necessity - mother of inspiration

This is more a rant than a delight...so if you're feeling delicate, please turn away.

I am playing with my luscious (or should I say lurrrrrrrrrrrrsh as some do in these western parts) laptop whilst ignoring the news. It's about 10.15pm.

I loathe the news and it inspires me simply because the daily grimness is making me determined to make things better as much as I can in my own quite idiosyncratic way.

One of the newsreaders has just been promoting the UK Recession Tracker - now, what is the point of knowing that in Middlesborough there are 24 people chasing every job when there are 32 people chasing every job in Basildon? How does that make things better?

The internet was a mere blip when the last recession came. Our current financial crisis may be extended and deepened by everyone poring over online statistics and credit crunch horror stories instead of dreaming up great business ideas or money making schemes.

My solution? Move away from the screens, stop watching the horror and get those mindmaps buzzing. As I understand it, necessity has been the mother of invention since Billy caveman wanted to move the bison carcass to the cave and knocked himself up a wheel.

I'm going to concentrate on making and creating rather than watch our bank account dwindle. If I make money, fine. The overdraft won't shrink if I just worry about it. Far better to think of something to do to make the money than simply stand still and watch it as it disappears.

So....make, write, create, craft, stitch, knit, work and enjoy.

That's my plan.