Hey, folks! How’s May treating you? I hope all is going well. Things have been so-so, but I know I need to get my ducks lined up in a row, both in my personal passion projects and my health. I’ll talk more about those passion projects soon, but for now, let’s talk horror and creativity.
Grab your favorite mug of coffee or tea (or maybe a protein shake – you do you, boo), kick back and relax as I yap away. Nothing too lengthy this time, though! I know, that sigh of relief is from us both. Without further ado, let’s start with the yapping.
Words for breakfast
I have started reading “Ghost Story” by Peter Straub. I’m just a few pages in and I am intrigued. Initially, I wanted to jump into the story and then take down Don Wanderley myself. Then the more I read, the more I begin to sniff out something off and suspicious about the little girl, Angie. (Is that even her real name? Is she even a little girl??)
I have skimmed its synopsis in Wikipedia and even though I’ve gotten myself some spoilers, I still want to devour the book. Hopefully, I get to do that this weekend. Fingers crossed!
Eye candy: After the Creator Economy
I have read and downloaded the thought-provoking zine, After the Creator Economy, and I’m impressed. It made me look back at all those years I spent here on the internet, typing out words and creating websites. Here’s a snippet of said zine:
In 15 years, will we still be asking people to like and subscribe?
The broad industry of sharing our creativity online has been generally defined as “the creator economy,” referring to the platforms, services and tools that enable the creation, distribution and monetization of content online.
In this publication, we explore directions for an alternative creative ecosystem — one that looks and functions differently. We challenge the assumptions of the current model and suggest some of the cultural and technological shifts that can get us closer towards new solutions.
What would an environment look like that is more collaborative, resilient, meaningful, and democratic?
How might we participate in creating the digital infrastructure of the next decade?
What’s after the creator economy?
We spoke with creators of all kinds — musicians, podcasters, visual artists, and writers — to share their perspectives on the status quo and what comes next.
After the Economy is really such a great read, aside from being an eye candy. (The layout is beautiful – a balanced play of minimalism between text and images.) They even have a timeline for creating, distributing, and monetizing work on the internet. It never ceases to blow my mind how the things I love on the internet have grown and changed over time, from GeoCities fan sites and weblogs (LiveJournal and Xanga, anyone?) to Squidoo to Plurk and Twitter to – you get the idea.
SO MUCH CHANGES, which After the Economy talks about in a way that makes you think. If you also like geeking out about the internet and how it shaped and influenced creativity and artists, you might want to check out this free zine here.
On writing: tools that help with my creative process
When it comes to writing – whether it’s fiction or for my blogs and newsletters – I always find it handy to have at least a rough outline. Nothing too detailed, because I switch some things up along the way. Half the time I write that outline in longhand. I love writing things down, even the shortest of notes. The other half of the time, I use Notion. It’s the software that I use to handle the bulk of my online writings, from content calendars to to-dos to blog posts and newsletter content. There are also cool Notion templates and admittedly, I can get lost browsing them. One of my favorites is the Juni Ito one from 雨Ame.
Another tool that helps with my writing is Google Docs. Yes, it’s where I create and store my works, such as the ongoing romantic comedy, “The Secret Wife.” I like the thought that I can access them anytime, anywhere. I also have copies of my fiction in Dropbox, because I’d hate to wake up and find all my hard work gone into oblivion. Better to have more than one copy, right?
When it comes to creating images, like what I’ve done for an upcoming fiction, “Love % Of“, I almost always use Figma. It’s free (but they also have the option for a paid subscription) and it’s a pretty nifty tool for creating graphics to go along with a blog post like this one.
Another tool that I use for creating graphic pieces is Canva. It’s so easy to use; very user-friendly. When I need to whip up something real quick, I use one of their templates and et voilà! Now my blog post or newsletter issue has an accompanying image.
Sometimes, I use Storyist and Obsidian for writing, too. They’re pretty cool tools. While I don’t use them as often as Notion and Google Docs, there are times I turn to them and lose myself in the story or whatever I’m working on at the moment.
And there you have it! The tools that help with my writing process. Do you love to write, too? If yes, what tools do you often use, or are your favorites?
Something to tickle your funny bone (also relatable!)
The weekend is here and oh wow. We’re already in the middle of the month. May is giving me whiplash. It’s the 2024 month that feels like it’s passing by oh-so-swiftly. I’m not complaining, though.
So, going back to the weekend… I came across this funny article 23764 years ago and it still makes me laugh. My Saturday self is so full of promises, ready to take on the world, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Then come Sunday, and I’m all worn out and weary. I just want to live inside a blanket burrito and hibernate there.
You can read “My Saturday Self Versus My Sunday Self” on one of my favorite websites, McSweeney’s.
So there you have it, folks. I hope all this talk about creativity inspired you! Enjoy the weekend. Stay cool, healthy, and hydrated. 💦
The week that was in photo:
