Welcome to The Spark, home to everything Team Mission Drive has found fascinating this month.
Happy April to you. If you’re UK based you’ll be seeing tulips, daffs, and dandelions all in full bloom now – hopefully heralding some warmer weather. Yes, we went there. Weather is a personality trait for us Brits. We do apologise.
In this month’s Spark we’ve got plenty for you to dig into, including the seven types of rest (sleep will only get you so far), rock lullabies for babies, the importance of rescue pets (adopt don’t shop), and why a perfect turn of phrase or crafted sentence can absolutely change your life.
To all the newbies – welcome to the club. To all the old hats, welcome back.
We hope you enjoy this month’s musings. Preferably in a shaft of sunshine, with a cup of something comforting.
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This month’s Big World Stuff
How can you really feel rested?
Have you suffered from a broken sleep schedule and finally got a good night’s sleep, only to wake up still exhausted with no energy for the day? That’s because sleep and rest are not the same thing. There are actually seven different types of rest that you need, according to physician and award-winning author Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith. They are:
- Physical rest
- Mental rest
- Spiritual rest
- Emotional rest
- Sensory rest
- Social rest
- Creative rest
As you can see, sleep alone is not enough to feel fully rested, and a deficiency in any one of these types can have unfavourable effects on your health, happiness, relationships, creativity, and productivity.
But how can you figure out where to begin and identify your rest deficit? Easy. Take Dr. Dalton-Smith’s free personal rest assessment quiz. A lot of us suffer from burnout without even knowing it, thinking that it’s just a bad night’s sleep. So knowing exactly what type of rest we need is important. Then you can implement small routines to start feeling recharged and (hopefully) more rested in different aspects of your life. Want to learn more about the seven types of rest? Listen to Dr Dalton-Smith’s TEDx Talk or read her book Sacred Rest.
Since this month was #StressAwarenessMonth, it’s important to have a conversation about the impacts of stress on our physical, emotional, and mental state. Stress isn’t avoidable but it’s definitely manageable. So recognising our biggest stressors and taking the necessary actions are key.
Why not learn more about Stress Awareness Month – you can even get access to free resources to help you manage your stress.
Lullabies for rock savvy babies
From prog, grunge and hip hop, to shoegaze, punk and country, this LA collective of musicians and parents bring you lullaby renditions of your favourite artists. Black Sabbath, Frank Zappa, Outkast, Blur – pretty much every band/artiste you can think of is covered. With over two billion streams, their tag line is to bring ‘joy and rest’ to parents and babies the world over.
As I get more pregnant and parenthood looms ever closer over the hill (of my giant stomach), I know I’m going to want some sanity in the madness, so perhaps I can pair these covers with a nice big glass of Grown Up Grape Medicine (for me, not baby). Obviously nothing beats the originals (at some point baby’s going to have to learn that not every song is in 6/8 and contains a xylophone) and maybe we shouldn’t be wrapping rock ‘n roll in cotton wool, but the idea is far too novel not to try it out. So yes, tiny ears will definitely be getting some actual bass and lead guitar magic too. As well as some live renditions of completely improvised tunes from a tired mum and dad, as we debut our new, a-capella, nu-metal, folk-duo, Sleep-knot.
Forget milk drunk. This kid’ll be rock drunk, amiright? Party on.
Masters of the craft
We do a lot of writing at Mission Drive, so it's a skill I’m always trying to develop. There are many people respected for their writing and I’m sure you’ll have your favourites, but two authors have always stood out for me. Those whose masterful turns of phrase make me shiver with both delight and envy.
When looking for entertainment and lovely sentences I pick up Raymond Chandler or PG Wodehouse. Chandler perfected the hard boiled detective novel with his mid-century, LA-set oeuvre, featuring the world-weary good guy, Philip Marlowe. And Wodehouse is best known for his comedic Jeeves and Wooster stories.
I first came to Chandler and Wodehouse for the action. Want a cracking yarn full of icy dames, gangsters with gats, exciting twists, and a splash of dark humour? Chandler’s your man. Start with The Big Sleep and I hope you’ll never look back. Here’s what’s recognised as one of the best ever openings to a novel:
‘It was about eleven o’clock in the morning, mid October, with the sun not shining and a look of hard wet rain in the clearness of the foothills. I was wearing my powder-blue suit, with a dark blue shirt, tie and display handkerchief, black brogues, black wool socks with dark blue clocks on them. I was neat, clean, shaved and sober, and I didn’t care who knew it. I was everything the well-dressed private detective ought to be. I was calling on four million dollars.’
I’ve lost count of the times I’ve read The Big Sleep. What draws me back in isn’t just the stunning story. It’s the delight of infinitely quotable and beautiful compositions like this:
‘Under the thinning fog the surf curled and creamed, almost without sound, like a thought trying to form itself on the edge of consciousness.’
Similarly a jolly trip to Wodehouse’s sparkling, slightly dreamlike world is the perfect pick-me-up, with laugh out loud moments guaranteed. If Wodehouse doesn’t make you chuckle I will judge you. From The Code of the Woosters:
‘There are moments, Jeeves, when one asks oneself, 'Do trousers matter?'"
‘The mood will pass, sir.’
This craft isn’t without purpose. Whether it’s crime or comedy both authors evoke a sense of humanity that is touching, while also entertaining. And as we wait for the AI’s to catch-up on the writer’s craft, that elusive human touch is something I believe we should all cherish.
National pet month
Three weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to give Jojo, our furry doggy friend, her forever home. Jojo was trafficked illegally to the country in 2021 and the brillant RSPCA intervened and brought her to safety. She’s been in their care ever since, and it's been a long road rebuilding her confidence and regaining her trust in humans. She’s come a long way, but there’s more to go. We’re building a true partnership and friendship with this clever girl and showing her the world.
Not only has she brought us hours of joy, she’s also my new work from home office companion. Here are Jojo’s superpowers:
- She gets me up for my early morning walk, which sets me up for the day
- Taking regular short breaks for play and training do us both good, and help increase my productivity
- She reduces my stress
- She keeps me up to date with ways to learn. She loves training, so I’ve signed up to Robert Cabral’s online dog training to help me stay ahead and be the best pawrent I can be.
This month's Big Recommendations
Games to get up on
Games are a great way to help you relax and destress after a busy day. One game that I’ve been playing a lot recently is Dinkum. Dinkum is a cute life simulator, town building game, developed by one-man team James Bendon. Set in Australia, you can explore tropical eucalyptus forests, scorching deserts, and cool billabongs on an island inspired by the wild Australian outback. It’s currently on early access and is available on Windows only, but there are plans for it to be expanded. If you’ve heard of Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley, Dinkum is the perfect combination of the two. What I like about this game is that there are so many different tasks, you’ll never get bored of playing. The story is great too. I didn’t think I’d enjoy this type of game but after a while I found myself spending hours on it. It’s great to enjoy by yourself or with friends.
Books to borrow
The Cloudspotter’s Guide – Gavin Pretor-Pinney
The low clouds, the middle clouds, the high clouds, and not forgetting – the ‘other’ clouds. Where do clouds come from? Why do they look the way they do? The Cloudspotter’s Guide aims to fight ‘blue sky thinking’ and teach us to enjoy the contemplation of clouds, nature’s poetry. It introduces each of the different characters in the cloud family, so you’ll know when to expect fine weather and when to carry your umbrella. Who needs weather apps! It tells of the man who fell through a cloud, clouds being used to predict earthquakes, and one in Australia that glider pilots surf like a wave. And if you’ve ever wondered who would win in a punch-up between the stormy Cumulonimbus and the drizzly Nimbostratus, grab a cuppa and have a read. An amusingly written gem of a book.
Miracles of Our Own Making: A History of Paganism – Liz Williams
Miracles of Our Own Making is a fascinating factual jog through the history of magic in the UK, from ancient times through to the present. Low on ‘woo-woo’ and high on historical fact, it’s a great read for history buffs, mythology lovers, and spiritual sorts alike. No stone is left unturned with topics ranging from Viking runes, to the Welsh Mabinogi legends, to the witch trials of the middle ages, through to Victorian societies like the Golden Dawn and the excellently named Hellfire Club. The last chapter is dedicated to ‘modern magic’ and covers Heathenism, Druidry, Vodou and much more. Peppered with niche factual nuggets, my favourite is the origin of the ‘Silent Minute’ created for Remembrance Day. Supported by King George VI and Winston Churchill, it was initially the brainchild of spiritualist, Major Wellesley Tudor Pole – a former soldier and unapologetic quester of the Holy Grail of Arthurian Legend! Quirky and bursting with detail, this a rich read from author, historian, occultist (and daughter of a conjurer – could this get any cooler) Liz Williams.
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Take care and we’ll see you next time,
The Mission Drive Team
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