Super

The boy stared like he couldn't believe she was real. 

Dominique decided this was a normal reaction, especially from a child. What mattered right now was keeping him calm, as she noticed the red cuts on his neck and cheeks.

"It's okay, I'm going to get you out of here."

His mouth hung open as she took him in her arms She could lift him with ease, slipping one arm under his legs and supporting his back with the other. He watched her face as she walked across the rooftop and searched for a place to take off.

"You're like Superman," the child eventually said. 

Dominique smiled. "Yes, but I'm not Superman."

"Do you know Superman?"

She chuckled. "He's an acquaintance."

The night was dark and she couldn't pick an area in the street safe enough to land in. The ground looked horrifyingly distant, and if Dominique were fully human, the sight may have made her dizzy. 

"I wanted the police to save me," the boy said. He was surprisingly chirpy for someone who had just been a hostage. "If not, then Superman."

At this, Dominique tried to ignore the pin-prick of hurt in her stomach. She didn't look at the boy, gaze directed below as she jogged along the roof's edge. Here she was, saving his life, and he still thought of Superman instead. 

Sweat was building, sticky under her costume. She was exhausted, and all she wanted to do was get the boy to safety, then head home and see what the headlines were saying about her.

"I hope I haven't disappointed you," she said, softly.

Dominique let her wings unfold, shadowing her figure as they spread free. She caught the look of astonishment on the child's face at this development, right before she leapt off the edge. She drifted into the city, past blinking police lights and towers that glowed with electricity.

"I'll tell Superman you said hello."

Her voice was a loud echo against the wind. She hoped her tone wasn't acidic, but doubted the child would notice as he stared at her green wings in wonder, and she took him towards the ground, her figure disappearing into the darkness. 

Why Cornwall Is The Perfect Place For Inspiration

When I came to Falmouth to study for my degree, I knew I'd be somewhere I felt comfortable. I live in Devon after all, and had barely been away from home, so this was my opportunity to break out of the comfort zone, but also live somewhere vaguely familiar. It was a reassurance, knowing I wouldn't be overwhelmed by a massive city.

Since then, everything about Cornwall has become so familiar, and it went from a comfort blanket to the perfect environment for creativity.

As a writer, I'm constantly searching for inspiration, and like to immerse myself in new environments while writing. Many writers prefer a busy area, sitting in coffee shops while city life hustles and bustles around them. I like a busy atmosphere, but also the innocence of a rural area with heritage behind it.

This is why Falmouth, Penryn, Truro, Redruth, Penzance etc. have given me so much inspiration for my work. I knew I wanted to improve my writing skills, and not only has my course helped me do that, but it's given me more motivation to be creative in general.

I've achieved things that would seem insignificant to some, but to me, they mean the world. Writing multiple articles, managing social media, recording a podcast - they're just some of the things I've done since beginning the course. If it weren't for my lecturers motivating me, or my coursemates inspiring me with their own projects, I wouldn't have become the writer I am today. Without my time in Cornwall, it's unlikely I'd be writing in coffee shops and libraries the way I do now, with passion and excitement.

For that reason, I think Cornwall is the perfect place for those who want to explore their creativity. Whether you're a writer, artist, musician, or anything similar, you'll find something that interests you and gives you the foundation for your work. Nowhere else can you find a beautiful coastline with beaches, along with the charm of the seaside town, filled with unusual places.

Three years here was enough for me to confirm my creative streak, and I'll remember it, no matter how many places I venture to in the future.

New Starts

The last time I wrote a blog post was two years ago. 

It had been on a personal blog I'd been trying to keep active since starting university. Since then, I've been abandoning these posts for fiction writing, script writing, and everything else my course throws at me. I suppose I found more value in my creative work than I did in writing about myself. 

I'm 22 now and in my final months of university. If I spoke to my naive, first-year self, I'd say that her writing is good, but she's got a lot to work on, and many insecurities to break through. I'd tell her how it's worth taking opportunities and doing things that scare you, because you never know the joys that new challenges can bring. 18-year-old me didn't like trying new things, thinking she'd never be good at anything other than writing. 

I'm at university - that's enough, right?!

Well, it is, but it isn't.

Since going through the university experience, I've matured so much, growing aware that life isn't all fun and games. You can't waltz through it unscathed. You have to make sacrifices, work hard, and look after yourself responsibly. I think it's mainly my third year that taught me this. The first year is about the excitement of being in a new place to study your passions; second year is where the pressure builds as you take on bigger projects and realise your assessments actually matter; then, in third year, comes the quarter-life crisis. You know you don't have long until you leave, so you must consider your plans for the future, all while stressing over your final assignments. 

It's exhausting to think about, and it's one of the many things going through my head right now - finding my place after university and not screwing it up. I think it's one of the reasons I chose to start writing a blog again. It's not so much for venting, but purely because my brain might get overwhelmed if I don't voice my thoughts somewhere. 

So, yeah, maybe I am venting a bit. 

For my final dissertation, I'm writing a pilot episode for a screenplay, which is, honestly the dream, since I've always pictured my stories coming to life on the screen. I'm putting all my passion into this piece, but the downside is that it's mentally draining, especially since I work on it every day. It's showing me just how important it is to take breaks. As I write this post, I'm on a train home for the weekend. I'm staring at beautiful fields through the window as the sunlight lands on my fingers. It's a nice journey, oddly therapeutic, if you ignore the rush to catch connections, and it's worth it for the destination. 

Worrying about my dissertation for weeks has drained me, and I often feel like I'm about to go mad. When it gets to that stage, I know I need to take time for myself, and I sometimes use a trip home as a way of doing that. Some might think this is just procrastination, but I believe it's the opposite. If you're focused on one thing 24/7, it can make you hate that idea, and you'll lose your passion for it. But if you take regular breaks, with fresh air and people to talk to, you'll go back to your work feeling revitalized and it'll only help you work harder.

After my break, I know I'll be back to studying and it's certain that stresses will come with it. But at least, with a blog, I can write about my thoughts and make sense of them, which will hopefully allow other people to empathize. (I say that like I have readers.) 

I'm excited to be restarting, so I can keep up my writing in my spare time. I think the issue with my original blog is that the posts never had a true focus: each would be a jumbled mess of what I did that day and how I felt about it. I can tell my writing's improved, because now I can see that articles and blog posts are better to read if you are making a clear point through them. 

So what's the point of this post? I guess it's to say that I'm open to new starts, whether it's a blog, or starting a life beyond university. Even though it can be daunting to think of the future, it's important to approach it with a smile, and stay positive for the big changes it'll bring.