Must the Show Go On?

Now that I'm moving to Baltimore, I'm faced with a very tough decision: what to do about Something to Be Desired, the web series I've been producing here in Pittsburgh since 2003.

If you've never seen STBD, you're not alone -- although we're the web's longest-running sitcom, we're also one of the smallest, due mostly to my own inability to properly promote the show WHILE producing it (WHILE also making a living). Because our extensive (and talented) cast all work for free, our only actual expenses for the show are equipment, hosting and time; otherwise -- and if we didn't enjoy it -- we never would have lasted 6+ years.

Now, since the cast can't relocate to Baltimore with me, continued production of STBD becomes nearly impossible without major restructuring. As I see it, I really only have three options:

* Keep producing the show in SOME format, which would require lots of advance planning, remote scheduling and copious amounts of driving (or flying) time -- which obviously inflates the cost of production.

* Let the cast (and whomever else would like to volunteer their camera services) continue to produce the show themselves, and I could advise / assist (within reason) from a distance.

* Cancel the show.

Still Ready for Their Close-Ups?

So far, most of the cast members I've heard from have fallen into 2 categories:

* The veteran cast members would like to see the show continue, but they don't particularly mind if it shuts down either. After 5 or 6 years, they can accept that this particular creative outlet may have reached its end. They would just prefer to see the show end on a high note, rather than as a mass of jumbled loose ends.

* The newer cast members are more vocal about wanting the show to continue, since they've only begun exploring the experience (and their characters). Then again, they also tend to be the cast members who are most actively pursuing stage and film work in Pittsburgh, so they admit this makes them even harder to schedule -- especially from a distance.

Ironically...

... this question of the show's future comes at a time when things have been going quite well for us.

* The fashionistas at Pittsburgh-based ModCloth have offered to outfit some of our cast members for next season's episodes.

* Last year, we were nominated as one of the Top Web Series on Yahoo's annual web video awards. (We lost to The Guild, but that's okay -- so did everyone else.)

* YouTube had begun promoting last season's episodes on the front page of their Entertainment section, resulting in thousands of new views we wouldn't have enjoyed otherwise.

* Web video press like TubeFilter and TilzyTV gave us some ink (or pixels, if you're a purist).

We'd even begun filming some scenes for Season 7 in HD, which would be a big format change for us (and would hopefully help highlight those new ModCloth outfits).

And Yet, in the End...

... it all comes down to me. Over the years, I've struggled annually with the decision of whether or not to keep the show going. Some days (or years) have been harder than others, but the fact that I was collaborating with a talented cast of actors to create something WE controlled was always enough to power me through the down times.

And now, just when it seems like the show may be finding its footing, all signs point toward how logical it would be to shut it down and start anew with something fresh in Baltimore. (Which I'm sure I'll explore regardless of the future of STBD -- there's something to be said for a local creative outlet.)

I know that as long as I have at least one actor and at least one viewer, I have at least one reason to keep producing STBD. And as long as I'm still interested in telling the ongoing story of this cast of characters -- and I am -- I also have a personal reason to continue.

The question I have to ask myself now is: Is it worth it?

Baltimore Bound

Last Friday, Ann and I went to Baltimore. She had a job interview that morning.

On the way home, they emailed to offer her the position.

Suddenly, I've gone from a champion of Pittsburgh to a soon-to-be transplant to Baltimore. What a whirlwind one email makes.

Since I freelance for a living, nothing I do professionally will change despite my new address. (In fact, since most of my current work comes from the New York area, I'll actually be closer to NYC in Baltimore -- maybe I can cut down on the car-destroying road trips.)

Nor will my cultural identity change drastically. To wit:

Pittsburgh is a wonderful, historic, affordable and underrated city with an identity crisis and an ongoing youth population drain.

Baltimore -- from everything I've read so far -- seems to be a wonderful, historic, affordable and underrated city with an identity crisis (namely, its "kid brother" proximity to Washington, DC) and an equally debilitating population drain.

So far, so similar.

The big change will happen in my own personal fishbowl. I've been fortunate to meet dozens of great people here in Pittsburgh whom I consider my friends, acquaintances or the regularly interesting extras in my life. I'm sure those same personalities exist in Baltimore, but our shared Pittsburgh experience won't be in place to help break the ice.

This move also has direct implications for my involvement in PodCamp Pittsburgh (i.e., not much involvement at all) and the future of Something to Be Desired, the web series I've been producing here in Pittsburgh since 2003. I haven't yet decided what that future will be, so I'll consider it over the next several weeks of apartment hunting, U-Haul packing and the waving of goodbyes.

And thus, this is the beginning of my hat tip to Pittsburgh -- a place I'll always consider to be some part of "home," no matter where I live -- and my opening bow toward Baltimore, which will become my home for the next chapter in this occasionally surprising book I'm reading called "life."

I wonder if Baltimore has pierogies...

Photo by stevehdc.

I Have Seen the Future, and It Is Me

I was profiled in a KDKA TV News feature about Pittsburgh's young entrepreneurs. Reporter Andy Sheehan talked to several local innovators about the ways our businesses differ from the norm -- my tendency to work from cafes while producing STBD, for example, or the wisdom of converting a home into the (multi-employee) office for local design firm Blue Tomato.

As always, most news items about young people in Pittsburgh tend to focus on two themes: whether we'll save the city by reinventing it, or whether the city will empower us to make our dreams come true. This particular clip does a bit of both -- which is typical of the city's identity crisis. As the region with the second-oldest population in the country (behind only Miami), Pittsburgh is forever torn between the need to redefine itself and the presumption that it doesn't have to.

If I were a casual viewer, I'd probably think every one of us featured in this video -- including Nick Pinkston and Kellee Maize -- are naive young crackpots who need a real 9-to-5 job to drive some reality down our throats. But, on the off chance that one of us succeeds, that same casual viewer can take pride in the fact that we didn't listen to their conventional wisdom after all.

What I Do: The Floodgates of Self-Promotion

Sometimes this blog goes quiet for awhile, and people might suspect I'm slacking off. While that's often true, sometimes I actually have legitimate(-ish) work to do.

This week, three different videos (that I had varying amounts of involvement with) have hit the web simultaneously. As much as I'd love to promote each of them independently, I happen to be leaving for vacation in Seattle + Portland shortly, so I've decided to group them all together and minimize my own horn-tooting.

Talking Tea with Joe Torre, Phil Simms & Terry Francona



This is a promotional video that the Creative Concepts agency filmed for Bigelow Tea. I happen to record and edit nearly every video that Creative Concepts produces -- including another Bigelow Tea video we filmed this same day, which generated a little buzz over on Chris Brogan's blog.

Something to Be Desired: Episode 6.7 "The Red Scare"



In addition to my corporate media work, I also produce the web's longest-running sitcom, Something to Be Desired (STBD). We've been on hiatus since mid-December, but I finally found the time to edit a new episode for April Fool's Day. (Fun fact: this episode was filmed on Sunday night, then edited and posted on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Torre video above was filmed before Christmas.)

Pittsburgh City Councilman Bill Peduto Answers Questions from Lady Elaine



Pittsburgh city councilman (and occasional STBD guest star) Bill Peduto asked me if I could do him a favor: a local blogger named Lady Elaine asked a series of questions to all local electoral candidates, and instead of responding in text, Bill wanted to work the questions into a video. The results are above -- and yes, there are puppets. (And in case you're wondering: no, the puppets were not purchased with city money... but at least one came from eBay...)

Side note: after posting these videos side by side, I realized my camera work and editing style remain fairly consistent from project to project, regardless of who I'm filming or why. Evidently, I've developed a personal method that works (for me, at least).

So, for everyone who follows me on Twitter and occasionally wonders what the hell I actually do, now you know (some of it, at least).

My Digital Child Is in Kindergarten

This week, we launched the 6th season of Something to Be Desired, the web's longest-running sitcom.

Since the first episode arrived in September of 2003, that makes the show 5 years old -- which means, if I'd invested all my time, money and effort in procreating (rather than this more ambivalent "creating" thing), my kid would be entering kindergarten... and, like dad, he/she would probably be skinny, sarcastic and prone to conspiracy theories...


We're also converting our site to a WordPress theme as we relaunch, so we have some bugs to work out, plug-ins to add, etc. Which brings up some good questions, like:

What do YOU like to see as part of a web video site?

What would help YOU better understand and enjoy the website / series / experience?

What information would YOU like to see more of?

And, do YOU have any suggestions on great ways to help promote and spread the word about STBD?

If you're a longtime viewer, thanks for sticking with us! And if you're new to STBD, relax: this season is going to be our best yet! (PLUS, it comes with a dog!)

This Weekend: Pods, Puppets and Smarm

PodCamp Pittsburgh 3 happens this weekend at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, and as a primary organizer of the event, I'm excited to meet, teach and learn from fellow social media creators -- as well as people who haven't created anything yet but who are very eager to learn how.

In that vein, PCPGH3 is helping to promote the 10th Annual Black Sheep Puppet Festival that's happening all week here in Pittsburgh. Part of the event involves a live 24-hour "puppet reality" experiment, in which teams of puppeteers are grouped together and given 24 hours to create a full performance -- including making the puppets from scratch. In addition to helping the BSPF set up a wireless connection for their live webcast of the experiment, we're also helping them use Twitter and other services to spread the word.

Plus, I'm launching the sixth (!) season of our web sitcom Something to Be Desired on Monday -- but if you're at PodCamp on Sunday morning, you'll be able to see the first episode of our new season in front of a live audience. Meanwhile, we'll be filming scenes for an upcoming episode of STBD during the Black Sheep Puppet Festival, so look for excerpts from the BSPF on STBD and see them both at PCPGH3.

(And now I'm out of acronyms for the week...)

Broadcasting to an Audience of... None?

Yesterday, I was invited to speak about Something to Be Desired (the web series I produce) at Point Park University. One of their broadcasting classes likes to invite local media creators to chat with the students during an informal luncheon, and help them understand what "working in the field" is really like. Since they thought STBD was a good example of a web success story, I was happy to share what I know (and admit what I don't).

The students were friendly and inquisitive, and lobbed several tough questions (beyond the obligatory "how do you make money" and "why are you still in Pittsburgh?"). I and STBD actor Will Guffey (Leo) gave them all the information we could, bored them with endless anecdotes about our "process," and did our best to demonstrate that our six year-old web media series is just as viable a communications option as... well, as a paying job...

Interestingly, when I asked the students what web TV shows they currently watch, or what podcasts they listen to, they told us they watch very little -- mostly existing TV shows that they didn't have time to watch during the week. None of them subscribed to any shows, and they didn't download them to watch on a mobile device, either -- even though several of them had video-enabled iPods.

Then one of the students asked if either of us blog, and then she asked why ANYONE would blog, or why anyone would take bloggers seriously. Admittedly, this is not an easily-answered question, especially in light of chicanery like the (false) CNN iReports of Steve Jobs's heart attack. But, more importantly, even asking this question proves that journalism and broadcast students (or their professors) are highly suspicious of "new" media -- and why shouldn't they be?

So... if the future broadcasters of America aren't watching web media... who is?

And... if web media is not being taught as a viable option in most broadcasting classes... why?

(I think I know, and it has to do with "credibility," "economy" and "job security." What are YOUR thoughts?)

Photo by digitalvisions.

I'm Up for a Yahoo Video Award!

Well, actually not *me*, but Something to Be Desired, the web sitcom I created and have been producing since 2003.

I learned yesterday that STBD is one of 5 finalists for "Best Series" in the 2008 Yahoo Video Awards. Very cool! We're up against 4 other talented contenders, and it looks like each of them alerted their supporters (aka, "blurbed their mailing lists") long before we did, so now we get to play catch-up.

It's an uphill battle, but we Pittsburghers know a thing or two about hills...

If you'd like to vote for us, you can check our little box and see the results here. (And if you do, thanks!)

And, if you've never seen the show, you can check it out on our homepage -- or, if you're in a Yahoo mood, watch it here.

Here's our most recent promo:

Post-PodCamp

Thanks to everyone who helped make PodCamp Boston 2 a success this year. I had a good time, met some great new people and caught up with a bunch of old friends -- several of whom I hadn't seen since last year's event.

Locobone and I also greatly enjoyed watching the closing innings of Game 3 of the World Series in a bar off Quincy Market, surrounded by energetic, passionate (and remarkably knowledgeable) baseball fans -- several of whom happened to be dressed up for Halloween. Now THERE'S a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a tourist...

I need a little time to let the specifics of this weekend's experience marinate before I make any further observations. I also have a Halloween episode of Something to Be Desired to finish editing, so off I go...

(Meanwhile, Locobone is STILL driving home... 12 hours later...)

Season Five of Web Sitcom STBD Has Launched!

I know most readers of my personal blog (aka this one) are well aware, but just in case you aren't: Season Five of Something to Be Desired (or STBD), the web sitcom I created and have been producing since 2003, launched last week.

STBD is a comedy about life after college. We produce a new 10-minute episode every Monday, here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with a local cast and crew (usually just me). And, while we're not always "worksafe," we're usually worth plugging in your headphones for.

If you visit our site, you'll see we're already up to our 2nd episode of the season, but the nifty new Blip TV player allows you to watch ALL our episodes within the same player. (Just click "Guide" and then the "Episodes" tab along the bottom.)

Hope to see you there!

I'm a Hypocrite

In yesterday's post about The Negative Drain, I essentially said two things:

1. Your bad day doesn't matter, and

2. There IS no "good" or "bad" -- life basically boils down to perspective.

I also said I have trouble empathizing with people, especially when they fail to realize that their problems are primarily the result of their own actions. Thus, I despise the Negative Drain effect of people crying "woe is me" in an effort to draw attention to themselves, because it derails both THEIR forward momentum AND mine.

Some folks agreed with me. Some disagreed. But no one else thought to call me a hypocrite except longtime STBD fan Andrew Smith, who made the point on BOTH of my blogs.

Here, he commented:

‘Woe-Is-Me’ could be a wonderful title for that classification of blog entry in which I might place most of the ‘inability to manage time’, ‘get things done’, or ‘financial difficulties’ posts.

(In case you're new, those are topics that bubble up quite often here at Cafe Witness...)

Then, on the STBD Blog, when I mentioned we'd fallen behind on production due to my tendency to hit the metaphorical snooze alarm, Andrew wrote:

...or call it 'woe-is-me'. Justin, I'm not trying to beat up on you here, but for you cast's sake and for that of your art, please forget where the snooze button is. I've been a volunteer for the greater portion of my working life. Take their time seriously. It isn't really free. They sacrifice for what they care about.

I think it's pretty clear that Andrew is trying to be proactive here, which I appreciate. Which is why, instead of sitting here and attempting to defend myself, or debating the points he raised, I won't. Instead, I'll make a proclamation:

September is "No Woe" Month (for me, at least).

What does that mean?

- No blog posts or Twitters of a negative nature. (That includes irony, since I mentioned yesterday that irony is a great way to couch frustration.)

- No blog posts or Twitters about time management, getting things done or personal finance -- since, to offer suggestions for improvement, I'd have to first acknowledge that I sometimes have these problems myself.

- No blog posts or Twitters about bad news, be it mine or the world at large's.

- No COMMENTS about other people's problems. To acknowledge them is to delve into The Negative Drain, and hence risk hypocrisy.

- Not saying "I can't," because that implies an inability to succeed. Instead, I'll be using "I won't," which implies a conscious choice over which I have full control. (AKA, "I won't be going to PodCamp Philly next week, because I've chosen to work on STBD production instead.")

What's the Point?

The point is, Andrew's right: I can't claim to not care about other people's problems and then pretend that mine are worth talking about.

Beyond that, I'm interested to see if this woe-free experiment improves my productivity and general attitude.

My Predictions?

In actuality, here's what I suspect will happen:

- I'll become quite disenfranchised from everyone for the next 30 days.

- I'll get a LOT of work done.

- I may find something else to write about on this blog, since all traditional topics will be taboo.

- I just might end up happier... or I might go crazy with no ironic outlet.

However, one thing you can count on: I won't be a shiny, happy person every day. It isn't in my makeup. To paraphrase, if I've nothing positive to say, I'll say nothing at all.

And if I do have problems? Fear not; you'll not hear about them. (That's what friends and family are for.)

So: who's with me on "No Woe" Month?

Recapping My Trip to Israel

After much ado, I finally made my way to Tel Aviv for the Blogference this past Saturday. Instead of being able to stay for 4 days, as originally intended, by new itinerary called for me to land on Sunday night, speak on Monday and fly home Monday night at midnight.

Funny thing about El Al Airlines security staff: they get a bit suspicious when you're only flying to Israel for one day.

Like, check your bags for an hour and then escort you to the gate suspicious.

Nonetheless, I made my flight (thankfully), and arrived safely in Tel Aviv around 5 PM Sunday night. There, a driver was waiting for me. The downside? He didn't speak English, which made for a quiet car ride to the hotel. The upside? He knew where there was candy hidden in the cab...

I checked into the Crowne Plaza hotel, which is one of several hotels along a promenade that overlooks the Mediterranean Sea. It also provides complimentary cookies to its guests. (As my girlfriend has said, my retelling of the trip makes Israel sound like Candyland...)

Kfir Pravda picked me up from the hotel and we grabbed dinner on the beach, then drove down to the nightclub district, which is mostly comprised of converted warehouses that now offer booze.

There I met everyone else from the conference: the IDC faculty and staff, some local new media creators (including Blonde2.0), as well as my fellow presenters, including Douglas Sarine (Ask a Ninja), Andrew Baron and Joanne Colan (Rocketboom), Om Malik (GigaOm) and former MediaBistro honcho Garrett Graf.

Ask a Ninja's Douglas Sarine fields a question from Israeli media's Ayelet Yagil.
We drank. We chatted. We grabbed dessert at a chocolate bar. (All right, so it really is Candyland...)

On Monday, we hopped in a van and drove to the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya -- which, I was told, is former military property -- for the conference. The school is only a year old, so events like this go a long way toward establishing their relevance and future direction. Based upon the passion and instincts of Dr. Latar and his faculty, I think they're definitely on the right track.


While blogging this entry, I realized I had more to say about the individual sessions than I thought, so I'll save the specifics for future entries. For now, suffice it to say that the atmosphere was very PodCamp-like, with experts and audience members alike able to share ideas that pushed the conversations forward in unexpected ways.


After the conference, I met some folks with interesting business ideas -- like Abbey Content's Alan Abbey -- as well as some students who put Israeli web media into perspective for me: in a nutshell, blogging is considered an activity for Israeli youth. After someone completes his or her mandatory military service, the expected lifeplan moves from college to business to family -- there's no real time for a creative outlet, or anything else seen as needlessly frivolous.

I'd counter that that's an obstacle worth overcoming, for one specific reason: I had no idea what Israeli culture was like until I flew there myself. Otherwise, all I have to go by is what I see on the news. By that rationale, all I ever expected to see was a country in perpetual, daily conflict with an embedded enemy, rather than the complex, multifaceted and completely "normal" culture I observed.

For example: I had no idea that Israel had such a high population of Ethiopians. Apparently, Israel helped huge numbers of Ethiopians escape from Ethiopia a generation ago, when their own government couldn't (or wouldn't) provide for them. Now, second-generation Ethiopians are growing up knowing Israel as their home, which creates an interesting multicultural mix with its own problems and perks.

Personally, I'd love to see more social media created from Israel... or any other nation, for that matter. The more easily we can all communicate WITH each other, the more the rest of the world can learn ABOUT each other... and ourselves.

Thanks to everyone who helped make my trip to Israel possible. I'll have more insights about the actual Blogference sessions themselves over the coming days.

PS After the conference, I flew home -- again on El Al, though this time without the security snags -- and I must say, the food on El Al is among the best food I've ever had on any airline. My dinner en route to NYC was one of the best meals I've haad all year. This means either El Al has cornered the market on in-flight food or I need to start eating in better restaurants...

UPDATE: See my handheld highlights from the Ask a Ninja presentation!

Delta Blues

Update: 6:00 PM: The folks at IDC came through and worked out a new arrangement to get me to Israel on Sunday evening. Two days late, but better than nothing at all. And, taking the place of Delta in this equation? JetBlue. Why do they consistently save the day (when they're not idling on a tarmac)?

Update: 4:00 PM: El Al airlines called. They have a Saturday night flight I can take from JFK, which will get me to Israel about 24 hours before my presentation. So far, so good. All I need now is to work something out with Delta to get me to NYC tomorrow...

... except I didn't book the Delta flight, so I can't make any negotations. That's up the the folks at IDC who've programmed the Blogference. And, on top of it, my phone just died. Craziness...

Update: 10:30 AM: The folks running Blogference from Israel are in touch with their people in NYC to see what can be done. They've been working on it since at least 7 AM. No word yet.

Originally posted at 1 AM Friday, June 29:

I'm supposed to be boarding a flight from NYC to Israel right now. Instead, I'm blogging from my apartment in Pittsburgh. All because of Delta's response to some rain in New York.

I'm scheduled to speak at the Blogference in Tel Aviv on Tuesday. The folks running the conference arranged for me to fly out of Pittsburgh at 6:20 Thursday evening and connect with an El Al flight at 1 AM Friday (aka right now).

When I arrive at the Pittsburgh International Airport -- after a 2 hour bus ride, due to rain + construction-induced traffic snarls -- I'm told my flight has been cancelled.

The Delta attendant puts me on the "next available flight" -- which is Friday morning at 7 AM.

I explain that I need to be in New York before 1 AM Friday, not at 7 AM. She says there's nothing they can do. I walk away from the counter and starts considering my options.

Then I notice the new boarding pass she's given me is actually for SATURDAY at 7 AM, not Friday.

I return to the counter and point out the issue. The clerk heads to the back office, confers with an unseen supervisor, and returns with a new "next available flight" for me -- Friday at 1:30 PM, with a stopover in Atlanta. All told, I'll now reach New York at 8 PM Friday -- a full 19 hours after my connecting flight departs.

Meanwhile, it's 1 AM in Israel, so everyone who could work on the issue is asleep.

I find the number for the travel agency that booked the Delta flight. (They're in New York.) The agent tells me Delta's not the only carrier canceling flights because of the storm -- Continental and others are, too. The earliest she can get me to NYC on any flight is 8 PM Friday.

I try calling Kfir Pravda, one of the event's promoters in Israel, only to find out my Verizon plan doesn't include international calls.

I try connecting to the internet, but the Pittsburgh airport's free wireless is highly unreliable and achingly slow. No dice.

I call Erik Schark (aka Rich on Something to Be Desired) and ask him to find the phone number for El Al Airlines. He does.

I obtain an international calling card number from my dad (suddenly feeling like I'm 16 again) and call El Al. Their service center is closed (predictably), but they have a 24-hour emergency service line. I'm transferred there.

I tell the operator I need to know if there's a flight leaving for Israel after 8 PM on Friday. She explains to me that El Al doesn't fly at all on Saturdays (it's the sabbath), and since 8 PM Friday in NYC is actually Saturday in Tel Aviv time, there's no connecting flight available. The earliest available flight leaves NYC on Sunday at 8 PM.

Given the 10 hour flight, plus the 7 hour time difference, that means I'd be landing in Israel at approximately 11 AM Monday (Tel Aviv time) -- which is funny, because I'm scheduled to give the first of two talks at noon. That means I have exactly 1 hour to get from the airport to the conference.

Suddenly, the 7-day Blogference I'm supposed to be involved in, which I've already had to scale back due to pre-arranged obligations in America, would be boiled down to a 22-hour period. And I'd be traveling over 24 hours, total, to be there -- longer than I'd actually be in Israel.

Kfir has now awoken in Israel and is working on the problem. We shall see what magic the Blogference planners have up their sleeves....

To be continued...

Constructive Criticism?

My mom is writing a book. It might be a novel, or a novella, or a short story -- she's not sure. Neither am I. But she's done with the first draft, and she gave it to me to read -- with one request: be honest.

So I read it. Or, to be more precise, I read the first 43 pages. And then I stopped.

I called her and I gave her the news I'm sure she didn't want to hear: I think she needs a rewrite.

I think the characters are more "types" than individuals. I think the plot feels contrived, rather than organic. I think the way the narrator imparts information on the audience is confusing -- sometimes too much, sometimes too little, and sometimes completely unnecessary, given the thrust of the plot.

In summary, I think she has a bunch of raw elements that COULD become a compelling story, but they haven't coalesced yet. I think she's a few rewrites away.

In reviewing her, I started reviewing my own work, especially on Something to Be Desired. Ironically, we're in the story development stage for Season Five, which is the perfect time to apply this same level of scrutiny to my own work.

So what have I realized?

I've realized I have dozens of questions that I, as the writer and creator, can't answer. I also see structure and character holes that are screaming for attention. And there's a debilitating lack of plot that can only be due to my own lack of understanding of the characters (and their goals).

It's disheartening, in some ways, to realize I'm so far from where I'd like to be in the creation of the story. On the other hand, it's gratifying to know that I'm identifying the problem areas and taking positive steps to improve them, getting ever-closer to where I want to be. It helps me realize that a few minor setbacks aren't the end of the world -- they're actually a sign that I'm on the right track toward something I can really be proud of.

I hope my mom realizes that.

Weekends Off the Grid

Since we wrapped the fourth season of Something to Be Desired a few weeks ago, I haven't had to spend my weekends in front of the computer, editing.

So I haven't been spending them in front of the computer, PERIOD.

Instead, I'm reading books or magazines... or hanging out with friends and family... or going out for Sunday morning pancakes at Affogato.

Last weekend, Ann and I visited Philadelphia for a Voxtrot show at Transit. We took our time getting there, so by the time we arrived in the historic district, everything interesting was shut down. Still, we had a great time, relaxing over dinner and then dancing well into the morning.

<-- Ann, disappointed that the Liberty Bell was locked for the night, and contemplating a way to outwit the security guard.

Afterwards, we spent Sunday at the King of Prussia Mall.

Window shopping gave way to some galvanizing observations about marketing, branding and the power of community -- unlikely realizations, considering I was expecting to spend a few hours people-watching and comic book reading instead. Had I not taken to the time to unplug and LOOK at the world around me, I doubt I would have started this thought train.

Kelly Andresen, Rachel Arnold, Josh Sager and Marc Granberg, wedding style.
This past weekend, we attended the wedding of our good friends Josh Sager and Rachel Arnold. I've known them since we attended The Art Institute of Pittsburgh together 10 years ago, and seeing them take their next steps together was fantastic. They decided to celebrate in an unusual fashion -- an unconventional, informal ceremony at the North Park Lodge, part of which they'd converted into a gallery for their own original artwork. (And any wedding that includes a volleyball net AND a cookie table is a success in my book...)

There will be hiccups in my Luddite weekend ways -- for example, I'm traveling to Israel this weekend to speak at the Blogference there -- but I expect those hiccups to be the exceptions, not the rule. If I don't retrain myself to see weekends as MY time, apart from the duties of the web, I'll be back to the same old grind of Sunday night all-nighters when STBD returns for Season Five in September -- and that just won't do.

The Value of Doing Nothing

We wrapped up our fourth season of Something to Be Desired this week, and suddenly, I'm faced with the situation I've dreamed of for weeks:

I have nothing to do.

And it's simultaneously rapturous and alarming.

Semantics, Baby

Of course, I don't have nothing to do. I've been juggling several freelance projects, with a few more on tap. I have an upcoming PodCamp Pittsburgh 2 to plan for. I have numerous financial situations to improve, rectify and otherwise attend to.

But, for all intents and purposes, the primary focus of my life for the past year is over -- temporarily, at least.

Now I have the complete freedom to organize my days any way I see fit. I can compartmentalize my workflow differently. I can go out in the evening, spend time with family and friends, and remind myself I have a girlfriend again.

I can read.

The Downside to Freedom

Like most people, I tend to get a lot of great ideas at precisely the wrong time to work on them.

I'll be staring down a hard deadline for one project and suddenly see the answer to a problem in another project that I'd completely forgotten about -- but I don't have time to implement it.

I'll be Googling for information about one project and invariably find something I know I can use in another capacity -- but I don't have time to explore it.

Now all I have is time.

Of course, the cynics among you have seen this point coming: with no excuses, I now suddenly have no recourse but to follow through on all these other grand ideas.

Will my subconscious mind, which tends to generate far more material than I ever seem to be able to act upon, be as fertile when I now actually HAVE the capacity to take action? Or will I suffer from psychosomatic stage fright? Time will tell. And time is something I have plenty of...

What about you? Do you find a wealth of free time to be a blessing or a curse? How do you maximize your freedom?

100 Posts: PodCamp NYC Unlikely

Wow. I'd like to spend my 100th post proclaiming how ecstatic I am at going to PodCamp NYC this weekend.

Instead, I'll proudly proclaim I'm NOT going to PodCamp NYC because, quite simply, I'm too busy and have too many bills to pay.

I was wracking my brain this past weekend, trying to figure out how I could creatively disrupt both space and time to generate the phantom cash and extra hours in the week to fuel my NYC trip, when I realized...

... I'm quite content to work my ass off, get done with all the items on my to-do list, and enjoy myself.

To wit, I'm currently:

- Doing a freelance gig that's due for delivery tomorrow.

- Working on the next episode of Something to Be Desired, which is due Monday.

- Continuing to co-organize for BootCamp PGH, which happens in two weeks (!).

- Getting ready to celebrate my girlfriend's birthday on Sunday, which also happens to be Easter.

So, yes, as much as I'd like to attend PodCamp NYC -- which I truly believe will be an amazing time -- I'll instead be an adult, which is something I so rarely say I am, and get my work done instead of going to play.

Sorry, PodCamp NYC. I'll look forward to PCNYC2 next year!

Crosspost: STBD / VON on Geek Riot

On Sunday night, Shawn and Justine at Geek Riot invited me to talk about the STBD relaunch and my experiences at VON.

Joining us for the first hour of the show is Jeff Pulver, VON creator, who also talks about his Video on the Net Alliance and its impending battle to preserve web video from the prying eyes of the FCC.

It's a good all-around show, and features a healthy mix of STBD and VON topics. The whole enchilada clocks in around 2 hours (!), but you can stream and skim if you so desire.

(And yes, I know I posted this at the STBD blog too. Sometimes, there's an overlap. Other times, there are cupcakes. We adapt.)

Live from VON

Due to my being on the road this week -- in San Jose, at Video on the Net -- my blogging time will be limited. If you'd like to follow along with my adventures at VON, please check the official STBD blog, where I'll be uploading throughout the week. If not, check back here Friday and see how coherent I am after my redeye return flight...

You can also follow along in "real time" at Twitter.

Creative Treehouse Recap

I'm not sure if the readers of this blog overlap completely with the readers of my STBD Behind the Scenes blog or not. In case they dont:

Ann Turiano (Caroline) and Erik Schark (Rich) from STBD attended the grand opening of Creative Treehouse this weekend. The facility kicked off with a 24-hour creative marathon, which involved over 70 artists creating original work on-site within a 24-hour time limit. Those works went on display (and on sale, as a fundraiser) after the 24 hours were up.

I shot a 5:00 summary / promo video of the event. Very cool stuff. It's great to see Pittsburgh's creative community coming together to embrace a new venue AND a new concept in collaboration.