I’m good at: Eating, moaning, sleeping, snoring, cursing, swearing, being ill, and farting. 🥗🤬💤😴💨 Continue reading
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