Since Twitter has been an interesting, sometimes vital, part of my online life for several years, and you, dear blogistas, have benefited here and there, too, now that it may be ready to go I've been looking at the whole thing.
The first idea is to run to alternatives and I've signed up for a couple of potential new platforms, and the newsletters of people I particularly like to hear from. But I've also been thinking about habit and needs.
I quit a heavy smoking habit many years ago and got a lot of questions about what I would replace it with. Answer: nothing.
Briefly I clenched a paperclip in my teeth at work, but quit that too. I found that I didn't actually need to replace smoking, which had been satisfying and time consuming and urgent, very much like social media. Hmm.
I just let my days reshape as they would, though the need didn't abate for a long time. So I'm considering that, and wondering if it applies.
Only a long time smoker really gets the difficulty of quitting and staying quit of a habit that wasn't healthy and it strikes me that there may be parallels. Not sure, but I'm doing a bit of what religious professed people call discernment.
Meanwhile, I thought it would be good to resume my daily art making for your interest, before I get too rusty to draw. I last did a drawing in late July, so maybe that will happen again.
Here's today, the little art making book and trusty box of tools out.
A five minute drawing with a carpenter's pencil
I did what I rarely do, draw from an online image, of Elizabeth Fraser, Scottish musician, couldn't find a photo credit, just to get started and because I was attracted by the face and hair shape.
I didn't time it, just drew till I was done then noticed the time elapsed. This book is all about brief art making, that being the nature of how I do it. I can see how faulty this drawing is, showing rust, but best I can do today
I usually draw from life, more energy that way. Anyway I think I'll resume doing this exercise again, from life, daily if it works out that way.
Happy day everyone, enjoy your day with the materials at hand. A clue for the word puzzle: it's a visible body part!
I'm interested to know why you chose a carpenter's pencil to do your drawing? Isn't the flat lead more difficult to manoeuvre on the page? My Dad was a carpenter so I grew up seeing him use these pencils, but only on wood and other materials, LOL!
ReplyDeleteThe carpenter's pencil is like three in one, if you sharpen it squarely. The corners are for fine lines, the narrow sides for wider lines and the flattest big side for wider lines still, useful for shading and background fill. Yes, you learn how to use it, like any tool, and you learn how to sharpen it to your own needs. I heart my carpenter's pencils.
DeleteI too love to draw with a carpenter’s pencil for exactly these reasons. And because they are cheap, don’t break in the bag and can be used for all sorts of other things.
DeleteThanks for enlightening me, both of you! I will see carpenters pencils with new eyes now!
DeleteI just found a ton of comments in spam including my own responses to comments. I'll work through them to publish what should be.
ReplyDeleteI gave up social media almost 4 years ago.I never was into Twitter. I came back to blogging, I'm sure because some connection was missing. I'm more suited to this medium than I am to Facebook. I like your drawing. If that is what rusty looks like, I like rusty.
ReplyDeleteI like blogging because you can express yourself at length, though I've learned a lot from the accounts I follow at Twitter, and would be sorry to lose them.
DeleteI think that drawing turned out well -- certainly better than I could do! Twitter never captured my interest, though I did try it out. Briefly.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I can see now how my drawing setup was off, too hasty. But I had to do it to find that out.
DeleteThe answer to the word puzzle flashed before my eyes the second I read the hint. Is that cheating? LOL. Be well.
ReplyDeleteNo, it's inspiration!
DeleteI've never had a Twitter account. At this moment in time, I am grateful for that.
ReplyDeleteI like your drawing. Yes! Keep it up!
For those of us who live alone, with no partner nor family Twitter has been a social life.
ReplyDeleteWe are excited to see you sharing your art with us again. It is inspirational and it might eventually encourage F to take up a daily creative challenge again. Sometimes carrying a small sketchpad and using it can be a good way to take a proper brain clearing break from work at lunch times.
ReplyDeleteI used to recommend people keep a pack of blank index cards and a couple of pencils in their purse, for this purpose. It's nice to know you could draw if you wanted to. Also index cards, 5x3 or 8x5, are golden rectangles, great shape to work with.
DeleteI went off Twitter a few years ago. I was too absorbed and missing out otherwise.
ReplyDeleteI'm still on twitter. It's where I get up to the minute political news and as long as the people I follow stay so will I. I've registered on at least 3, maybe 4 alternative sites but I haven't found them to be enticing or all that easy to use. Maybe I'll have to look at them again and see. I keep most the hate and lies and BS at bay by keeping my preference to 'latest tweets' which seems to only show the ones by the people I follow as opposed to 'home' where you get top tweets first which I gather is whatever gets the most likes or comments whether I follow them or not. A friend deleted all her social media accounts over a year ago, says she doesn't miss it at all.
ReplyDeleteYes, I've tailored my account to include people I want to read and dodge a lot of hostility. It's quite possible.
DeleteSpeaking as someone with ZERO artistic ability, I envy you your pastime. Amazing to be able to sketch something out like that.
ReplyDeleteThank you. It's nice for anyone to try just for the pleasure of it.
DeleteI have become reliant on TW for both sports news and regular news and views. So, we’ll have to see what happens with the little fascist kingmaker running it.
ReplyDeleteNever a twitter fan, but looking forward to your drawings!
ReplyDeleteThey're good for getting calm.
DeleteHaving spent very little time on the computer on this (continuing) Road Trip With Dogs, I'm amazed at what extra time I have. I can't imagine finding the time for other social media beyond blogs and blog friends. When we get home I'm going to evaluate how to cut my laptop time and increase my real life time.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I appreciate that Twitter, well-curated, can be helpful to some (and I appreciate reaping the occasional benefit thereof).
Chris from Boise
I may need to do likewise now that it's looking as if Twitter is falling into ruins. I don't have TV, so online has filled that part of my life. But things change.
ReplyDeleteI've never been involved in Twitter or Instagram - it's quite enough for me to read blogs and keep up with my kids on Facebook. Had I been involved in Twitter I would be dumping it at lightning speed now that Donald AH has been allowed to rejoin.
ReplyDeleteIn fact that's not happening. He was invited, says not interested, he's got his own. So it's probably hot air. Even when he was on there, I had him permanently blocked and literally never saw a word from him or any followers. It's like not going to the shady part of town, you just don't.
DeleteHot air - he's certainly full of that (and other things that shouldn't be uttered in polite society)
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