Reset, Relaunch, Go

Well, I THOUGHT I was getting back on the horse. It ended up being one of those wooden rocking horses that, you know, doesn't really go anywhere but just rocks in place. Oh, sure, its fun! But, the scenery really doesn't change and not too much gets accomplished. It would seem the adjustment period between full time work, family, and creative interests took a bit longer then I had anticipated. By the date of my last post it 's been more then two months. However, I can happily report that things seem to be calming down.

*looks around nervously*

I went and cursed myself now, didn't I?

With the two month break, I'm taking the opportunity to change a few things here. Because of the lack of free time, I've had to really pull away from my journalistic adventures in Second Life over on Frontier's Horizon. It saddens me a bit but I do try to hop on from time to time and I'll keep things going as I can.

One of the biggest things you will see here is more of a concentration on my photography. The studio website which this journal is now linked to has undergone a slight overhaul and things will progress there as I have time. The focus has changed to my photography, writing (fiction and game related), and my family. Secret Hideout, my webcomic, will be back but I'm not sure when and my artwork is down to a commission only level. This will also be reflected in the content for this blog. Basically, more pretty pictures for all of you!


In a way, after coming out a fairly rough eight months, I'm trying to find my dreams again, the things that make me glow from the inside. When I enter a transformational phase of my life, I have an urge to write about it. Writing it down helps me process the transitions, navigate the shoals. I've nominated this blog to serve n this regard, as a way for me to narrate and navigate further towards my star, my dreams. As said by J.M. Barrie, "Second star to the right and straight on till morning," or by Vincent Van Gogh, "For my part, I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream."

Getting Back On The Horse

Woah, talk about stumbling...

I somehow got out of the swing of things with my regular posts. Gosh, I wonder how that could have happened? Well...

Life at the Studio as been in a bit of upheaval lately as I move between jobs. I just left my part-time gig and am getting ready to take on a full time week for the first time in a year. Now, I can hear some of you saying, "Oh, poooor you." A full time week is nothing new to me, not at all. However, a full time week with a wife also working full time, three kids, and one car is something else entirely different. I've been trying to get ready around here for the strain it will place on things during the week because its its unrealistic to think that it won't be stressful. I've also been reorganizing my work space, get sick, get well, and try to keep going with three kids.

Its a very odd experience to turn around and realize that two weeks have gone by. I don't like it, no sir.

One of the other things I have been trying to get organized is my affiliation to a color lab so I will be able to get prints of my work done. This led to me trying to organize my discs of photo collections and realizing that I need a DVD burner pretty badly. High rez digital images can eat up a lot of disc space real fast! Fortunately, I had the forethought of a decent organizational system. It will be odd to finally see my work on paper after spending so many hours looking at it on a monitor screen.

So, my apologies. Things appear to be getting back on track and I am sure you're salivating with the thought of all of my upcoming posts.

Embodiments, Part Two

Embodiments of Self is a series of posts begun in early February which feature a handful of avatars that, to me, have stood out from the crowd. Avatars in Second Life are a way to silently communicate certain aspects of yourself to others, whether you realize you are doing it or not. They are also an endless source of fun and entertainment.

I love collecting shots for the Embodiments posts. It forces me to really keep my eyes open to the amazing amount of work and thought that have gone into someone's avatar design. I also have to move pretty fast sometimes to get the shot I want since none of them, regardless of how they look, are intentionally posed. (A bit of my photojournalism days showing there.) Continuing the series of posts I started earlier this month, I present another small collection of cool avatars seen in my wanderings of Second Life.

First off, Coyote Momjii from some Caledonian wanderings. This avatar was one of the few that stunned me into absolute non-action for several minutes. I think I actually drooled a bit on the computer...

Following up that is Derry McTeague whom I saw at the "When Worlds Collide" show. I was struck by the beauty of her pale face and striking eyes.

And then, there was the avatar of Lady Smashcan. I loved the interplay of the name with the image of the punkish faery girl.

Enjoy!

What is "A Game?"

Just taking a quick moment to pass on a link.

Life of a Game

The article, coming off the Terra Nova site, continues commentary on the question, "Is it only a game?"

If you're interested in online game worlds and their interaction with the real world, I highly recommend the site Terra Nova. There is a lot of good level-headed thought going on there as well as many different forms of research aimed at the virtual world experience currently happening.