December 2011
41 posts
Graffiti with punctuation.
Interesting take.
Blogging is not writing, it is graffiti with punctuation.
The way a lot of bloggers do it (particularly on Tumblr, though it’s not platform exclusive) definitely fall into this category, and further, into the subcategory of completely unartistic graffiti vandals: the lowly tagger. Nothing but initials, hastily drawn, always an afterthought, always done just to see how many they can put into the world. Boring.
But there are some Banksy equivalents. Liz Danzico’s Bobulate comes to mind. So does Jason Santa Maria. But I guess the question is: how to graduate from one to the other, and at what point does it cease to be blogging, but rather writing magazine articles without a magazine to publish in?
What is the line of quality?
My "thesis" is now officially known as my "side project."
Side projects are important. They’re recognized especially in the software development world as being some of the most important, career building work you can do. Search Google for “importance of side projects,” and you’ll find a ton of articles explaining it in full detail. (I’ve included some of those reasons down below, with citation.) I think the most important thing about side project is that they are supposed to be fun. They are supposed to be something you can’t wait to work on, that you’re proud of, and that, ultimately, you want to share.
I’ve mentioned this before: I want to think of my thesis project as a side project. But, until today, I’ve been all talk and no work walk. I’m proud to say that all my to-dos, teux-deuxs, and files are now appropriately labeled “[sp]” instead of “[th].”
It’s symbolic, but the new labeling will be a reminder that this work I’m doing on handwriting is fascinating—a personal interest and belief. It’s fun, too, being given the time and freedom to follow a hunch to whatever appropriate endpoint is available. It may even contribute some new knowledge to the field.
From Raw Syntax: Side projects allow you to…
- Explore new technologies
- Create from scratch
- Help you avoid analysis paralysis
- Stave off burnout
- Keep your skillset current
From Andrew Cross: Side projects…
- Give you a safe testing zone
- Are a mental break
- Don’t take time from more important things
- Can become something
