Archive

The Small-Time Artist

StockSnap / Pixabay

The modern creator lives in a world of statistics–views, clicks, conversions, followers, sales. These things are vital for anyone striving to make their product viral or hoping to monetize their idea.

I have never been good at thinking this way.

I do not think it wrong for a person to pursue these things. If you believe in an idea and are committed to sharing it with others, it might even be necessary in our new Internet-saturated culture to obsess over these numbers. But I’m unable and/or unwilling to.

There are reasons why. Examining those reasons are not the purpose of this blog. I’d rather ruminate on a concept that has intrigued me now and again, a different way of creating. I’d like to consider the small-time artist.

I work for the family business. We’re caught somewhere between the old-school mom-and-pop store and the everyone-shops-on-the-Web new generation store. It’s been a rough transition, and I doubt we’ll ever fully adopt the new way of the business world–fast, cheap, superhumanly efficient, stylish, and ever-connecting. The Hayden family is not built that way. But straddling between these two worlds has given me some things to consider.

Is there such a thing as an ambition to remain small? If you’re good at something, you’re told to grow your product, double your revenue, reach the next 1000 followers, start a chain. But what if you own a office supply store on Main Street, Small Town, USA, and are content to serve a small clientele and simply make a living? Or, more to the point for us creative types, can a writer be allowed to simply create in his little niche, to create well, and not be eternally unhappy at his relative anonymity?

Where I live, we have fairs all over the place. You can see tractor pulls, pig wrestling, homemade crafts, instruments no one plays anymore being played, old songs being sung one last time, obsolete machines and techniques being taught to one more generation. No one (or very few) make a living at these things, but they communicate life; they hold a spice and variety that the modern world, with its infinite sleek choices, rarely does.

Often, these splashes of culture are inefficient, hodge-podge, informal, and eccentric. Is that inherently a bad thing?

The Internet can be a wonderful place; it connects us to innumerable experiences and opportunities that we might never otherwise come into contact with. But, I wonder, what would the world look like if more writers strove to write local, just as we’re encouraged by small businesses to “Shop Local.” Not they they would write about local events or in the local flavor, but that they would be more concerned about the handful of neighbors who could read their work than the millions out there who might, with enough social networking, finally read it.

In many ways, I straddle this divide in my creative life. Children of the Wells is on the web, hoping to spread its influence. But I’ve recently learned that writing a monthly flash fiction for the local four county advertiser is its own unique experience. There’s something to be said for some person you half-know stopping you at the BMV to say she’s read your latest story.

Of course, sometimes, I wonder what would happen if they’d pick up The Select’s Bodyguard as well.

What Did You Say?

by Greg Meyer
September 30, 2016

If you’re like me, you’ve reached the point in the year where your social media feeds are politically charged. Everyone has an opinion, and they’re going to tell you about it! You better agree with the candidate of their choice, or they’ll unfriend you! After all, if you don’t vote with them, you’re the reason this stable country is falling apart.

Is it no coincidence then that two of the biggest movies this year are all about choosing a side? Both Superman Vs Batman and Captain America: Civil War are about heroes forced to do battle amongst each other. The ad campaigns for both movies stressed this, asking you to pick a hero to stand with. While both movies took different approaches to this idea, with Sups Vs Bats being more of a personal tiff, and CA: Civil War splitting the Avengers into two teams, both had the same idea.

Personally, as a casual comics enthusiast, I’m not fond of these types of crossovers. I’m of the mindset that I want to see heroes act like heroes and fight the bad guys, not each other. Now, I’m not saying there can’t be any personal conflict between heroes. It wouldn’t be realistic to show them getting along all the time. After all, friends get into disagreements all the time. I see the appeal of the stories, but they’re just not for me. I only watched Superman Vs Batman because it was a DC movie. I’ve yet to see Captain America: Civil War, and I might never watch it.

Did I mention that I was disappointed that Civil War was going to get adapted for a Marvel movie? I don’t care that the new Spider-man is in it (Andrew Garfield, I’ve got your back bro!), or Black Panther. Blah!

From cinemablend.com

Can we be friends?
From cinemablend.com

I’ve been used to these types of arbitrary divisions since I was a kid. On the playground, you had to identify with either being a Marvel or DC fan. You couldn’t enjoy both. It’s a constant problem in the world of video games, too. I’ve been involved in enough console wars in my lifetime that my gravestone will be adorned with medals for my service in the 32/64 bit wars. Sega does what Nintendon’t! Quality over Quantity! These were the war cries I heard as system armies battled each other to the death.

Anyhow, the political season and these super hero movies point out one thing to me: as a people, we’re cartoonishly divided among each other. It’s even worse now, with people stating that if you vote one way, you are no friend to them.

As someone who stays away from politics and Internet arguments as much as I can, I find it sad. I hold values that are important to me, and I know many people who hold opposing views. Do I disagree with them on these topics? Absolutely! There are certainly positions I hold that I refuse to bend my stance on. Likewise, I know my friends hold positions that they refuse to sway on as well.

Far be it from me, though, to hand someone I meet a clipboard, asking them to fill it out so I can check whether I can be friends with them or not. What kind of person would that make me? I’d only surround myself in an echo chamber that endlessly repeats the beliefs that I hold. I surrender my ability to grow and think if I act that way.

If I only surrounded myself with DC Comics fans, I’d never learn how great the Guardians of the Galaxy or Ant-Man are. If I only listened to Nintendo gamers, I never would’ve discovered the Dark Souls series. I never would’ve listened to Five Iron Frenzy or Flatfoot 56 if I only listened to metal. Being surrounded by a variety of opinions helps me grow. It not only allows me to expand my view of the world, but also strengthen my beliefs and opinions on what I do like. It gives me reasons to think about the beliefs I hold and decide if they’re still true to me or not.

Don’t give in to the increasing tendency to view people who hold contrary opinions as the enemy. Instead, try to understand why someone likes what they like or believes what they do. That doesn’t make you an opinionless person, but rather someone with depth. Sure, it’s not always easy to do, and you’ll encounter some pretty vicious people in the process; but I want to be a person that can see where others come from and meet them where they’re at.

I had a long conversation on Saturday with one of my best friends about the Apostle Paul and his trip to Athens. While Paul was a Christian in a land surrounded by pagan gods, he found a monument dedicated to an unknown god. Paul used this as a gateway to try and reach the people of Athens, speaking to them in a way that he could relate to them. He didn’t smash the other monuments in righteous fury, nor did he decide not to speak to them. Instead, he tried to understand his audience and actually get to know them. It wasn’t an easy sermon to deliver, and some mocked him and his message, but he still found fruit in what many would’ve considered unyielding soil. To be honest, I don’t know if I could’ve done the same, but it encourages me to think outside of the box that society wants us to stay in.

So don’t unfriend that person on your feed who isn’t voting like you are. You became friends with them for a reason; remember that. Be kind to those you disagree with, and if you need to, take a walk and remember there’s more to life than politics.

After all, we all have a mother named Martha, and that unites us all.

A Disturbance in the Wells

By Gregory Meyer
December 18, 2015

“Every human down in Humanville liked the Star Wars Universe a lot,
But the Greg, who lived north of Chicago, did not.”

As the world waits with baited breath for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, I find myself in a strange situation. See, what I’m about to say will most likely ostracize me from both my fellow Children of the Wells writers, as well as geeks everywhere— I am not a Star Wars fan.

I see you picking up those rocks to stone me. Now, now, let’s not get carried away. Put them down and let me finish please. All of them. Yep, I still see that one you have hiding in your pocket. I’m waiting. Okay, now where was I? (more…)

The ‘Dream Cast’ of a Children of the Wells Movie (Part 2)

By Nathan Marchand
June 4, 2015

June at Children of the Wells is sequel month, so all of our blogs the next few weeks will be continuations of last month’s blogs. Since I wrote about the actors I’d love to see play the then full cast of the Jaysynn saga characters, I’ve decided to do the same for the rest of the major characters, including the new ones introduced in The Call of the Watchman by Nick Hayden. Hopefully, this’ll beat the trend of the sequel not being as good as the original.

Lights! Camera! Nerd out! (more…)

The ‘Dream Cast” for a Jaysynn Movie

By Nathan Marchand
May 7, 2015

Believe it or not, I’ve been meaning to write this blog for several weeks, but it kept getting delayed by either computer problems or book releases or what not. Anyway, hello again, Wellsians! (Okay, not my best attempt at creating a name for our fanbase).

I decided I’d have a little fun with this blog. When I studied professional writing with Dr. Dennis E. Hensley at Taylor University Fort Wayne (where most of us Children of the Wells creators met, by the way), he suggested that fiction writers should “cast” their characters, i.e. select photos of actors they could see playing the character(s) if their story was made into a movie. I’ve done this with several of my projects over the years, and it’s helped me to keep an image of the character in my mind (I’m a visual person, anyway).

It shouldn’t surprise you that I did this when I wrote The Fall of the House of Kyzer, which I’ve talked about before. However, since then with the help of Tim (who created several new characters), I’ve “cast” most of the major players from the first trilogy of Jaysynn novellas. It won’t take you long to notice a bit of a pattern with my selections (as in, a nerdy one). Also, these are only how I (and Tim) see the characters. You are free to picture them however you like.

So, without further ado… (more…)

Some Assembly Required

By Nathan Marchand
December 18, 2014

Tim tackled Christmas trees, and Natasha conquered Santa Claus (like a Martian), so I’ll talk about another Christmas tradition: toys.

I’ve been known to sometimes wander through a Wal-Mart toy aisle just to see what kids are into these days. I smile when I see that some of my old favorites like Transformers are still around. I remember a few years ago when I looked at one and thought, Kids today have it easy. Most of the toys were pre-assembled and had pre-applied labels/stickers.

IMG_2212I remember one Christmas when I was 11 or 12, all my younger brother Josiah and I asked for were toys for the Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad (an over-marketed Power Rangers knock-off). But it wasn’t the normal-sized action figures we wanted: we asked for the huge 13-inch figures that split into three vehicles. Josiah wanted Drago, a robot dinosaur, and I wanted Zenon, a robot who looked so much like Optimus Prime, Hasbro could’ve sued. (Yes, I’m a nerd with a remarkable memory). (more…)

When Santa Moves In

By Natasha Hayden
December 11, 2014

Santa Claus did not come to my house when I was a kid. I don’t remember having any feelings about Santa Claus one way or the other, actually, because we celebrated Christmas differently. I come from a rich Christian heritage. My grandfather on one side was a pastor. My Opa on the other side was a missionary and Bible translator. My parents are missionaries, and I grew up on the mission field from ages 7-16.

We had interesting Christmas traditions like opening presents on January 6th, the day on which the Church observes the wise men’s presentation of gifts to Jesus. (I do remember that being quite a trial. It might as well have been two months instead of two weeks!) My dad preferred anything but a normal Christmas tree. At least one year, we had a gigantic live wreath suspended from our ceiling by ropes, a sort of hanging advent wreath. And Christmas stockings? I had one of those one year. I didn’t know what to do with it except fill it with homemade presents I intended to give to other people. I’d empty it sometimes to see what I’d collected, and that’s how I discovered a little surprise from my mom that I wasn’t supposed to see until Christmas.

When we moved to Brazil, there wasn’t even any snow to get us in the festive spirit. Nope, just 90 degrees and 100% humidity. In fact, if we celebrated any Christmases in Brazil, I don’t remember them. I remember more the times we visited family back in the United States or even Peru, South America (where the one set of grandparents were missionaries), for the holidays. Christmas was a time when family gathered. What we did didn’t so much matter as being together. And you know what? In all that, I didn’t really miss Santa.

But now it’s different. (more…)

Now that’s a Christmas Tree!

By Timothy Deal
December 5, 2014

This year, it felt like an important part of my family’s Christmas died before the season even began. For the first time, our parents bought a fake Christmas tree instead of a live one.

peanuts

“Gee, do they still make little Christmas trees?”

Those who have grown up with an artificial tree can hardly understand the dismay my sisters and I felt by this betrayal. Our family is known for getting big, lush, beautiful, real Christmas trees that can occupy up to a quarter of the family room. For us, it wasn’t just about getting a tall tree; it also needed to be wide and bushy to accommodate all the ornaments five kids, two parents, and a grandmother can accumulate over the years. Visitors would stop in our family room, drink in the intoxicating pine aroma that candles and air fresheners can only wish to imitate, and gaze in wonder at its magnificent size and sparkling vision of lights, garland, glass balls, and tinsel. The experience would prompt many guests to say, “Now that is a Christmas tree.”

Yet nevertheless, in recent years our parents had warned us they intended to trade this wondrous experience for an artificial tree the first year our youngest sister went off to college. With their children either moved out of the house or increasingly preoccupied with significant others (or both), apparently Dad and Mom decided to sacrifice a longstanding tradition in the name of convenience and simplicity. (more…)

How I Expanded My Mind and Accepted Turkey Day

By Nick Hayden
November 20, 2014

Look, I’m no fan of turkey. I mean, sure, it’s tasty enough, but give me mashed potatoes, and I’m set. Always mashed potatoes, in a great big heap, with some gravy. And maybe some of that green bean casserole, officially the best use of green beans on the planet and most likely the reason they were invented in the first place.

Sorry–I got sidetracked. As you probably know, next week is Turkey Day, better known these days as Black Thursday. On the calendar it’s usually listed as “Thanksgiving,” but this is an antiquated nomenclature at odds with the more progressive capitalist (is that a contradiction?) view that understands that the fourth Thursday of November  is the first day of Christmas. (In a decade, at most, the gateway to Christmas will be Halloween, but a few shreds of tradition still hold us back. That, and most people don’t like to associate skeletons with Christmas, Jack Skellington excepted.) (more…)

Forgetting the Bigger Picture

By Timothy Deal
January 10, 2013

Sometimes I worry our culture completely misses the point of some stories while fixating on some random quirk. The Lord of the Rings becomes about that cute elf Legolas. Insightful, dystopian YA fiction like The Hunger Games turns into the very media spectacle the book is critiquing.

Or even more recently, the wrong song in a musical gets all the attention. See, I’m a bit conflicted about “Let it Go” becoming the breakout hit song from Frozen. It’s receiving critical acclaim, early movie award buzz, and seems to be the most talked-about song from the movie around the interwebs. (Spoilers aplenty ahead.) (more…)