Latest Articles from The Vandal AKA Derek Haines

A Time To Be Me

A Time To Be Me How much of life is ours to make? Do we make our own mistakes? Or do we live to others rules? And work through life with borrowed tools. Do we own our lives we lead? Are we just here to simply breed? And fill our time with useless tasks, Am I the first one who has asked. What is the point meek existence? I plan to put up some resistance. To make a life for some to see, It’s now time, time to be me. I’ve lead a life by all the rules, I now return the borrowed tools. The house, the wife, the kids,

Is There A Link Between Depression And Creativity?

Depression and creativity are almost collocated words Creativity has often been linked to depression or mood disorders. When I wrote a short post some time ago about Depression and Writing, I didn’t give much thought to the connection, as I was simply voicing in a light-hearted way, an episode from my own experience. However, due to the number of times that short piece has been read, I decided to look a little deeper into the connection between depression and creativity. My first stop was an article from CNN – The dark side of creativity: Depression + anxiety x madness = genius? One small quote from the article caught my attention. Using a

Poetry. A Change Of Pace

Nymph of the Woods Sitting as I love to do, watching nature fresh and new, Bright new buds of flushing blooms, tiny little red mushrooms, Just the kind that pixies love, and watching birds soar above. Catching all the scents of spring, lost in aimless wondering. The gentle breeze upon my skin, with thoughts of freedom deep within. Gazing at the rays of sun, dancing in the leaves above. I look at what is all around, natures gifts that do abound. Then close my eyes and hear the song, of birds that sing all day long. Relaxed and peaceful, as I rest, I’m lost in nature at its best. I

Writers And Their Need For Validation

Whatever you write, you naturally crave that wonderful phrase. ‘Wow! That’s just so good. A brilliant story!’ Unfortunately, getting that reaction from the people who matter isn’t easy. At the end of the day, it’s paying readers you want to say this. But in the meantime, most writers would be pleased to get it from anyone at all. As long as this anyone has arms, legs, can read and doesn’t bark or meow. With the interconnectivity of social media, this craving for validation has overtaken some writer’s logic. Every day I receive at least ten messages asking me to ‘Please read my book and let me know what you think.’ Or, ‘I know