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Anger as Motivation: Revamping the Home for Fiction Blog

January 8, 2024

Experiencing, Home For Fiction

creativity, experiencing, home for fiction, motivation, programming

You might recall that some time ago I completely revamped the main site of Home for Fiction. In the same post I mentioned how one day, if I’d only find the motivation and energy, I’d completely redo the blog, too. Turns out, anger is great motivation. You’re reading a brand new Home for Fiction blog.

Where the anger (and motivation) came from? Before I tell you, know this: The whole process took about a week. It would’ve likely taken even less if it hadn’t happened during the holidays. That’s right; it took me about a week to go from “fuck this shit!” to coding my blog from scratch. Here’s how – and why anger, with certain constraints, can be useful.

anger as motivation; painting of people sitting at a table outside
This is the image that greets you on the front page of the Home for Fiction blog. Albert Camus’s quotation below it is also relevant to a discussion on anger and motivation: “The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.”
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Individuality and Capitalism: Lessons From Remaking my Website

November 13, 2023

Home For Fiction, Programming, Society

capitalism, home for fiction, programming, society

For a long time I’ve been meaning to revamp Home for Fiction. When I put it together back in 2017, I was in the middle of defending my doctoral dissertation, and I had no time or energy for coding, so I simply picked a ready template. Recently, I finally decided to modify it, and the process was thoroughly revealing. From all things, it also taught me a thing or two about individuality, capitalism, and how society is becoming increasingly more dysfunctional.

Yeah, I know; all this from putting together some web pages?

But, in the end, that’s why we need to be experiencing the world around us before we write: in order to discover the connections that lie there unnoticed.

So, in this post, I’ll briefly explain my motivation in changing some things and, above all, what it taught me about individuality and capitalism. And we’ll begin precisely from this point.

individuality and capitalism – cartoon of Punning Walrus in front of computer
This image holds meta- value, because the inclusion of my Punning Walrus cartoon was one of the motivating factors behind modifying the Home for Fiction website
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Punning Walrus: a Wise-Ass Just Like His Creator

October 23, 2023

Home For Fiction, Writing

art, creativity, home for fiction, writing

Punning Walrus is a linguistically self-aware cartoon character I’ve created. You might have already seen him visiting the updated Home for Fiction main site – and here is a post describing that experience.

Punning Walrus began as an inside joke, the details of which probably don’t interest you. Suffice to say, however, that Mr Walrus shares a lot of qualities with his creator, yours truly: He is endlessly critical, linguistically self-aware, and intelligent – being modest though isn’t one of his strongest points.

Mr Walrus spends his time annoying others, being perennially grumpy yet ultimately good-hearted. But doublecross him and he’ll murder you – with words.

Punning Walrus cartoon
Punning Walrus, a wise-ass as critical, linguistically aware, intelligent and modest (cough, cough) as his creator
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