This Blog This Blogger

I've been maintaining this blog for a while now.

I started it whilst working in a fairly dull office job as a place to vent some creative tensions whilst sat for long hours in front of a computer, not having any access to myspace or facebook.

It became a place to discuss my music, my ideas, and a place to promote the work I was doing at the time.

I took great pleasure in developing the words I wanted to use, honing my skills as a writer and a thinker.

In a world that didn't really care about creativity, about ideas and beliefs, this blog was a little online sanctuary.

I can't really say that this is still the case.

My posts are less frequent then before - I just don't seem to find the time to write here anymore. When I do, I don't care so much about the quality of what I'm saying, I don't take the time to structure my writing or to word things as they should be.

So what's changed?

I'm in an academic and a creative environment now - a complete contrast to where I was two years ago. And I don't find myself sat for long hours in front of a computer with nothing to do - if I'm at a computer, I'm making music, or writing an essay.

I also keep my own, personal, real life journal now. Its made of hand made, thick, quality paper and is bound in a thick leather cover. I try to write something a couple of times a week, just to keep note of what I've been doing and how things have affected me. I look forward to reading back through it one day.

Most recently however, I've started micro-blogging on Twitter.

It's taken me about two years to catch up with the rest of the world but I've finally succumbed and become obsessed with blogging my opinions, my day to day activities, in 140 characters or less.

There's something really great about the word limit, the instant nature of it, chose your words carefully but quickly.

Some people think that Twitter is the final nail in the coffin of written word, of prose and structure. Perhaps. But more importantly, it has forced me as a writer to think carefully about what I want to say, exactly what it is that's on my mind, and the instant and throwaway nature of it all just makes me aware that what I say had better be good, because in about a minutes time something will be coming along to replace it, pushing my thoughts to the bottom of the pile.

find me @oliverjowen

I will, of course, continue to run this blog - perhaps improve the quality with some lengthier, more thought out pieces.