Paul Ariss

WHEN DID JESUS STOP GETTING INVITED TO HIS OWN PARTY?

You know what it’s like when your birthday is coming up, part of you wants a fuss and a part of you wants to keep it quiet that you’re yet another year older. Well, up to maybe the age of 21 you want the fuss full-on, then with each year comes a decreasing willingness toContinue reading “WHEN DID JESUS STOP GETTING INVITED TO HIS OWN PARTY?”

HALLOWEEN AND LIGHTENING AND NOT A BEACH BOY IN SIGHT

I always had a distinct and clear view of how it would be when I finally made it to California. I’d be driving, or would be being driven, along a freeway heading towards LA. From the car stereo, nice and suitably loud, would be the Beach Boys. Of course. It mattered not which track, Wouldn’tContinue reading “HALLOWEEN AND LIGHTENING AND NOT A BEACH BOY IN SIGHT”

WHEN CONFIDENCE TAKES A ONE-WAY TICKET TO NOWHERE

Confidence, as most of us know, tends to come and go. And in my vast experience, it often comes and goes on a whim. Recently I’ve found it going on long holidays without me, far too often. To be fair, it has taken a few knocks of late and as we all know, confidence canContinue reading “WHEN CONFIDENCE TAKES A ONE-WAY TICKET TO NOWHERE”

ABSOLUTELY EXAGGERATED AWESOME NIGHTMARES FOR THE SUPER EXCITED

The girl standing ahead of me recently in the post office was distraught. She turned to me and through her face mask told me the experience was a ‘nightmare’. Was it because of her face mask, I asked? Apparently not, though she admitted it didn’t help. The reason she was having a nightmare was becauseContinue reading “ABSOLUTELY EXAGGERATED AWESOME NIGHTMARES FOR THE SUPER EXCITED”

SONGS I’D SELL MY SOUL TO HAVE WRITTEN #1 -‘TEMPTED’ BY SQUEEZE

As a song-writer there are so many songs that inspire you, songs that make you love them for what there are but hate them for reminding you what you can never reach, that I could blog daily but never list sufficiently. But, and in no particular order (despite the obligatory numbering), I’ll give it theContinue reading “SONGS I’D SELL MY SOUL TO HAVE WRITTEN #1 -‘TEMPTED’ BY SQUEEZE”

ZOOM AND THE DEAFENING RISE OF THE QUIET WRITER

I recently attended an online writing course where silence and democracy ruled,

ELTON JOHN AND MY BIG BAG OF BEAUTIFUL DREAMS

Dreams come in different shapes and sizes. And different packages. They can be private and low-key, they can be brash and bold. They can be sturdy and solid, they can be fluid or fragile. On one particular, crisp October day in North Audley Square in London, my dream came in a big red sports bag.Continue reading “ELTON JOHN AND MY BIG BAG OF BEAUTIFUL DREAMS”