Pitter-patter/Yesterday's conversation was really good, really heady stuff [clicky]. It was also very inspirational for me. Yes, the bottom line is that some of us humans have this congenital desire, need, or drive to make things. And we can neither stop making these things nor can we clearly explain why we must continue to make these things. Part obsession - part exploration, the creator creates a machete-slashed pathway through life. Also noted and observed, many of the creator class strongly believe--for some undefinable reason--that our precious works need to somehow be preserved to exist in perpetuity like the Sphinx.
The world shatters/
Nothing matters
Just the other day a big-wig corporate VP friend of Manniyer Mark asked me over beers, "so what do you do, Ty?" Any of you who know me also knows that I simply cannot answer that question. I don't have the vocabulary for it. I get flustered at that question no matter how much I rehearse an easy answer. Want to see me hem and haw, ask me what I do. So what happens is I kid around and give false answers like, "I'm the fifth floor janitor."
But the Manniyer stepped in and answered the question for me. He said something like, "Ty's like an animal that's attracted by the light. When he sees that light he'll wander that direction for a while." At first what I heard was the clinical diagnosis of ADHD but the more nuanced follow-up description was that he sees me as the type of person not locked into one medium, genre, or technique. I do what I feel needs to be done. For better or for worse. I'll take it (and I didn't have to answer The Question).
The swamp we're wading in is this:
What we do (create) + how it lasts (legacy) + technology (???) = X
Technology (the Internet) is the greatest unknown at present. Live by the web, die by the web. Remember Geocities? How 'bout Friendster? How 'bout Blognigger? What happens to our remnants? Where do our products land? I do not yet have answers, but we're work toward protocol.
Interestingly, we're at an historical point in the interweb arc where some types of early adopters are quitting the world wide. Maybe not giving it up entirely but certainly scaling back and creating limits and boundaries. In just the past few months I know three world wide web power users who have nearly given it all up. Poof! Yeah, I've been there too: [clicky]. And, this is a clue, I may suddenly do it again. Without warning or rationale.
And in the timely enough fashion that only the Internet could provide--the universe speaks--this article by James Strum popped up on the magic screen just this morn (read it, seriously): Life Without the Web. I guess we should have started this post here.
Note to archaeologists in the future: Dig in the backyard for clues.
"Seriously, I'm just thinking of ending my relationship
with the internet."
- E. Booker
Posts
