Sheryl Garratt
Bio
Sheryl Garratt is a former editor of The Face and Observer magazines, and has written professionally for more than 30 years. She is also a coach working with creatives of all kinds. Find her at thecreativelife.net
Stories (64/0)
Tom Hodgkinson: the hardest working man in slow business
A life of idleness It’s been 27 years since Tom Hodgkinson launched his magazine The Idler, advocating a slower pace of life with time for rest, play, cloud-spotting and creative day-dreaming. He’s been its editor ever since, as well as writing several books on how to be idle, and developing a whole ecosystem of Idler events, courses, talks, retreats and festivals.
By Sheryl Garratt2 years ago in Interview
Andy Weir on writing an accidental best-seller
I met Andy Weir at his home in Mountain View, California in 2015, a few weeks before the film of his best-selling book The Martian came out. His condo was modest but comfortable, shared with his cat, a vast collection of board games, and a wide collection of booze bottles for the cocktail and game nights he held for friends.
By Sheryl Garratt2 years ago in Interview
The Creative Life of Viggo Mortensen
I met Viggo Mortensen in London in 2013, when he was promoting Everybody Has A Plan, an independent, Spanish-language film made in Argentina. Since shooting to fame in the Lord of The Rings films, he’s followed an unconventional path, motivated more by his own interests than fame or fortune. Nonetheless, he has been nominated for three Oscars, most recently for the 2018 film Green Book.
By Sheryl Garratt2 years ago in Interview
- Top Story - April 2022
Confessions of a recovering perfectionistTop Story - April 2022
My name is Sheryl, and I’m a perfectionist. I was a magazine editor, for large parts of my working life. It’s a job where content is key, ideas your currency. You only get one chance a month to impress your readers, so you want to make the best issue possible.
By Sheryl Garratt2 years ago in Motivation
- Top Story - April 2022
Seven ways to restTop Story - April 2022
We get all tired and weary. And sometimes sleep – essential though it is – just isn’t enough to bring us back to ourselves. We’ve all been carrying an especially heavy load over the past two years. So it’s time to recognise that tiredness comes in many shapes and forms, and that the recovery for each might be slightly different.
By Sheryl Garratt2 years ago in Longevity
Scenius: why creatives are stronger together
The myth of the solitary creative For most of human existence, we needed a tribe to survive. If you were cast out, it meant almost certain death. Which is why we still feel an almost primal sense of panic and unease, if we feel disliked or left out.
By Sheryl Garratt2 years ago in Journal
A book to help you see what’s important – then do it.
Does this feel familiar? Lately I’ve been feeling overwhelmed, unfocussed. I was starting a lot of things, finishing none, and the URGENT list on my task manager was so long I couldn’t read it. Life felt like an endless series of open loops, all clamouring for my attention.
By Sheryl Garratt2 years ago in Motivation
Change your life, one habit at a time
You are your habits “Success is the product of daily habits,” writes James Clear in his book Atomic Habits, “not once in-a-lifetime transformations.” Clearly, this is a message that has resonated: this was Amazon’s best-selling book last year. World-wide.
By Sheryl Garratt2 years ago in Motivation
- Top Story - March 2022
Stop Procrastinating. Now!Top Story - March 2022
Does any of this feel familiar? I have important things I need to do. There’s a tricky email to write. An unpleasant call to make. And I have a book chapter to edit. So obviously, I’ve been arguing with strangers on twitter. I’ve rearranged some books into alphabetical order, and I’ve cleaned out the fridge. And now I’m playing a game on my phone.
By Sheryl Garratt2 years ago in Motivation
The four stages of a creative project (and how to get through them)
Everything has its cycles. The seasons follow each other, night follows day, the moon waxes and wanes and the tides ebb and flow. Creativity is no different. Knowing the four key stages of a creative project can help, as each comes with its own challenges.
By Sheryl Garratt2 years ago in Motivation
Life Lessons From Bryan Cranston
The life of Bryan I interviewed Bryan Cranston in 2014, not long after the final series of Breaking Bad had aired. He was starring in New York as US president Lyndon B Johnston in Robert Schenkkan’s epic play All The Way, a demanding role in which he was on-stage for a full two hours 20 minutes, altering his voice and physiology quite radically to embody the rotund, earthy politician.
By Sheryl Garratt2 years ago in Interview