DawnPapuga.com — Reality 101

One of my favorite parts of writing fiction is character creation.  Coming from a story driven interactive writing background, I have created hundreds of characters over the years.  Some were successful and kept their places on the creative stage in my mind.  Others burned out the same day they were created, served their purpose, and exited stage left.  Each character comes to that stage in my mind in a different way–one of which is more of a knee jerk reaction than conscious effort. 

I can’t help developing stories about the people I encounter on the street, in line, or from images/pictures I come across.  It’s a function of the way my mind works.  In that respect, I suppose it’s much like blinking.  Before I know what happened I end up having an entire personal history for an individual I saw in a picture, or an explanation for what is going on in an image.  While that can be loads of fun, sometimes my Muses are on overdrive and I have stories and characters all running around on that creative stage and no time to help them tell their stories.  Frustrating.

But am I the only one whose mind works like this?  It’s a fun way to stretch your creative legs and let your imagination go wild.  So here’s your homework assignment:

What is going on in this picture?

Who is that (He or she)?  Where is that?  Why are they there?  Why are they sitting?  What happened just before (or what is about to happen…) this moment?  Run with it!  I’m dying to know what your first gut impressions tell you about this picture.  Please share yours…

**Image originally found here by Claudio Gatti.**

One of the brilliant aspects of blogging, reading blogs, and being part of a blogging community in general is how many new, wonderful things that cross your path that you would never have discovered on your own.  Well, maybe.  Probably not.  Look, the point is that I’m starting to think of the new media & networking community as a type of social consciousness*.  The opportunity to learn new things–usually completely disparate, random things you likely wouldn’t have encountered because you were never introduced to them or interested in them before–is just delicious! 

I’m picky about what blogs I subscribe to, though.  Some I read because they’re industry blogs, some because they’re my friends, and some just because they make me laugh.  There are others that I read that blow me away because of the incredibly interesting things they talk about or find to share.  Then there are some that fall into most of those categories.  I have, however, eliminated some blogs from my reader because, quite frankly, they don’t do it for me.  They don’t make me feel all warm and tingly.  Teh interwebz  are huge and there are plenty of blogs to choose from.  Heck, take two. 

I inteded to share one of the amazing finds that being a part of the blogosphere (using that word just made me twitch) led me to.  I’ve mentioned Tim Siedell’s Bad Banana Blog before, and it never fails to ignite inspiration or set my creative muses on overdrive.  By reading his site I managed to find quite a few other sites (mostly dealing with art, artists, and design) that have piqued my interest.  Because I went on some wild clicking spree, I don’t know which one of those sites eventually led me to D.Billy (and considering the coverage he’s received, I feel like I’m living under a rock).  There’s something about these installations that just makes me smile and want to grab some pipe cleaners and a hot glue gun and get back to basics.

Click on the images to head over to the official uploads of these works, and believe me, it’s worth it!  I don’t know that I can yet wrap my head around all of his other work (the modern, pop culture, and classics are colliding in my head in unpleasant ways when I think of them).  And let me know what you think!  I find these works to be fun and lighthearted and just an interesting collision of comic books meet real world.

*I have this concept of how blogging and social networking communities are contributing to a shrinking, yet expanding social consciousness, and as soon as I figure out what I want to say about that… I’ll post it.  Talk to me about it, who knows, maybe we can figure it out together.

It took me quite a bit longer to gather my responses for this week than usual, mostly because I’ve been passed out in pain.  But illness can’t stop the Friday Five for long!  This week is about metaphors and connecting them to your everyday life.  Here goes!

1.  When you go to the beach, lake, or pool, are you more likely to lower yourself gradually into cold water or to take a determined plunge and get it over with?

I take my time whether it’s hot water or cold.  I’m not a big fan of shocks to my system.

2.  How is this like (or unlike) your approach to other tasks or ordeals?

It’s exactly like my approach to everything else in life.  I’m careful, calculated, and I make sure I take my time and assess the outcomes (both positive and negative) before I take the final plunge into anything.  Once all of the foreseeable outcomes are in mind, and the possible outcomes leading from those choices are evaluated, I make my decision only after I accept the possible results of my choices.  I’ve “jumped in” without looking only a handful of times, and they never ended well.

3.  When someone gives you flowers, are you more likely to let them turn completely brown and gross before throwing them out, or to discard them the moment they take on that sick-flower look?

I’m more in between in my flower maintenance.  When someone gives me flowers I’m more likely to try and keep them alive for as long as possible–by trimming off dead blooms, giving them more light, removing suffocating foliage, etc.–than to just toss them the minute they look like they’re dying.  If certain blooms are healthier than others then it’s not uncommon for me to remove those blooms and keep them healthy for as long as possible in a separate vase.  If they’re roses, though, I’ll let them dry and either make potpourri or tea from them.  (Because my cats love to eat roses, I don’t get to do this very often anymore)

4.  How is this like (or unlike) your approach to other gifts, purchases, or relationships?

I treat any gift someone gives me with the same care.  In my mind when someone takes the time to give me something it means something to both them and me, and I like to try and keep that as precious as possible.  In terms of relationships, I treat them the same way as well.  They’re delicate and need to be treated with affection and care just like flowers do.  If you throw them (flowers or relationships) away at the first sign of them dying or wilting, then they mustn’t have meant that much to begin with.  On the other hand, you can notice things starting to wilt and ignore them. Just like a relationship, without attention and care, flowers will die.  The longer you leave them unattended, the faster they die (both relationships and flowers).  Both have a point of no return as well.  Once the flowers are brown and curled up, there’s no bringing them back to their former beauty.  They’re dead, and done is done.  Relationships, too, can be so far gone that no amount of emergency attention will help them.  In terms of purchases I make for myself… I don’t think I pay nearly as much attention to those as things other people give me. 

5.  Think of your favorite movie (or a movie you really like, if you can’t think of a favorite). Some people say that the reasons you love your favorite movie are related to what you value in romantic relationships. How is this true or untrue in your case?

Usually I would say The Godfather, but I don’t think it applies here, so I’m going to go with my number 2 favorite film, Casablanca.  I’d say Casablanca features most of what I value in romantic relationships:  passion, deep connections, sacrifice, and even tragedy.  I’m not so much a fan of the tragedy part, but loving someone enough to let them go for the greater good (or their own good), resonates powerfully with me.  Rick was haunted by Ilsa’s memory, and given the chance to be together he opted to send her off with Victor.  She loved two men for two different reasons, but ultimately had to make a choice.  She put the greater good ahead of her own happiness, and so did Rick.  It’s sad, but will forever connect Rick and Ilsa.  I suppose it’s the idea of giving everything to someone else and knowing they’re doing the same that attracts me so much to Casablanca.  It doesn’t always work out that way, but it certainly is something to aspire to.