A Different Social Media

For a while now I have been completely fed up with Facebook. I don't post here enough. I don't write enough. I don't do anything enough. Yet, when I'm not working, feeling sick, or sleeping, I stare at this electronic monster that eats my life, weakens my mind, and swallows my soul. I hate it, but I don't hate Social Media. I know there is a beauty behind it. I used to think Twitter was the way, until they started cracking down on the ideas of speech. I mean, when the platform founded on the ideas of free speech says they have grown past it (yes I'm over simplifying because I don't want to look up the quote) I lose faith in the platform. It still has its place and uses, but man, what a let down.

I started looking around at the alternatives, some of the new things coming out looked great. Some of them looked really great for artists! Then strangeness occurred. I was going to go into some details here, but I won't. Let's leave it at this. What I found is a few different places that aren't right. Places that don't live up to the hype, or places where those banned from Twitter congregate. In one case, I hope they evolve. In the other, I'm amazed that we now have two echo chambers fueling opposite sides. It is terrifying and counterproductive.

I didn't start this to bash what is out there though. Except maybe Facebook, because man am I miserable there. Aren't you? Never seeing the posts you want to see? Having ads for things you hate, don't want and don't need shoved down your throat, but not knowing what the people on your friends list are up to? I'm not saying I'm leaving it, not yet, but I'm spending less time there.

There has to be a better way.

And there is.

Come join me on Minds. I'm not sure if this link will automatically follow me. If not, follow PatrickElliottWrites and boom. There are a lot of great things about this place. Most of them you can discover for yourself. Your posts reach all of your followers. You earn points that you can use to boosts your posts to others. You can follow things you like. You can monetize your channel, so if you're an artist you can make some of your posts pay to view, if you want. I haven't done that yet, but I will probably do it in the future, maybe I'll go with Patreon instead, maybe both. Oh, and if you're not a dinosaur like me. They are launching a cryptocurrency in the first quarter of next year. So, lots of good stuff. The best part? I'm there, and I'm a badass. So, join me.

https://www.minds.com/register?referrer=PatrickElliottWrites

#minds #artists #author #socialcommentary #socialmedia #revolution

One Eyed Men

Don't blame me. Blame the #muse and the #writingprompt

it is the day after the world went blind

the last man who could see gave in and bought a tablet

i am as blind as anyone

my screen

my virtual reality

my all i see

if i looked around i would see that they are all like me

if i peered up i would see them all in the worlds orbiting mine

walking i repost stolen memes of political bigots and idolaters

if i pause i might see her the girl so lonely that she surfs the singles sites

i might ask her our because she is just my type

she might not slice into crimson chords that spill her lifes painting on white porcelain tonight

i dont and she will

i might see the man in blue as he watches the computer and aims the gun at the transient

it could happen that the bum would turn from the darkness of the news in the store window

i could step in and stop the bullet one way or another

there is a chance

just one chance

that i would see the boy playing a game on his phone

scoop him up before he enters the road

some small hope i could wave down the bus driver reading the electronic map

if any of us could see we might stop the travesty of a child buried under moving steel

if any of us could see we would see it is the screens that make us blind

if we took off our three dimensional glasses we might notice the darkness

we might understand it replaced the truth they were meant to bring

we might just might find a one eyed man to stop us from setting the world on fire

we dont though

we stay blind

the child screams and the world becomes tinder

ashes in our mouths

if only it was taste we lost

instead of vision

#shortstory #art #artiss #author #Awethors #commentary #experimentations #surreal #writer #writing

Semi Random Thought

So I was out walking tonight and almost got hit by a van as I was crossing the street. The van was turning and behind me and no I wasn't texting and walking... at that point. As I start to back up the driver is waving at me frantically to cross. I finally did but I was wondering what kind of crazy person I was to walk in front of a vehicle that had just come close to running me over.

That got me thinking about why I walk. It started it as a way of continuing to lose weight but I keep doing it for the creative process. I walk and listen to a random Pandora station. Okay, not random, it's normally the one with the female led rock bands. But I keep doing it even on days I don't want to.

I got the inspiration from The Artist's Way. Losing the rest of the stomach I can live without if I have to, but losing the creative voice? Hell no. Seriously, if you are a creative person at all, no matter the medium, pick up that book. It is an eight week course and well worth it. Everyone I have introduced to it has thanked me profusely. It is also part of what finally got me off my ass to go publish something.

Hey, look at that. Promotion for something else. What is my world coming to?






#aboutme #artists #authors #author #commentary #thoughts #writer #writers #writing #theartistsway

On Writers

So one of my big things is hanging out on Writer's Digest and doing their weekly writing prompts. It is an amazing community. One of the folks there got down on themselves and I had to write a response. This might tell you the way I think of my art. And oh yeah... since I haven't said it in this post buy my book.

Thank you (name deleted to protect the innocent). I aim to please, well mostly I just aim to let the stories out of my head, but pleasing and someday making money with this are close seconds. I am sorry I have not commented on your story. I read and enjoyed it. I have found that my life is swallowing much of my writing and this forum, as much as I love it, was eating more time than I intended. I have had to pull back a bit. However you should never feel inferior. You are good and you write stories that touch and teach. If you see something or someone you consider good or great then aspiration is wonderful but you should never feel inferior.

Those of us who do this have it hard enough with the judgments of the world. From the moment we hear “But what do you really want to do?” or “How will you pay the bills while you see if it works out?” we know we are different and it is implied that we are lesser, because stories don’t pay the bills, and don’t build societies. Then we here from painters, actors, and other artists that writing isn’t real art and we know even in our tribe we are the outsiders who are looked down on. Well you know what? Storytelling has built society, it brings joy, intelligence, peace, and greatness to the world and it has been around longer than those careers that are now considered viable and will be here when something new has crushed those paths underfoot and moved on. The world makes us feel inferior enough, never do that to yourself. Know that you are great and aspire to be even better. Because you are, and you can be but so can the rest of us. I refuse to feel inferior when I read something by one of the giants. I just realize I’ve got a big task ahead of me to fill those shoes. Please know that you are brave and amazing and helping to build a better world.

Okay. There came my soapbox. Maybe commenting on too little sleep and a few adult beverages is not the best idea in the world, but I meant every word of it. I am glad you found it again and hope you stick with it. I have gone on and off. I never completely lost it but would set it aside for “real life” from time to time. Never give up now that you’re back though. My own story is I have three completed novels and another one that I’m working on. Not because they have been rejected multiple times, but because I have been afraid to put them out there. So I think losing the path is more respectable than seeing it and being afraid to walk it. But we’re both making up for lost time.

#writers #commentary #thoughts #authors #artists #outsider #soapbox