Journal

To begin, one must simply just begin.

I’ve got writer’s block, and it sucks.

That’s the first thing that came to my mind when I decided that I wanted to write a new blog post, but had no idea what to write about. I felt very, very stuck in a rut of no ideas. What I had, and what I felt were both a bleeding wound to my creativity.

When facing the nearly-insurmountable wall of doubt that writer’s block creates, it’s easy to presume that the problem of coming up with something new is entirely about “the topic”. For example, I’ve felt a little empty on coming up with article ideas for quite awhile now. As common as it is, I’ll bet that a few of you understand how I feel.

I’ve decided to challenge this frustration by simply digging straight through until I come out the other side. Having the urge to write something, I tried to answer the first question that came to my mind: “what is my topic?”. Unsurprisingly, the answer didn’t just pop right out and tap me on the shoulder. Nor will it with you.

With the release of a new design here on antonpeck.com, I'd like to take some time to get to know my visitors a tiny bit better. This article is now here as a format for you to introduce yourselves; to allow you to take a moment to say “hello”, perhaps mention what sort of system/browser you use, or where you are from.

SXSW is now upon us, and vast amounts of geeks from all over the world are converging on the weird citizens of Austin, Texas to have their mental orgy of nerd-araderie. From the interactive panels during the day, to the booze-filled bellies at night, the city is going to be quite interesting for the next couple of weeks.

Although I’m unable to bring myself (and others who aren't there) to Austin, perhaps there's a tiny (and fun) way I can bring Austin here…

As of right now, I’m publicly giving out my Google GrandCentral number to everyone here. This is a number that I don't have forwarded to any of my phones, and am just using it as a way to collect messages, so why not take advantage of it?

Here’s the number (linked for iPhone users):

+1-309-822-4089

UPDATE

I've started keeping an archive of all the messages on my Huffduffer account. They're sorted as starting from the bottom.

In the desire to create something truly unique, web designers may be tempted to utilize visual techniques in typography that are borrowed from print form. Of these techniques, one popular method is to place text vertically.

Today‘s question that I‘d like to address is: “Should vertical/rotated type be used in web design?”

My quick-draw gut-reaction answer is: “No. I don‘t believe it should.” Read on, to find out why.

I could tell by the body language of the couple in the vehicle ahead of me this morning that they were having a pretty serious argument. The waving hands and sharp head movements were an odd contrast to the soft drone of the road that hummed by under my wheels. I could only imagine what they were saying. This went on for five minutes before the truck eased its way through traffic toward a ramp I wasn’t taking.

Recently, I turned 40.

It happened on Sunday, February 1st (the same day that the Steelers won the Super Bowl).

Approaching this age has not been very easy for me (nor was it very difficult). The event creeped up on me like a fog, surrounding me with a deep sense of introspection. I deeply pondered the things I’ve done with my life, and the things I’ve still yet to do.

Along that journey, I began thinking of specific points where I took very acute changes in my direction. The strange road that has brought me to this very point in time. Those acute changes I can see in my mind as plotted points along a graph, with names attached to them – names of the people who have actually had a direct effect on my life’s travels.

In these days of the modern web, people are finding themselves connected in ways that were never before imagined. With these new venues of networking, there also comes a new class of personal responsibility when it comes to how people receive and interpret your internet behavior. Twitter and Facebook both have status updates that can instantly send any random thought you post to every contact on your list - or further (global!), for those who have a public profile. How seriously do you consider the repercussions of what you type?

Having been guilty of not self-moderating my own lifestream at times, I have often regretted some of the things that I’ve posted online. At 140 characters, what can be typed may not always be an accurate reflection of what was thought or felt at the time. But I’ve found that the internet usually forgives quickly, everyone moves on, and time always heals. Although, each infraction does seem to create a tiny and permanent chip in the perception people have of who you are as a person. Inevitably, your contacts will respect you just a tiny-bit less than they did before.

They say that "content is king". The more love you put into what really fuels your website (be it writing, photography, portfolio materials, or something else), the better your chances are at seeing real success. When good content is paired with an attractive and usable design, this can likely become an unstoppable left-right combo that serves exactly the purpose you build it, to exactly the audience it was meant. This is, after all, why we web designers keep doing our jobs: to create the perfect website.

As you consider the quality of your content, I'd like you to take a moment to consider the quality and language of how you link your content together. Especially for blogs and news feeds with unique summary and body sections, and (if you happen to allow these) the link in your comments section.

The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men,
Gang aft agley,
An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain,
For promis’d joy!

(The best laid schemes of Mice and Men
oft go awry,
And leave us nothing but grief and pain,
For promised joy!)

Robert Burns, To a Mouse (Poem, November, 1785) Scottish national poet (1759 - 1796)

Hello there. The empty bottle of beer sitting on my desk reminds me that I’ve re-written this article at least three times now.  Because I’m still working out the right words that accurately explains my feelings about our relationship. About you coming here to visit me. About you coming here privately, away from the mainstream channels of the internet to see if I’ve drawn something pretty…

I’ve gotten used to being your little secret visiting spot. I’m okay with the fact that I’m not on any list of anything. I’m not in a fancy blog network, and I don’t really get mentioned anywhere.  Long story short: I just want to keep doing what I love to do, and say “hello” to anyone who happens to pass through my little corner of the web, and tell them “thank you” when they leave.  I like to keep it personal.