Aloha, I’m Outta Here
Published 29 Oct 2005
Well, that buzz is gone. The evaluations came in today, and killed what was left of it. Reality had pretty much already done the job by then, though.
I am at a point where I am reevaluating a lot of things in my life, and this blog is one of them. I have found myself censoring my posts more and more, especially after publicly speaking on university web issues. The goal of this site was always to be a personal expression for all aspects of myself, even the parts that aren’t so pretty and aren’t geared toward finding myself future work and opportunities. However, as soon as I started getting work and opportunities from it, the personal expression started getting stifled. Now it all feels false. Cameron Moll even killed my tagline (“Where redesign is the the new black”)— now it has a built in reminder that I am good but not great. Actually, maybe that’s the part that isn’t false.
I have considered pulling an Oxton, or moving the personal stuff to another site. That is a false dichotomy, though, and I will end up with two sites that I neglect instead of just one. So I don’t know what will happen.
Luckily, my little sister has the good sense to be getting married a week from today, and to be doing so on the Big Island of Hawaii. This gives me a legitimate excuse to go spend a week in a 5-star hotel in a tropical paradise and drown my sorrows in coconut and rum-filled drinks. There will also be a fancy dress involved at one point, and as always, some kick-ass shoes. Life could be worse.
I will not be blogging from Hawaii, but I won’t be leaving my brand new powerbook home all by itself, either. If you’re interested, you’ll probably be able to keep up with my shenanigans on Flickr.
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In: Cocoa on the Couch
This is the section that contains all of my personal articles — sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter — it’s good to have a fire going and a cat purring in your lap when you read these.
Coffee at my Desk
Carbon offsets! Just what I always wanted!
I’ve been besieged at work with what seems like a million different “opportunities” for donating to someone’s pet charity of choice this holiday season. However, when I give, I like …More »
Margarita on the Rocks
OMG, did she actually post?
Yes. Yes she did.
It has been so damn long that I feel like I sould be writing something deep and earth shattering, but I don’t have it in me. …More »
Commentary
Graham writes
Oct 29 at 05:43 PM #
What the hell are you talking about? Realign – redesign…it’s just semantics. Seems to me that was part of the point of your presentation about webmasters steppting it up and becoming more strategic. Perhaps becoming one of the realignment change agents of the organization.
Don’t think too hard about the blog. Do what comes naturally. The more you participate in the conversation the more that you learn and the more that others learn from you. Authenticity is the key. I think it is alright to let some wild thoughts or less then p.c. thoughts get out there if the rest of what you provide has value. Ok…sure…as a professional that values her job there may be a bit of a need to censor yourself, but really only as it pertains to your job and organization. That should be true in the real world as much as it is in the blog world.
Here’s the deal…think of it like a good director does about a film. Is it just a gratuitous sex scene? Or does it provide real value to the story and strengthen the film in the eyes of the audience.
One more set of thoughts and then I’ll stop my preaching…here’s what I see:
Blogs within blogs stretching the boundaries of how most people think about blogging.
Personality through the design and a connection with the audience that is probably more emotionally engaging then most blogs out there.
Thought provoking posts which don’t pretend to have all of the answers, but which add to the discourse.
Ok…that’s enough…go to hawaii…have many tropical drinks and get back here and give us some fresh posts. :-)
Andrea writes
Oct 29 at 05:55 PM #
Graham: But sometimes I just want a gratuitous sex scene… Actually, it’s funny because what really put me over the edge is reading your Half-Nekkid Thurdsay post, snapping my own pic for it, and then totally chickening out from posting it here.
Gerard McGarry writes
Oct 30 at 12:32 AM #
I have a similar problem, Andrea. I’m trying to establish Scribble as a family business, but I still have a day job to make ends meet untill the design business pays off.
Censorship is a necessity of sorts. We have employers we don’t want to piss off, and in a sense we have to be mindful of that. My solution (which you may have ruled out) is to keep an entirely personal blog for whatever tickles your fancy. I prefer to run this anonymously so that no-one can take offense.
In fact, I’ve added a couple of friends and relatives to the other blog to help keep up the posting rate.
Anyway, don’t think your blog isn’t appreciated – I’m a regular reader!
Natalie writes
Oct 30 at 03:21 AM #
Buck up, girl. You’ll always be my Miyagi.
The web world needs more of your type…and more importantly, your voice.
Go to Hawaii. Drink. Celebrate in your sister’s joy. Then drink some more.
If you even think of yanking this site I will personally send Stella for an overnight stay to work you over “2-year-old style.”
Andrea writes
Oct 30 at 07:26 AM #
Gerard: Thanks! That is really sweet.
Nat: :) I think I could teach Stella a thing or two… You would end up wanting to kill me though…
It’s funny. I have absolutely no problem censoring out the dirty laundry of my professional life—that is part of being a professional, and I would never think of posting it here. But when I start cutting some of the silliness and BS that makes me a member of the human race, I get a bad taste in my mouth. Stuff that has nothing to do with work, but a lot to do with me. When I start evaluating that stuff in terms of how my readers will perceive it, I know that it is time to re-familiarize myself with reality.
Bill Denneen writes
Oct 30 at 03:36 PM #
Your readers are members of the human race too. We like the silliness and BS!
Prabhath writes
Oct 31 at 06:55 PM #
Com’on, give it some time – even Oxton couldn’t keep from blogging. Really hope you won’t shut it down :-)
Elaine Nelson writes
Nov 2 at 02:45 PM #
I will second what Bill says. I appreciate seeing in your blog a well-rounded person in a similar spot to myself. To be honest, you’ve gotten me to think about blogging with my professional hat on, something I’ve been wary about for a long time.
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