The Quote from Elsewhere
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The behind the scenes post is live. I backed up the project folder. I cleared off the SSD. That felt good. Two terabytes just liberated with a few clicks. The sigh of relief is real.
I started the research process for my next essay yesterday and time tracked it. I'm going to do my best to bring this habit to my essays. I have been tracking work time for six years. It shouldn't be too difficult to implement.
I have a few articles to read for my research. I spent some time yesterday ripping my (apparently expensive) copy of the Looney Tunes Platinum Collection, Volume One on Blu-Ray—say that five times fast. I'm pulling in from quite a few formats and resources for this essay, I think.
Last night, I started The Book of Elsewhere by China Miéville and Keanu Reeves. This quote early on struck a chord.1 I always hate it when a quote hits home when I am in bed for the night. My phone charges out in the dining room, so I have no meaningful way to write the quote down. I've used my Apple Watch before to text myself in digital chick scratch. Thankfully, my wife was in bed and I just borrowed her phone to text myself. Maybe I should leave a Field Notes book and pen on my nightstand...I like that idea. Anyway, here's the aforementioned quote;
"I have always used writing to learn what it is that I think. And I find myself disinclined to leave these mysteries unexamined. I would like to know what I think about this." — The Book of Elsewhere by China Miéville and Keanu Reeves
Why do I write/make these essays? Why does anyone put pen to paper? Part of it is to figure out what we think about The Thing™, that big amorphous thing that captivated our brains in some electrifying way. Why? Why did our synapses fire off? What is it that compels me?
I would like to know what I think about this.
Until next time...
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I've been thinking about and reading quotes about creation lately. ↩
This letter is one block from the newsletter Memory Card by Max Roberts. Thoughts? Send me an email at max@maxfrequency.net.
Max is the writer and producer behind Max Frequency. cultivate and curate curiosity—both for himself and for others—by delighting in the details and growing greatness from small beginnings.
He's written a rich history and dive on the making of Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Part II, celebrated the 15th anniversary of Super Smash Bros. Brawl with the voice behind its hype, and examined how Zelda "stole" Fortnite's best mechanic.
Memory Card is a real-ish time, raw, drip feed newsletter of his creative process for telling these stories. It’s how The Thing™ gets made.
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Wanna see The Thing™? Check it out on YouTube. Read it on The Blog.