Yes, I've taken a short hiatus from this blog, in order to attend to another project. That is, finishing the tale in which this character will appear.
Meanwhile, there are a few things happening in cyberspace that have recently come to my attention and that I'd like to mention in this post... one being an elaboration of my previous Trans-D discussion regarding that tricksy, enigmatic collaborator, the muse.
Matt Cardin is offering a home course in "Demonic Creativity"
- available as a free PDF document - in which he discusses the muse, and its many different aspects, both from its historical and psychological standpoints, as well as ways in which the muse enriches our lives as well as our art, and techniques one can use to discover and/or commune with ones own unconscious intelligence(s).
I was initially put off by Cardin's use of "Demonic" in the title, but, ultimately, he was referring to the Daemonic, which originally referred to more benevolent human guides, and ones inner, hidden genius, before it was corrupted, and, well, demonized by Judaeo/Christian mythology.
I've just started reading it, and although it's addressed primarily to writers, I feel safe in recommending it to anyone interested in a thorough discussion of the muse and its many facets.
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And then, over at Scientific American, we have the flip-side of the same discussion... that is, the drier, mechanistic, neurological theories dealing with the eccentricities of the artist and/or creative.
"People who are highly creative often have odd thoughts and behaviors—and vice versa.
Both creativity and eccentricity may be the result of genetic variations that increase cognitive disinhibition—the brain’s failure to filter out extraneous information.
When unfiltered information reaches conscious awareness in the brains of people who are highly intelligent and can process this information without being overwhelmed, it may lead to exceptional insights and sensations."
The above quote is found in the article... but to read the rest, you have to fork over $8, so be advised.
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ATTENTION ALL DIGITAL ARTISTS! I've just been notified that MOCA is holding a competition in its Salon. Video artists may also apply. You may or may not have to be a member.
Should I enter? I don't know, as I can barely afford the $30 fee... but I'm thinking on it.
Meanwhile, the deadline is October 30
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Lastly, I've came to the realization that this blog is not appearing as it should in many cases - up to and including to myself! Apparently, Google Blogger has these disagreeable moods, when it decides it can't bear to load the page as it's been told to.
The example shown above is how Trans-D looks on a good day (and yes, that brownish text box should blend right in to this brownish text box). If GB has PMS, however, or is suffering a migraine, you may be seeing all sorts of anomalies... weird fonts, weird colors, a blank background, or little question marks where images might be. If this is the case, my advice to you is to reload the page, and you may have to reload it more than once. If you're still getting something other than the provided swatch, then I can't help you - your internet program might need upgrading, or your computer may lack certain fonts... meaning, I'm too lazy to change my template!
A tale of Tatiana indeed? Shall this appear on the blog??
ReplyDeleteDownloaded and perused the free e-book on The Muse....intriguing, but I'd have to say you nailed it quite directly in your...how'd that go?? "uninspired academic" manner...ah...yes. Still, the download is certainly worth the time and the cost.
I think you should certainly consider the MOCA Salon competition - what better manner to expose others to your work? No guts, no glory, eh what? Pip, pip, Cheerio and stiff upper lip, eh?
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of hell
Rode the six hundred.
Of course, there aren't 600 of you, so you'll just have to tough it out...
As for the posts appearing oddly...I've noticed this on my blog.....but things is what they is. In 10,000 years, what does one small hiccup matter?
Well, no, it isn't exactly a tale about Tatiana - she's just a minor player - but an important one! I may excerpt a bit of the story on this blog - specifically involving her, if all goes well.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, a rousing poem, no less! ;-)
Well, I may feel roused, yet... but, somehow, "jaws of death" and "mouth of hell" do not entice me!
As for the "Demonic", thanks for checking it out! I still haven't found the time, but I will try.
Incidentally, "the uninspired academic" was not a reference to myself in the post - I was referring to the "Scientific American" article I quoted! I don't pretend to be an academic... and "uninspired" applies merely to my bad days. ;-)
That being said, I've revised this post!
ReplyDeleteBTW, I've read some of "Demonic Creativity" and you're right, it's a good read.