The Shape of eBooks
April 27th, 2012
With all the ruckus surrounding the pricing of eBooks lately, they’ve been on my mind a lot. I started thinking, if we got a little creative, what shape could an eBook take?
Before, we were limited to a physical standard. A general size/page constraint of the average book. Extra cut outs or modifications were often too expensive and just didn’t happen. We pushed the medium of the physical book to its limits. But with eBooks, all that is changing. Now that our words and images are free to flow in whatever manner they please, what shape do they take?
What are the new format options we have with the changing nature of the book?
The first thing that jumps to mind is a scroll. When you read on a Kindle, you’re essentially perusing a scroll of text. But now that scroll could be branching in digital 3D space as it is not limited to a single long sheet of paper.
Could we form our texts into impossible loops that couldn’t be made physically but are possible in the digital space?
How To Be Creative Again
April 26th, 2012
We’ve all been there, that slump, that rut, that non-creative space when we’re just apathetic about everything and nothing we make is any good. How does one go about digging themselves out of said hole and getting back to producing awesome things?
My favorite thing to do during a creativity slump is to take care of all the tedious little tasks that are getting in my way.
Sign that paper, mail that check, pay your bills, drop off the recycling.
Now is the time for tedious, mindless work that you can’t be bothered with during creative times; clear out your digital files, and straighten up your iTunes library. Declutter your room, organize the kitchen, scrub the bathroom, clean off your desk. Non-creative time is time for clearing out and defragging.
The less little external things we have to worry about, the more brain-space is left open for creativity. You’ll often find inspiration in the time when you turn off your brain and let your mind wander during simple, repetitive tasks.
Another Year Older, Another Year Wiser(?)
April 25th, 2012
I hate these kinds of posts. The kind where the author apologizes for not writing for a while or for disappearing for months. I’m going to go ahead and avoid all that and just say that I really didn’t have anything important to say. It’s hard to write about idealism when you’re blue. But, that’s over now, and I’m feeling good. Hopefully people are still interested in what I have to say!
While I was away, this site turned 1, and I turned 25. (If, by the way, you’re planning on turning 25 soon, or any age for that matter, I totally recommend having said birthday at Universal Studio’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter.) Existential dilemmas on being a quarter-century aside, one year is a big deal on the internet, where time moves at a much more accelerated rate.
I wanted to take some time to thank those of you who have stuck with me; the fact that people are interested in what I have to say still blows my mind. You guys rock. Thank you for all of the emails, tweets, and messages. I’m so glad I’ve had the opportunity to meet so many beautiful, intelligent, and interesting people thanks to this blog. It’s amazing all the good things that can come from typing some words on the internet!
So, if you’re still listening, thanks, and stay tuned. There’s lots more to come!
