Historical Re-enactment: New Kid on the Chopping Block!

A lot of my time and effort has been put into researching medieval re-enactment and deciding which group I should join. I kept many things in mind as there were a variety of areas to choose from; certain groups focused more on daily life than warfare, others got really involved with the handicraft side of things. Despite all these differences, the one thing they all shared in common was a unique approach to training and educating their members. Read more

The Plague of Ignorance

The Plague of Ignorance surrounds me
A pall,
brackish in its lack of understanding
Who will see
Who will know
And who will then believe

Fortunate I am
that some know the candle
The fierce lux
of an intelligent flame
Coming to full power
for friends
of similar inclination
Friends who know
how to inspire
a nation’s flagging pride
and haunted yearning eyes

And even those who see
Like me
Sometimes are blinded
by the spots
upon my soul
Some see only these
and not the whole

How fortunate I am
that friends
from whom I draw
measures of inspiration
flick the spots aside
And look upon
the whole of my soul and know me

Know me for who I really am
What would I do without you
Great friends
Conquerors of conquerors
Warriors of Reason
Triumphant
over Robots
and Circuits of the Soul

Fortunate I am
that you can see
and join me as we swim
above insanity.

A poem from an NDK Creative Artist poetry collection, Rhymes of Reason.

As the Dollar Falls and Fails Creativity will Rise

Those who know how to make nothing into something are going to come into their own in the next few years.

This is really about the power of words. I remember when the current Bush administration came into office—I call it the Badministration because it’s bad, really bad. I also call it the Budministration because it’s a corporate crony thing. I remember Cheney saying one word that sent a shudder through the nation and the world.

“Recession.”

I knew then that we were in for a rough ride. That word was loaded and timed and given deliberate intolerable emphasis that came straight out of Naomi Klein’s Shock Doctrine: the Rise of Disaster Capitalism. I’ll never forget that moment.

Cheney’s pose and stance reminded me of Adolph Hitler. I could see and feel the relish with which Cheney delivered that word, as if he knew all that he was setting in motion, and in hindsight, I now know that he did in fact relish that moment.

It was one of his first speeches as Vice President. It was one of those defining moments in history, one that you remember, that niggles at you because you know it was important and it won’t leave your mind alone. It ties up attention in a knot that won’t unravel, but that you pick at anyway, determined to grok, and which with persistence and time you will connect to the right dots so that the full understanding occurs, and you finally realize its significance.

The Fall of the Dollar Empire is an excellent analysis of economic history over the last decade or so. I remember how buoyant America felt during the Clinton years—it felt like the American nation was finally going somewhere and that it would get there. There was optimism in the air that you could touch and hold and caress with confidence. One word destroyed that feeling. One word.

With one word Cheney defined what he was about to do with his bush-baby president, create a recession, a world-wide recession.

I wrote about the power of words recently. America is about to learn a hard lesson in humility that is going to have far reaching affects on the entire world.

So I want to say this:

In the face of doom, creativity—in all its positive and constructive forms—is the most important thing to nurture and support, for when everything becomes nothing, that is when creativity steps up and makes something from nothing.

You cannot create much of any use to anybody when you are in despair, so look to those things that offer hope, which lift spirits, provide levity and luster to an existence the weight of which would otherwise crush.

There is another side to globalization that is happening and it’s not all doom, it’s optimistic, it’s positive and it’s an alternative system to that which already exists. It’s all around us right now, an element here, an element there, a spark there, a flare over here, warmth in a cold and otherwise bleak moment. Those are the things that are going to pull humanity through what’s coming.

Create!

Recipes for Creativity - Sardines on Toast

In July 2007 we told you we’d bring you some recipes for creativity; snacks and meals that get the creative juices running hot.

This is a recipe my father taught me and I just love it because it’s quick and easy to put together and it gives me an intense creative burst, especially for late night sessions.

What you need

• 1 tin of sardines in oil or water. I prefer Brunswick sardines because they have enough fish in each tin to make a decent sized snack for one sitting.
• 2 - 4 pieces of toasted bread.
• 1 tomato sliced in 4 pieces (one for each bit of toast)
• Black pepper (ground)
• Half a finely chopped onion (depending on size of onion)
• 1 tablespoon of malt vinegar
• 1 mixing bowl
• 1 fork

Instructions

Open the sardines and put them all into the mixing bowl. Add the vinegar, finely chopped onion, and mash the sardines, onion and vinegar together. Add pepper to taste. The mashed sardines should be a bit sloppy.

Toast the bread. Spread the sardine mash onto the toasted bread (with or without spread as you wish). Garnish with sliced tomato and a little more black pepper, perhaps with a little salt on the tomato only. Adding a little parsley is also tasty.

Serve and enjoy.

This snack is high in energy and fish oil that gets the mind working optimally in a very short time. I generally will prepare this late at night and consume it while I work. It gives me a high energy creative boost for about 3 - 4 hours. The same recipe can be adapted substituting tinned salmon. Joel Falconer would probably do it with tuna. But then he’s a bit like peppercorns placed between the hard jaws of a nut cracker that is closed with force. You don’t need to use all the sardine mix at once. If you have some left over for the next night that’s great. Just toast your bread, spread and garnish with tomato.

Freely Articulated Web: Links for the 15th of February

Here’s the Free Articulator team’s latest favorite links from across the web. Check them out:

• The 5 Immutable Laws of Persuasive Blogging - Brian Clark offers a short but useful piece for bloggers. It’s a great read if you’re using blogging as a distribution or promotion tool for your creative work. The third rule is an important one.
• The Elements of Typographic Style Applied to the Web - this practical guide to web typography is fascinating and insanely useful.
• 5 Inspiration Hacks for Creative People - Creativity stuck and blocked? Leo Babauta always has great advice for hacking that block out of the way.
• Selling your work in the US? You should really read this important market demographics research.
• This one is especially for writers: read about the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard and how it can benefit for you. It’s a shameless self-plug, but you might find it useful.
• Orwell Rolls in His Grave - get your daily dose of truth from this critical look at the so-called Fourth Estate. Can we make the phrase ‘Fourth Estate’ mean something again? Yes, I think so.
• Finally, a case in point: protecting your intellectual property is important.

On Valentine’s Day

I am here for your pleasure
I came here to do
things no other could or would do
With nothing to lose but my life
I came here to give you hope
and freedom from strife
and with words I now blaze a path
that’s lined with triumphs
and banners of freedoms to come and amaze

I never knew I would meet you,
nor hoped to win your fine fair heart
For I came alone with heavy heart
I’d thought been turned to stone
How thankful I am
that you showed me I was wrong
and gave me the strength of inspiration
that’s greater than just being strong

Now you’re just over the hill
and nestled in the valley of dreams
I count you among the stars to come
and plan for your arrival
among true friends full of understanding

Things grow from words you know
It is the language of thinking men and women
Many come to know me now
They chase my thoughts across white fields
of truth, hope and beauty
and this is but the flurry before the storm
That storm is coming now
Soon it will be here
Angry and afraid
Then we will need your bright free fiery spirit
armed with melody and message to melt the toughest heart
Oh yes! We’ll be sore pressed
without the power of your tones

Forget the battles of old that passed between us
and only learn the lessons for they were fought to teach us
how to play the game you always knew you should win
Now Liberty’s sister Victory holds her banner high
Furled it is, but ready to stream across the sky
The one that reminds me of the beauty in your eyes
I am here
I know how to put an end to fear and fury
I would not say it, were it not true
For I cannot lie to you of past, present or futures
that present the possibilities of choice for you to grasp

There are miracles on offer
I swear upon my honor
though they be for everyone
They’re especially for you
I came here for your pleasure
No matter the cost
All is never lost
For you always have the freedom to choose
the consequences of your decision

I am here
an open book of dedication
despite mistakes that would have broken lesser men
I write them away
I right them with my pen of action
and the keys that tap technology
more powerful than any sword
Words of reason for the Age that comes full season
Words of passion to fire a soul
mend it, make it whole
Words that’ll span an age
as only timeless truths can do
Words written for you
To tell you this heart
still yearns
for you.

On Valentine’s Day

The Points of the Creative Artists’ Code: Fourteen - Creating Ideal Scenes

NDK Creative Artist continues the Points of the Creative Artists’ Code series with this discussion about creating ideal scenes to inspire action or thought in the recipient of artistic communications. - Joel Falconer, Editor-in-Chief Read more

How Tour Breaks Preserve Sanity, Health and Bands

From bands who are signed to major record labels, to independents slogging it out, musicians are frequently on long tours; six months, a year, eighteen months, sometimes even more, of constant globe-trotting while the executives lean back in their big stuffy chairs at home and enjoy the green smell of cash, cash, cash. Read more

Always on the hunt for Writing Tips? - The Oldies are the Goodies - Orwell’s Tips

Words are not cheap.

They are underrated and under appreciated by most. As a marketeer for one of Allforart’s clients, I have set the agenda on a specific topic and subject of immense import with three words - Celebrate, Educate, Activate. To date they have driven meetings, formed coalitions, caused workshops to be held, and formed up some strong international and domestic alliances.

I don’t, by the way, say this to do anything more than illustrate the power of a few words and that is germane to this particular post (I am however, proud of what those 3 words are accomplishing and I wish I could say more).

Words drive action. But not just any words, you have to pick the words that will do the work and get the job done, and how you do that is the work of making words work.

I was recently studying some writing techniques for this blog medium that is fairly new to me. I’ve only been blogging for about 8 months now and I’m learning a lot all the time thanks to so many who have made their knowledge freely available. I’m still sure I’m making every mistake there is to make, but that’s all to the good; the lessons of mistake are always the most valuable.

Orwellian Thinking - It’s not allowed!

I was recently talking to Branwen, whose first article (a good piece on backyard battling) has appeared on the Free Articulator, about George Orwell and the effect of his words. I was pointing out that Orwell used two words and a number to move the world: “Big Brother” and 1984.

Big Brother made everybody paranoid, suspicious and afraid of computers and (not without good reason) surveillance, has spawned a reality tv show, and become a solid part of our cultural lingo in the west. It is a symbol of oppression and invasive government practices that have plagued and dogged administrations who need to be, let’s face it, plagued and dogged!

I might wish that Orwell had used the term Shocking Sister instead, if just to get a rise out of a few thorny feminists. Men are too often perceived as the source of oppression, and it’s a burden to carry that around and feel anchored by something I’m not.

1984 anchored the world to a date and a prediction about a state of affairs that is sadly all too true today. 1984 will never be the same year again - in this year of high technology and every year hereafter that civilization continues to use high technology, 1984 will be shadowing the public memory of man.

But Orwell’s writing tips are something new to me and I’m grateful to John Wesley for pointing them out in his article George Orwell’s 5 Rules for Effective Writing. The entire article is worth your time.

Here’s my take on Orwell’s 5 Writing Tips.

1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.

I totally agree. If you read the Writing Tips available for download, you’ll see that I tackle the issue of utilizing cliché and encourage an imaginative mindset. Great writers will develop new clichés, not continue to overuse the old ones.

2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.

I agree, but I reserve the right to employ a senior principle. Function determines structure and content, which leads you into defining the valuable final effect. This principle gets you to think about your audience, which then determines function and defines whether long or short words are appropriate.

I am also mindful that one of the purposes for reading is to learn new things, including words. The very idea that “the use of long words means one is pretentious” is one I may sometime debate, but preferably with a person of smaller stature than myself so that their small and short words do not pass over my head.

I don’t know of a better way to create ignorance or prevent knowledge-sharing than to say “the fruit in the bowl is rotten and will make you evil.”

Yet at the same time we have the words of someone like Mencken, who defined a demagogue as:

“One who preaches doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots”

And the philosopher Santanyana who said,

“There is wisdom in turning as often as possible from the familiar to the unfamiliar: it keeps the mind nimble, it kills prejudice, and it fosters humor.”

To reconcile such ideas we must think for ourselves, and that means we must know what the words mean.

Censure language and put your freedom to learn, know and think in peril.

The language we use and do not use defines us; I don’t know about you, but I would be harder to define than most. (chuckle)

3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

Excellent advice, most of the time. But again, it depends on the effect, and the audience you are communicating to, and the function the words have to perform.

If it ruins the aesthetic, the flow of the words and the rhythm and purpose of the piece, then “cutting a word out” is a mistake.

4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.

Again, what is the context? Never is an extremely long time. Additionally, it denies an important reality: the passive form has its purpose, it is a limited purpose, but it does have a place. Know what that place is and when it is appropriate, and use it then.

Writing that is always active and never passive, does not give the mind an opportunity to pause, to find a quieter pace, before being plunged once more into the action of words that dance the two-step to a foxtrot.

5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.

Oh, dear. I’m screwed. Look, onomatopoeia is a word that exists for a reason. It’s useful. It describes a particular form and style of word that is unique, and therefore distinct. The word is useful because it means I can use one word instead of eight (or more). So long words can and do improve communication economy.

6. Break any of these rules sooner than saying anything outright barbarous.

Yes, that’s my point exactly. But a barrage of barbaric bluster when used in judicious fashion adds a bit of spice and shock value for the timorous and timid, who are always ready to jump in case lightning strike when they think a “naughty” (but completely bio-natural) thought.

In closing I would offer:

• Before you follow rules, think.
• Rules are for people who do not, refuse to, or cannot think with principles or concepts.
• Learning is a lifelong process that means discovering new things.
• Dumbing people down is easy to accomplish; simply forbid them to learn new words and how to use them. Even better, scare them into being thought of as no longer like everybody else, of losing touch with those who they love and are friends with - oh yeah. That’s anti-intellectualism at work, right there; condemns people to slavery. Disgusting stuff.
• The advantage of your ignorance lies with the fellow who is not.
• Balance, like judgment, is always important.

There are ways to use words that enable a reader to learn the meaning without having to visit a dictionary every two sentences.

Principles liberate, rules confine.

Historical Re-enactment: Battling in your Own Backyard

When I was about seven years old, I was taken by my grandparents to a small medieval fair.

By this age I had developed a fondness for castles and all things medieval; a fetish inspired by watching movies such as The Last Unicorn, The Sword and the Stone and Quest for Camelot, repeatedly as little ones tend to do. I was also developing an interest in history and that continues to this day. Read more