Spotlight On Writers – Jim Wilson-Storey

I was born and raised in Maltby, Yorkshire, England, a former coal-mining village. At fifteen, I left school without the education or maturity to take advantage of what the world had to offer. For years, I stumbled along until, at the age of nineteen, following a short-failed marriage, I was motivated to pack a bag and walk away. For six years, I wandered through Europe and North Africa, even working my passage across the Atlantic on a 36‑foot sailboat bound for Barbados.

At the age of twenty-five, I was encouraged to go to community college, where I acquired the necessary qualifications to enter university, from there I took up a high school teaching position, eventually becoming an education manager.

I believe I have been fortunate to have laughed, cried and loved many people who each in their way helped me recognize my strengths and supported me in confronting my weaknesses. In doing so I now anticipate reaching my full potential in the not-too-distant future. To each and every one of those good people, I am forever grateful.

Having reflected on the question, I have come to the conclusion ignition of creativity has far as it impacts me, is not planned in any shape or form. Ideas, if that’s what they are, simply pop out of my head at the most unusual, and sometimes inconvenient times of the day, but more often in the middle of the night. Why is that, do you think? Many of these ideas simply mull around for the briefest of moments before departing to gather dust in the deep recesses of my mind. One or two hang around, niggling at me, until I’m unable to ignore them any longer.