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Hobbies

Zentangles

Zentangle
This is a zentangle

Two years ago, approximately, I was browsing drawing and sketching books at the lib. I picked up and checked out one that described a form of doodling called zentangles. I started following the exercises in the book. It was one part ceremony. (eg. it suggested you should feel gratitude for the paper, and your pens and pencils), one part rigorous rules, and one part ‘go with the flow’.

So far the ceremony parts haven’t really stuck, however, I really enjoy the balance between ‘go with the flow’ and process. It seems to have the right amount of random for me. I have recently found the discipline to do them on a regular basis. I’m not prepared to say they are meditative, however I do quite enjoy the ritual of them.

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Meta

We’ll See About That…

I’m in the process of starting, learning how to make a word press website. This would be to scratch a few itches. First and most likely foremost, I want a place where I can keep links for apps that I’m making. A close second, I just want to understand what it means to build a WordPress website. I go through the world and assume everybody who codes knows how to make a WordPress website. That may not be true, but I certainly feel vulnerable and exposed not being WP illiterate.

I do feel like I’ve reached the point where I could at least have cocktail party discussion about the pieces and the architecture.

One thing I had not considered is blogging. Over the years, I have used blogs to capture family events. I have also dabbled with writing posts about technical issues. I have also used a keyboard to do diary type writing.

It turns out (who knew?) WordPress is first and foremost a platform to support blogging web sites. I’m pretty sure it’s possible to turn off blog support, but that feels like ordering a hamburger, and asking your server to not include a patty.

All that do say, how do I feel about blogging? My first thought is something along the lines of: SELF INDULGENT! (Images of Larry Mullen Jr. dance through my head)

But competing with that another quote:

The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.

Kurt Vonnegut

So for the time being, I’m going to imagine myself a blogger. A hacky, rambling blogger, to be sure, but a blogger none-the-less.