Summer solstice brings renewed energy and focus. I had in mind, in the spring that I might like to do an audio book of “Different Ways”. I looked into what that entailed and then thought, “No. Not yet on the straight up audio book. I want to do some kind of multimedia, free-form thing that is based on my process with the book and the stories within it.” There it sat in my imagination, hovering as several planets went retrograde in the universe. My idea didn’t go away but I couldn’t quite grasp what I was trying to create either.
So…
I went to psychic school for a term.
That ended in May and, as a result, I had a bit more to work with in terms of enlisting help, albeit multidimensional and celestial. I am old and cranky about learning new tricks…tricks that are required to building multimedia blog posts. I am overjoyed for all the ways that a person can utilize the internet to gain and use skills empowering themselves. I do like the feeling of growing and creating things but these are not technologies I was born into. I have to go an extra distance translating much of this material . I stumble forward...
In this case, I mumble forward.
Dialog Box - David Byrne -Album: Grown Backwards
This I know, I am learning how to step into my own voice. It is one thing to write things down and quite another to embody the material. I have been invited by friends overseas to speak about the book. I’ve have friends in real time who I know welcome this part of me and I’ve found friends online who do not require my having to translate who I am. This is a fabulous thing that writing the book has brought me: more presence and clarity and people I can identify with. I have space within me where the old narrative of who I thought myself to be once lived. It lives still...now in the book. I’m not carrying it around within me. This new speaking bit is about keeping this openness, authenticity, and presence clean and healthy. Plus, sitting here chatting up the void in front of a microphone is a marvelously ironical turn of events that is not lost on me. It cracks me up every time I reflect on it!
I still get cranky about having to learn new tricks, though…
The new tricks are editing software, microphones, acoustic treatments, interfaces and mixers, podcasting and webcasting hosts, lossy and lossless compression, multi tracks, envelopes (envelopes?) voice overs, rules about using music and data limits...and here's the tricky bit: For something to stay fresh for me it has to be fun and at least interesting for me to retain and cultivate the spirit of it. So...some study...some playing around...Not being able to do a thing well in the beginning is no excuse for not doing it. I'm of the "pretend it is no big deal to others (it isn't, trust me) and wade into it (if you are timid )- or - jump in (if you're not) school of expressing oneself". The secret of this is having the discipline of not expecting anything but one's own satisfaction in doing the thing. Everyone is born to beginning things in this way of wonder as a child but it is schooled out of us. Allowing wonder becomes a discipline as an adult.
Go figure...
I’ve done a basic outline of these tech things and I am going to just wade in with what I know so far and hope for the best. Those of you that have read this far and are interested in just how awkward an audio clip can sound before someone learns how to do things properly are free to tune in. Judgy people can move on…nothing to see here! My intention is to have fun and learn a thing or two...which, so far, is exactly what I'm doing.
In the 15 minute+ clip I go into how I turned to writing at all and how the book came into being. Thank you for your interest.
Onward.
I intend on posting every Tuesday and Friday. Please feel free to contact me if you are so inclined by messaging or emailing me. If you have read the book or not....If you have questions, comments or information that you'd like to share/discuss regarding some of the issues that are touched upon in my audio posts, please contact me through my website. I would be very happy to hear from you.
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