WordPress

Crafty, Creative Writing, Entertainment, WordPress

Playing with WordPress and other Creative Endeavors

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So, I got bored of the standard “2011” WordPress theme, plus I’ve been wanting to learn more about how WP works and can be customized, so if you’ve been here before, you’ll see I’ve modified the design a bit. As in, installed an entirely different theme! I didn’t design the theme, just trying to make it my own and figure out all the quirks. (For one: why is it centering all the smileys? Very strange indeed…) Graphic designers need to know these things to be useful to their clients, after all. 😀

I still have a million other things I’m juggling at the moment (well, maybe not a million things, but a decent amount), not the least of which is working on a collaborative rewrite of a screenplay! Yes, at last I am using those creative writing skills for good (not that I didn’t before). I was approached by Vernon “Eck” Eckleberry of Atlantic Pictures, LLC; he’s a classmate from a screenwriting class I took through Gotham Writers’ Workshop, and it’s been an exciting process so far! Since we’re several states apart, we’re doing the Skype thing (very useful service, let me tell you), and making some really great revisions to his original script, 10,000 Angels. His first film, Mattie and Meteor, is in post-production right now and is slated to air on OWN in the fall. Stay tuned as we go along, because I’m hoping it’s just one little step toward a very rewarding series of long-term projects! 🙂

I am also doing some artsy-fartsy things and trying to gear up for opening a little Etsy shop soon, but it’s not quite ready to go, so hang tight. If you like quirky critters made out of polymer clay, though (sneak a peek here), it’ll be right up your alley! And that’s all I’m going to say for now. 😉

That’s about it for today – check back now, ya hear?

Design, Education, WordPress

My First WordPress Blog…Aww.

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A lot of what I do, design-wise, tends to be inspired by stuff I find online or through just plain experimentation. This blog is part of that process; while I have taken classes for graphic design and writing and whatnot, most of the “Web Monkey” stuff came through trial and error. I’ve been on the Internet awhile (since 1996), but given not many around me at the time had a clue about technology in general, I was pretty much on my own figuring out how to code HTML, CSS, etc. Looking back on some of it, it’s embarrassing just how BAD previous versions of my existence were – NO, I’m not linking to them! However, it’s made my skill set well-rounded over time, though, and as technology evolves, so am I. Given how long it’s been since I last overhauled my site, you could say a lot of nothing has gone on, but actually, a lot of learning has gone on during the hiatus! Yay! 😀

As for this blog, fortunately, my Web host has “one-click install” features that allowed me to set this up pretty quickly, right here on my own domain. But, I like to customize things and make them my own, so I sought out more information on the subject. Anyway, as I’ve been slowly learning more about WordPress, I came across an ongoing tutorial from HOW Design (an invaluable site and magazine for designers) for building a WordPress site in 30 minutes a day over 21 days (your mileage may vary; given I already have quite the background in editing and tinkering with code and graphics, plus maintaining my own site, the first couple of steps weren’t needed). Just in a couple day’s time I’ve learned a few valuable tidbits, and plan to follow along with the rest of the series.

Here’s where you, too, dear reader, can learn about one of the most widely-used pieces of blogging software out there right now, and how to make it your own, too. (I’m not being compensated for this plug, I simply find it very useful and worth sharing.) I am linking to the author’s page, as it’s easier to find all the parts in one spot:

Jesse Friedman’s Guide to Building Your First WordPress Blog

Anyway, as time goes on, so should this blog, I hope. Stay tuned…