inspiration?
Tuesday, July 22, 2008 | Labels: science |For the post
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Y'all can see my posting has gotten non-existent.
Sorry.
One of those limbo-times again, I think. Nothing bad at all. Just... unclear.
I have a practical question for any and all. The question is at the end with a BOLD heading.
Anyone offering any advice would be really, really appreciated.
Sadly, once again, it's not a "gay" question, so it might not interest anyone...
A little while back, a friend of mine mentioned that I should actually talk through my "concepts of science" thingies, as opposed to writing.
Why I want to do it is simple. It's frustrating to see that most of the country doesn't even understand how science works - not the details, the crazy words, the convoluted concepts... just the basic approach.
That's sad, because many of you out there are doing bits of scientific approaches yourself and you don't even know it.
And it's this approach that has made everything you and I take for granted in this modern world possible. And it is most likely responsible for many of us being alive.
And, most importantly, the basic concept of how science is done is really very, very simple.
Doing it a lot and doing it well can sometimes be harder.
The details of a particular exploration may be quite bizarre and hard for most of us to even get a tiny grasp.
But understanding the basic approach...easy.
Unfortunately, at this point, I think it's the only way I can get these thoughts out of my head.
That is, I seem to have lost a lot of motivation to write... anything, really.
And unlike maybe a quick catty commentary on some gay gossip du jour (which I obviously don't do much, unfortunately), writing some sort of meditation on a concept gets very little reinforcement by others out there - no, questions that arise, no arguments, no corrections or commentary, no dialog.
And, as I have mentioned before, that's pretty much a death sentence for wanting to write again.
OTOH, if I was writing on demand, for a book or as a job, that would initially be a good stimulus to keep on trucking. If I had a deadline or real expectation that I will keep on writing, I'd get right on it. But it's just a thing on the side, right?
My friend's suggestion - to record my thoughts in voice rather than in writing - might be easier. These days, a lot of my thoughts on these topics are constantly being formed - as whole fracking essays, paragraphs and all - in my head. I just want to get it O-U-T in some form. I can edit or revise after that.
I have another issue to deal with, too.
Imagine this thought: If I suddenly die (knock wood that I won't) all my wonderful, amazing and clarifying words (sarcasm) will go with me.
And when I think of *that*, I realize how silly it all is. Of course, I tell myself, I have absolutely nothing useful to say. Your aspirations to help explain things to others is a complete joke.
And then I lose all motivation... like, Why bother?
On the other hand, if I at least start, I'll likely finish even if I'm not sure anyone will care. And then at least it's done, for good or for bad.
But even there, trying to talk into a microphone, I just am not STARTING, since it's not a normal behavior for me (voice recording).
It's kinda frustrating - maybe I just need a dedicated time where I'm just going to START.
Alternatively, perhaps recording an actual conversation - with other people - might be the only way to get this out of me.
I am really alone in this and haven't figured out the button to press yet.
SO, MY QUESTION: Do any of you have a few ideas of how to stimulate oneself for a non-work thing like this? I just want to make it happen...
one day, I'd even love to hone this into a craft from which I could actually make a tiny living - ie, science writing, etc. Perhaps some advice would give me a starting point.
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I don't know that what I have to say will be the inspiration that you are looking for. All I can tell is how blogging works for me. By nature, I tend to get excited about something to the point that its all I can think of, then, once I get started with it, I loose interest. Blogging was that way for me in the beginning. I wanted to post everyday (hell multiple times a day), I wanted it to turn into something big. After a couple of weeks, I lost interest. I had no one to push me to write, I had little feedback on what I was writing, so it got very sporadic. I even found myself editing what I was willing to share with people. The reason I started blogging was to catalogue the events of my life rather than to write for anyone else. Now I've found somewhat of a resurgence in my desire to write. I don't put guidelines on myself like having to post once a day or even once a week, but I do keep the idea open. Yes, I still get excited when I get feedback.
The best advise that I can give would be to set some time aside each day/week/month and sit down and write. Maybe you do it on Sunday afternoons or Wednesday mornings; whatever works best for you. I think that the more difficult you make it (like finding someone to interview/chat with or having to edit a video session each time) the less likely you are to follow through. I say that because I know that things like that would discourage me, especially if it wasn't my passion to begin with.
Good luck in whatever you decide to do.
Let's start that conversation between you and the audience. I have a camcorder and iMovie. Let's make Vlog entry of you talking about the "concept" of science as a start?
Wadda ya say old buddy, old pal, old friend of mine?
Personally, I think you just need to get laid more frequently. So, I am volunteering to sacrifice myself on the altar of science in this noble cause. At least twice a week if not more often. Really. It means that much to me.
Seriously. I'm not sure what is the best approach. I will sometimes get ideas for brilliant posts, but am no where near the computer, or I am at work and they are actually expecting me to do what I get paid for and it goes away.
This may sound lame, but have you thought about a small notebook?
Daniel: I think your final paragraph sums up the right approach - dedicate time and make it as simple as possible. Thank you!
RG: That's a pretty good approach, though I think it'd be more fun for other things!
however, I did just get a small cheep voice recorder (mp3) to capture thoughts on the fly- at least for now.
There *are* some talented folks out there using youtube and making vids. A few a very very good because they are well spoken, well, thought out and use visual aids really well. I'd have to train myself in video editing to make it work.
OTOH, podcasts can be easier (and I'm fine with editing audio). Of course, if one just talks and talks and... well, there's the challenge, I suppose.
Evilganome: Your first point is perpetually true with me, but that's an old story. The problem I'm having with writing is sometimes I can't get the words out fast enough. And if I don't, sometimes the words just fade away for a while.
I think me getting this cute little voice recorder might help a lot. But then I'll be scared about looking mildly insane every time I have a neat thought and start babbling into my hand :)
In fact, here's a really good example of some very well done vids. They're all good. I'd be taking a somewhat different approach, myself... though I suppose not, really. But even if I do it similarly but with my own twist, it can't hurt.
you're on the right track with the voice recorder--back when i was remodeling a house in my off-hours, i used to think of things and/or get great ideas for the house when i was at work, only to totally forget 'em by the time they would've actually been useful. to solve that problem, i got into the habit of carrying a small voice recorder and whipping it out whenever inspiration struck. once the idea was nailed down, it was there when i needed it--it really came in handy.
the hardest part is getting into the habit of actually using the damn thing, but once you do, it becomes second nature (and now that bluetooth phones are ubiquitous, you won't look nearly as weird talking to yourself as i'm sure i did five years ago).
in fact, now that i'm blogging, i've been thinking about adopting that habit again--i can't tell you how many times an idea for a post has popped into my head, formed itself into being and then vanished because i didn't capture it right then and there. just think--all that genius lost and gone forever ;)