Phil W. Bayles

Or: How I Learned To Believe In Manifestation

If you don’t know what ‘manifestation’ is, it’s a very New Age idea that human beings can manipulate reality around them through appeals to the universe or their own direct actions. Or, as Julia Cameron might put it: “Leap, and the net will appear.”

I’ve written before about my difficulty in taking on some of the more esoteric elements of The Artist’s Way. But I’m starting to think I might be wrong, because I managed to manifest something into my life that I’ve wanted for years.

First, some context: over the May bank holiday, my family and I went down to Woking to see my dear friends Dan and Alice get married (and wear some fabulous Shakespearean costumes while we did it). Instead of a guestbook, the newlyweds had an old typewriter in one corner of the reception venue where people could bash out happy messages. They must have seen me salivating over it all night, because in the hungover haze of the next morning they asked if I would like to take it home for the princely sum of bugger-all.

So now I have a typewriter!

Isn’t it gorgeous?!

I know next to nothing about typewriters, but I do know that every time I’ve used this one in the last week I’ve ended up with an enormous smile on my face. Most likely it won’t become the main instrument I use to write stories — I’d probably get some funny looks using it on the bus — but I like the idea of being to put down my fountain pen or swivel away from a word processor and turn to it to help keep the creative juices flowing.

That said, there is one thing I’ve been using it for pretty extensively, and that’s letter-writing. There’s something magical about tapping out a few lines to an old friend; even more so than writing something out longhand. I’ve sent a barrage of letters out to dear family members and close friends, and I’ll probably do some more next week. Maybe I’ll raid my address book for new recipients.

Maybe I could write a letter to you, dear reader. If you’re interested, stick your details in the form below and we can work something out!

And if you want more typewriter-themed goodness from me, then check out my short story O Time Thy Pyramids over at Silly Goose Press. It features quite a lot of them (and at least one orangutan).