The writing, not the posting, is what's important

I seem to make it on to blogger every 2 or 3 days, but I continue to plug away other places: 10 a day. Sounds like fruits and vegetables--similar positive results, I hope.

My most sustained blogging effort failed largely because of the many steps involved: opening Tinderbox (available only on my Mac at home), writing, saving exporting, dialing in, FTPing, checking, adjusting, etc. Any notion of 10 a day became more like an hour. I also concentrated on filter blogging: finding relevant and interesting websites, and writing about those. I found great material, and really enjoyed the processs for the most part, but sometimes would find myself getting frustrated because I couldn't find a site worth filtering, or I would find too many and couldn't decide what to filter.

I think this approach has a lot of potential for sustainability. Writers need to be writing. I need to think of myself as a writer. Sometimes I need an audience, but mainly I need discipline and a routine. How will I know if the writing pays off? If I produce finished products, for sure--I can't let the "notes" get in the way of the end product. I noticed myself the other day starting with a vague phrase about "stuff and things" or something like that, and I replaced my vague word choice with something more concrete. Little things--those might be important. Voice: I want to write my academic finished prose with an engage voice, perhaps more formal than what I am using here, but not much. Geoff Sirc, who got this ball rolling for me, has voice, and knows how to use it (hear the ZZ top in the background?).

Music, music, music: I do keep writing about music, I do keep thinking about collecting it, thinking about drawing on it for my own creativity, but also for my students. Possible assignment: find interviews with your favorite musician (or director, or actor, or whatever), and find out what they say about their creative process and their work ethic. In other words, find out how your favorite "compositionist" works. Oh, that reminds me: read Laboratory Life by Latour and Woolgar. Rename: The Composition of Scientific Facts.

I did just finish Kurt Spellmeyer's Arts of Living--he is willing to see the artistry in all professions and our daily lives. Times up.