In a recent conversation with my father regarding my abhorrence of the ubiquity and "naturalness" of certain technologies (i.e. Kindle, Ipads, Instant Messaging, "Smart" Cellular Phones, Digital Cameras, Electronic Coffee Makers, etc), he compared blogs to portfolios. That is, blogs are modern day literary portfolios with the capacity to display one's writing and thought processes to a broad audience. If I consider them in that light, it does not feel so strange or off-putting to possess one of my own. After all, I am a writer who just happens to live in an age where technology runs our lives. Technology and consumerism may influence my life to a larger extent than I would like it to, but that does not change reality. Blogs, smart phones, kindles, tablets, intrusive airport security devices, and other inventions are here to stay, so I will act selectively by using what suites me.
If in the pre-blog era independent, budding writers had hard copy [paper] portfolios with the full litany of their compositions whose viewing was more restricted, there are now millions upon millions of bloggers eager to express themselves to the world at large that (for an ephemeral period at least) is willing to hear most of them. This is definitively one area where I think technology has improved our existence-its ability to simultaneously project voices and opinions to the far reaches of our world. If one so desires, they will now be heard.
If everyone seemingly has one, is it cliche to have a blog?...Probably....But if it is, musn't it also have been cliche to have a portfolio?...Definitely. So many of us write, or at least express our views in a written manner. Fewer of us, however, stimulate others through writing. And even fewer of us ever write as a vocation or inspire with our words, but my central being and survival depends on doing just that.
I therefore am starting this blog, online journal, portfolio, or whatever you would like to call it, for the purposes of expressing myself, discussing topics and aspects of life that I find relevant, and honing this craft. Writing, after all, is not a gift that we naturally excel at (or don't), we must practice it and struggle with it before it feels natural. I'm going to use this opportunity then, as one way of reaching my professional goal: to become a traveling journalist like my namesake-Sasu Punanen.
I stated a purpose, but must now introduce the content and scope of this inchoate reflective-journalistic endeavor. There are four or five features of this modern age that truly move me, but for the sake of my potential readers it is best that I more selectively round my focus. You may now be asking yourselves, 'what does From the Pitch to the Kitch-en even mean?' It means that the topics that I will discuss most extensively will revolve around the football (or soccer) pitch and the kitchen. This will not exclusively be a "foodie/wino" or "soccer" blog, but gastronomy and football are two of my central interests that I feel most knowledgeable and passionate about. Art, music, film, travel, language, "politics," technology, and human relations will also occupy parts of this project as I view them as critical interrelated constructs of modern existence.
As a general precept, many of my writings will contain words, phrases, or sentences in other languages. This is because I am a man of the world. I may write mostly in English, but I am from many places, have varied customs, and consider myself a universal being. I will do my best to provide translations when necessary. In addition, in keeping with the modern ubiquity of aural and visual stimulation, I will include photos, audio, and occasionally videos. Posts will not be restricted to one format and will only share in common my commitment to clarity, "relateability," and stimulating content. I will write at least once a week, but hopefully more often than that.
It is with both ambition and optimism that I launch this project in the hopes that: I can connect with people, even with those who are not immediately interested in gastronomy or football, that I can effectively articulate myself and improve on my craft, and that it will somehow contribute to my self betterment. I do not profess to be universally accepting or open minded, but I promise to read and consider with the maximum broad-mindedness that I possess any responses to my work. Thus begins my entrance into the "bloggosphere" and the initiation of my project: FP-2-K
If in the pre-blog era independent, budding writers had hard copy [paper] portfolios with the full litany of their compositions whose viewing was more restricted, there are now millions upon millions of bloggers eager to express themselves to the world at large that (for an ephemeral period at least) is willing to hear most of them. This is definitively one area where I think technology has improved our existence-its ability to simultaneously project voices and opinions to the far reaches of our world. If one so desires, they will now be heard.
If everyone seemingly has one, is it cliche to have a blog?...Probably....But if it is, musn't it also have been cliche to have a portfolio?...Definitely. So many of us write, or at least express our views in a written manner. Fewer of us, however, stimulate others through writing. And even fewer of us ever write as a vocation or inspire with our words, but my central being and survival depends on doing just that.
I therefore am starting this blog, online journal, portfolio, or whatever you would like to call it, for the purposes of expressing myself, discussing topics and aspects of life that I find relevant, and honing this craft. Writing, after all, is not a gift that we naturally excel at (or don't), we must practice it and struggle with it before it feels natural. I'm going to use this opportunity then, as one way of reaching my professional goal: to become a traveling journalist like my namesake-Sasu Punanen.
I stated a purpose, but must now introduce the content and scope of this inchoate reflective-journalistic endeavor. There are four or five features of this modern age that truly move me, but for the sake of my potential readers it is best that I more selectively round my focus. You may now be asking yourselves, 'what does From the Pitch to the Kitch-en even mean?' It means that the topics that I will discuss most extensively will revolve around the football (or soccer) pitch and the kitchen. This will not exclusively be a "foodie/wino" or "soccer" blog, but gastronomy and football are two of my central interests that I feel most knowledgeable and passionate about. Art, music, film, travel, language, "politics," technology, and human relations will also occupy parts of this project as I view them as critical interrelated constructs of modern existence.
As a general precept, many of my writings will contain words, phrases, or sentences in other languages. This is because I am a man of the world. I may write mostly in English, but I am from many places, have varied customs, and consider myself a universal being. I will do my best to provide translations when necessary. In addition, in keeping with the modern ubiquity of aural and visual stimulation, I will include photos, audio, and occasionally videos. Posts will not be restricted to one format and will only share in common my commitment to clarity, "relateability," and stimulating content. I will write at least once a week, but hopefully more often than that.
It is with both ambition and optimism that I launch this project in the hopes that: I can connect with people, even with those who are not immediately interested in gastronomy or football, that I can effectively articulate myself and improve on my craft, and that it will somehow contribute to my self betterment. I do not profess to be universally accepting or open minded, but I promise to read and consider with the maximum broad-mindedness that I possess any responses to my work. Thus begins my entrance into the "bloggosphere" and the initiation of my project: FP-2-K
Wow, Sas. Nice going.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck with the online journal