Capturing creativity

That whole Ficlet Friday experiment? Yeah, it was fun while it lasted but it seems as though I, along with everyone else, let it whither in the Summer Sun.

Sorry. If I’m blogging about writing – fiction writing – don’t deny me an allusion.

Cut to last night’s iPhone/iTunes update. I get an email from Chris @ NaNoWriMo about some site upgrade or another and it reminds me that while we may be 7 weeks away from the general election, we’re closer still to the start of NaNoWriMo.

And this is the year I finish.
This is the year I write like I’ve been exercising: daily
This is the year it goes into a document, not into the void or a dream or a lazy cubicle chat with a colleague.

Rather than continue making declarative statements that may not come true, I’ll link to a Psychology Today piece on creativity that induced both head-shaking agreement and head-shaking bewilderment. Why are creatives (and I’m being generous to lump myself in here) such dichotomies?

So how should I harness these dual impulses inside me to create … whatever it is I’m creating.

Art?
A novel? (Hopefully)
Prose?
This blog post? (Definitely)

I’m thinking the solution, which came to me via Bump, is going to be Evernote.

Simple.
Multi-purpose (good for grocery lists AND late-night ideas).
Multi-platform (Web & iPhone app)

Here’s the first “creative” thing I’ve captured using Evernote. Let’s hope I give it enough food and water to grow:

The fight isn’t the last stand
It’s the first stanza

Granted it’s only a fragment, a strand, a shard of an inkling of something larger, but I like it. For the moment.

My point is that at least the moment was captured. If I revise or delete or reverse or reconfigure later, the fact remains that I had the raw materials to begin with.

While I may feel sorry – surprisingly not too much – about the Ficlet Fridays petering out, I’m happy that, for the first time, I’m confident and assured by some semblance of process going in to NaNoWriMo.

More as I create more.

Happy Hump Day!

New Media Seth

I’m on a bit of a social networking/new media roll this week.

Last night I participated in my first podcast for the Georgia Podcast Network, a round table discussion/beer tasting/face off between Miller Lite and Bud Light.

I won’t spoil the outcome, but I think we came to some interesting conclusions and great topics while drinking two of America’s most popular beers.

Better than the beer and the conversation – by a wide margin – were the participants, all of whom brought a seriousness and gravitas to such a pressing issue as light/lite beers.

Tony
Thomas
James
Garrett
Rusty (who currently eschews blogging for podcasting & twittering)
Me

A good time (if not good beers) were had by all.

I should note that most of us started earlier with SweetWater 420s or, in James’ case, Budweiser and finished the same way.

In between, we rambled and sampled our SABMiller/Coors Lite and InBev Light, told bad jokes and sweated into the early evening.

I likely didn’t contribute as much as I would like – our somewhat recorder-shy and definitely overworked server said more – but I had a good time. Here’s hoping I’m invited back for the Hipster/Douchebag beer podcast which is both forthcoming and now-late.

Additionally, I’ve had the opportunity today to meet with local blogger and social media gadfly Dan Greenfield of Bernaise Source.

We had a lively afternoon discussion about the work I do, the local blogging/social media scene, the future, entertainment and all points in between.

Nice, sharp guy and a wonderful shady spot for a talk. Can’t wait to see how his piece turns out.

Anyhow, it’s nice to feel a part of the greater “community” – if such a thing exists – of local new media folks.

Here’s to more fun, camaraderie and information exchange in the future.

The Big Day

This morning at 11am I’m presenting an informative but tongue-in-cheek PowerPoint – Blogging and You – to a group of colleagues. It’s actually an off-shoot of a larger presentation/class I’m teaching next month on Web 2.0 at our internal professional development center.

I’ve blogged this topic previously and I gotta say I’m still a little bit nervous.

This post will be at the top of the page/blog during my presentation and I’d love to show off some of the comments as indicative of the lively, active Atlanta blogosphere. Feel free to use your pulpit to curse, congratulate or just goof off.

Seriously. Anything goes.

I’ll also be demo-ing:

  • Technorati
  • Twitter
  • Creating a Blogger/Blogspot blog
  • Bloglines

Anyhow, wish me luck. I promise not to demo any local blog sites (save maybe the Metroblog) or otherwise embarrass you. You’re on your own in the comments there.

Presentation!

UPDATE: It’s over.

Nerves

I’ve got to admit that I’m a little bit nervous this week.

This afternoon I was supposed to present a PowerPoint (ugh!) on blogs/bloggers/blogging. The word(s) has lost all meaning.

Fortunately I got a reprieve: I’ll be presenting on Wednesday.
Unfortunately there’s a catch: instead of an audience of roughly half a dozen, it’ll be 30-40 folks.

Now I’m not one to shy away from public speaking. I love the spotlight. Took that TBS-sponsored Improv Comedy class and everything.

Here’s the thing: In a big meeting like this I’m going to get a *ton* of questions and my comedic timing/judgment tend to work best in smaller, more intimate setting.

I’ve got the obligatory Soylent Green joke for the TCM folks in the crowd but I’m still sweaty-palmed over the whole thing.

It basically comes down to justifying my new title in a room full of peers and executives alike. And sure it’s a topic with which I’m intimately familiar but maybe that’s almost too good to be true. I worry I’ll rush (and there’s a ton to cover) and that I’ll let slip something too goofy, too tangential or too technical.

Whatever the reason it’s just nerves and they’ll pass. I’m practicing a bit more tomorrow and Wednesday and listening to the new R.E.M. album Accelerate which is a little middling.

Nerves perhaps?

I hope to have a video or podcast of the presentation some time after the bloodletting. I may even put up a test post on Wednesday and call for comments to show off all your smiling faces and Gravatars to the folks in the meeting.

Get ready for internet fame!