Tag: Love Island

Summer feelings- work and distraction

This summer heat really is making it hard to concentrate. So many ideas are rushing around in my head and yet I cannot fix them down and finish an individual task.

I am a hard working person but this new climate we have really does not promote a healthy work appetite as the heat just makes it uncomfortable to do anything productive. Maybe it is time we started to have siestas like they do in Spain.

This week has been interesting in terms of the types of things that have come up as trending on twitter. From many Love Island hashtags linked to bickering twenty-somethings who want to expand their instagram followings, to earthquakes in California and scandals linked to potential prime ministers. Oh what a weird week it has been.

My instinct tells me that the kinds of things that should be trending are climate change and educational subjects and mental health. We live in a culture of excess and superficial thinking but sadly our behaviour lets us down.

In terms of writing, I spent the week exploring how to move my WIP forward, having had a few weeks break from it and suddenly realising how to unwind the middle of it. Sometimes a change is needed to help you come unstuck. Being busy with work gave my head the clarity it needed to then return to my story and develop its turning point.

I hope that you all are having such a wonderful summer and look forward to reading more inspiring blogs over the coming weeks. Blogs that will make me sit up and grapple with issues that really are important.

Summer Breeze

For many months we wait to be warmed,

Till leaves have blossomed and bees have swarmed,

The winter, cold and bleak and long,

Finally is submerged under a blanket of song.

As birds rush out and insects thrive,

Us humans grab our cars and drive,

To places full of sand and fun,

Our summer of love has just begun.

And as the evenings draw out wide,

Our barbecues fire up outside,

As parties start and drinks will flow,

And sun tan lotion helps our new tans grow.

We emerge into the summer bright,

Absorb the heat and sweat through each night,

We cherish every moment with ease,

Just waiting for a summer breeze.

What have we learned from Love Island?

I started the series with a blog about LI and want to reflect on the last eight weeks.

1. I cannot believe how much influence this show has. Seeing Dr Alex grow to almost a million followers on Instagram during this period illustrates the power this programme can have over your career. Great if you are a model or extremely fit. Really quite narrow minded though as the show is only open to slim or muscular men and women who most likely are entering a modelling career or have the necessary looks to get into that sort of work. Of course, night club appearances, advertising gigs and ITV2 spin-off shows are all in the pipeline for many contestants.

2. Thinking that perhaps there was a genuine backdrop of social experimentation with this, I am now certain that is not the case. It is purely about how sexy people can maintain viewers and most of the contestants are in it for the publicity rather than the chance at love. I was sucked in just like anyone else but popular characters have shown their superficial sides in this particular run. Georgia is the finest example of someone who is truly not ‘loyal’ to anybody but herself. When given the opportunity to leave the show and be with her supposed ‘love’ she quickly decided to stay and remain separate as she clearly wanted as many on-screen hours as she could scrape. Generally, they seem to do whatever they feel will make them popular and garner them votes.

3. I suppose my wish for next year is that the show is more inclusive. I hope it stops just having young twenties people, hope it includes gay and bisexual men and women, and especially look forward to a range of everyday people with varied personalities, backgrounds and body types. I guess that is unlikely but I definitely think it would make the show better and less of a vehicle for expanding Instagram advertising deals.