Bill Arnott A reflection of self in our crafts

by Jazie Pilones

As I write this, I am surrounded by the extremities of silence filling the space of the two-story house I rent cheaply. Silence fills every corner, every room, even the tiny hollows left by broken tile grouts, and I squat here in my living room alone with my three precious cats that mean the world to me. A lot has happened this week, and I find myself and my brain cells scattershot all over the place, which is way out of character for me. I am on the verge of giving up on life that I begin to ask myself, what exactly is my purpose? Where am I supposed to go? Where exactly is life taking me?

Right now, I wish I had the resources to travel to places I’ve never been to, or to destinations I wish I’d gone to so I could spend some time alone, find inner peace if I could, and try to navigate myself to a path I want to take. But right now, there are bigger things to face; the pandemic is far from over yet, and projects are waiting to be finished.

Speaking of self, travel, and purpose, there’s a special human bean who has consistently shared with us his travels and the insights he took with him from each trip, Bill Arnott. Bill Arnott is a creative and award-winning author known for his Gone Viking series and NRM’s resident contributor for Bill Arnott’s Beat. If you’ve been following us for a while, you’d surely have read one of Bill Arnott’s Beat, which guarantees there’s no regret knowing and learning more from our friend from the Great White North, who he is and his perception of life.

Bill, the hodophile.

Growing up in his small British Columbia hometown, young Bill was already drawn to adventure when he had his first bus ride and enjoyed watching the driver, the wheel, and other dashboard instruments that made him feel like he’s on a spaceship. To him, the movement, the perspectives, the whole experience shaped his view of the world that are evident in his writings.

Bill started writing in his journal where he’d keep his thoughts about his travels, memories that he’d like to come back to at some point in his life to reminisce and relearn. He hadn’t thought about writing for the masses, and it wasn’t until he shared his journey to his friends, where he received good feedback that he decided to write more about them so others might enjoy it as well. By the time he was receiving awards, he felt an obligation to share his best works with the world.

We all understand that getting to know, loving, trusting, and being true to oneself are hard to come by, and it takes a lifetime to master. Part of it is letting go of things and people that don’t help you grow or don’t bring the best out of you, so you can nurture yourself.

Leaving behind these baggage helped Bill find himself, his artistic path, and the community that helped him become the person he is today, whose works we dearly love.

“Being creative requires sincerity, which isn’t always easy. Simple, yes, but not easy. It requires getting to know yourself and mustering the courage to perhaps share some intimate personal facets. More often than not, it gives others the courage to do the same, which I think makes us all a bit better,” he shares.

Being part and surrounded by creative people in his newfound community is something he considers a rich place where everyone shares a lot in common, and growth and learning is constant and never-ending, and where students and peers become his friends and mentors.

“I believe every creative individual (which all of us are) is an inspiration and role model simply by being creative, challenging themselves to improve their craft and if they so choose, to share it. Even when someone’s art isn’t publicly shared, the activity itself is empowering, and I believe that inherent strength is perpetuated by way of heightened empathy and open-mindedness,” he adds.

“I write what I believe to be genuinely engaging, or entertaining, or thought-provoking. As a result, it’s not only sincere but the work is much better. And like any art, it finds its audience,” he said after learning from experience when he used to write in a way not to offend people and wanting to be liked which resulted in uninteresting outputs.

Bill, the songwriter

Apart from globetrotting and writing about his travels and scribbling verses of poetry, Bill also finds love in music, writing songs, and recording them.

With his guitar, Bill has recorded six acoustic indie folk music: Anything, Wouldn’t Change A Thing, Beautiful Cliché, … and the bassman plays, Three Blind Mice, and I Beg To Differ. All these tracks are on Bill’s album, Studio 6.

You can listen to these tracks and to Bill’s spoken word pieces via Soundcloud.

COVID-19, the pause, and moving forward.

It’s been two years since COVID-19 changed everything, and the world keeps fighting this crisis as new variants continue to emerge. When asked about the insights and things he began to value since the pandemic, Bills says he came to appreciate the significance of personal interactions.

Most of us probably take personal interactions for granted, but it was not until it was almost taken away from us that we begin to value it and realize how much of our lives revolve around connecting with people, may it be in person or virtual.

“I’d love to see us hang onto those elements of patience, kindness and empathy the majority of us displayed a bit more of as we struggled through the pandemic. Giving people space without question or letting cars merge without honking. That sort of thing. And the fact that wherever you stand with respect to things like vaccination, recognizing the all-important fact it’s more about others than you,” he adds on what people should start living up to this day forward.

When asked what would be his message for individuals who are lost and confused, here’s what Bill has got to say:

“We’re all, for the most part, doing our best, striving, more often than not, for a little improvement. I like to say, ‘we all had a starting line.’ Some of us enjoy greater privilege or have different odds stacked against us. But we all had a starting line, that place we begin from. Not that it’s a race. Just a journey, one with highs and lows. And yes, I remember harsh times and nasty parts. But my recollection of the beautiful bits is more vivid and plentiful. By choice, and ongoing perspective. [This] perhaps is why I write about it, all of it, and share it through my Gone Viking books and presentations. While something I work to remind myself of is that we’re all part of this community, and none of us are ever alone,” Bill shares.

Bill Arnott may have found his purpose in writing and sharing about all his experiences and helping others understand life, themselves and others. I, on the other hand, have a lifetime to find myself and my purpose. I’m not sure if I’m on the right track, but I guess part of life is losing oneself in order to find what you really are. I’m sure I’m getting there. As Bill said, it’s not a race, just a journey with highs and lows.