I had never heard of Clay Shirky before I saw this talk on TED, but I am definitely going to pay attention now. He talks at first about the difference between one-to-many or one-to-one communication that we’ve had in the past (print, telephones, recorded media) vs. the many-to-many model we have now (with Twitter, the web, etc.). He goes on to analyze how organizations or countries that try to censor and control such citizen-powered communication end up failing miserably (i.e. China), whereas organizations that “convene but do not control” their citizens succeed spectacularly...

This talk by Elizabeth Gilbert really spoke to me. As an aspiring artist who wishes I could find and focus my inspiration, I often blame myself for not being productive enough. I wonder what’s wrong with me when I don’t feel that driving and unstoppable need to create, like so many other artists seem to feel. According to Gilbert, maybe the problem is that I haven’t found my genius yet. I have to say…the idea that there is some unknowable spirit out there that helps drive creativity is quite comforting, much like finding religion in the face of death. But at a primal level,...

I heard an interesting story on NPR today about a fan-made film called “The Hunt for Gollum.” The short HD film is a prequel to “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, and follows Aragorn (Adrian Webster, pictured) as he goes on a hunt for the creature known as Gollum. It is the result of the efforts of 150 unpaid volunteers, all movie enthusiasts and professionals, who cast uncanny look-alikes in the crucial roles…painstakingly recreated detailed costumes…and shot on location in the rocky landscape of North Wales. Overall, it is an immensely impressive effort. The...

Last Monday, April 13,  I had the privilege of going to hear Carolyn Handler Miller, author of “Digital Storytelling, Second Edition: A Creator’s Guide to Interactive Entertainment”, speak at Maria’s Bookshop in Durango, CO. I was very excited for this talk, because as a graduate in Multimedia studies and an aspiring transmedia artist (I learned that term from her book!), it’s always great to find like-minded storytellers in new media…especially since I’ve moved away from the city to a realm that is no less artistic, but where more traditional art is the...

Forgive the look of the site as I upgrade both WordPress and my theme. Upgrading is always a headache, especially since I like to modify my themes so much…and thus it leaves my blog looking like a jumbled mess of half-finished plugins, broken CSS, and missing images. I do enjoy me a challenge. :)

If you haven’t already seen this, it’s worth a watch. Susan Boyle’s name is being spread across Twitter and email as the perfect example of why you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. She appeared on “Britain’s Got Talent” as a self-described 47-year-old unemployed woman who has never been kissed with a cat named Pebbles. When she says she wants to be a professional singer, the audience members and judges laugh, roll their eyes, etc. No one believes in her. And then…well, just watch the video: Now there are multiple fan sites for Susan Boyle, as...