“When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure.”
When Midnight Fell
When midnight fell, I was broken, bleeding, and weeping; lost in a drunken haze of memories and sorrow and regret. My last impaired thought before I passed out was that maybe, just maybe, I wouldn’t wake up this time. I was okay with that. In fact, to my pain-wracked mind, it sounded just fine.
Moving forward.
Once again, Firewind Productions is moving forward with some dramatic changes. I'll be posting more in the coming weeks but for now please stay tuned. Hundreds of new products, new services, and much more!
Let the Fire fall, let the Wind blow...
...let Your glory come down.
The new Firewind Productions is just a little different. Of course, it's been just a little different from the very beginning, but we have deliberately set out to be a unique resource for unique people and unique organizations. Here are some of the ways in which we are different from any other creative firm.
Embers Kindle...
The chilly Fall night air whistles through the slightly open window as a stocky, bearded man stares thoughtfully down at a well-worn notebook. He scratches out a few notes, then scribbles in the margin. A gray and white cat napping next to his keyboard stretches and mews softly as he lays down the notebook. As he begins to type, she lays her head back down and is soon fast asleep.
After a few minutes, the man stops typing and leans back, studying his work. A shadow of remembered pain flashes across his face, and he shakes his head. A quick selection of the mouse and a keystroke and it is all gone. He sighs and begins to type again, eyebrows furrowing in concentration.
Getting on the Web: What Works, What Won't, and Why it Matters
On May 1st, I had the pleasure of speaking at the AVISTA's Center for Entrepreneurship at Walla Walla Community College. I was asked to speak on the kinds of websites that work, those that don't, and why it matters. I want to thank the ACE for the opportunity.
Social Media Nightmares Marathon Runner's Edition: The Monika Allen Story
THE BAD
SELF Magazine, which purports to be a "magazine for women that specializes in health, fitness, nutrition, beauty and happiness"(1) asks marathon runner and cancer survivor Monika Allen for permission to use a photo of herself in an article, saying only that they were looking for photos of runners wearing tutus.
Allen, who was recently diagnosed with incurable brain cancer BUT RAN A MARATHON ANYWAY!!! said yes, assuming that her photo would be used in a positive way. SELF Magazine then publishes an article called "The BS Meter" which makes fun of Allen and other runners wearing tutus. Their art department and entire editorial department somehow miss that one of the two women pictured has "DIE TUMOR DIE" emblazoned across her chest.
The Phoenix rises!
Welcome to the completely redesigned, redeveloped, and renewed Firewind Productions! I'm still in the process of moving all of my old blog posts over from the old site and getting everything sorted, catagorized and tagged. In the meantime, please excuse my dust, if you would, and take a look around. This site is now completely mobile- and tablet-ready (including portfolios and e-commerce) and completely responsive to multiple devices. But that's just the first of many new wonderful things about this landmark new site.
You're Doing It Wong Part 2: Consistency Breeds Consistency
In part 1 of this series, we talked about how the one rule for successful content is 'What do you genuinely enjoy making?' In other words, don't try to be something that you're not. Create content that you're passionate about, and you will find people who share that passion.
Today I want to expand on that idea a little more and reveal another secret that Freddie Wong has also hit upon. It is both the single hardest and the single easiest thing about building a website through rich content, and yet it is something that eludes probably 95% of all websites that are setting out to do what you're doing.
You're Doing It Wong Part 1: The One Rule for Content
Filmmaker Freddie Wong is one of those Internet success stories that really make you sit up and take notice. Manager of Los Angeles-based media production company Overcrank Media, Freddie made a name for himself producing extremely creative short action films, many of which went viral (one of my favorites that always makes me laugh is Fire Hands).
Recently, after exceeding over one million subscribers in one year on his YouTube channel, Freddie wrote an excellent article sharing some of the secrets he learned in his meteoric rise. Over the next few weeks, I'm going to be expanding some of his fantastic points in greater detail. The first concept I want to talk about today is, I think, the best answer I've ever seen to the questions, "What should I write about? What type of content should I post to my website?"
Almost thirty years in the making, the river Beautiful will be published as a premium hardcover, a value softcover, and a very special online multimedia experience.
Select a chapter below to view exclusive content from the upcoming collection of new and selected works by Jason Christopher Hackwith.
original prose, poetry, lyrics, illustrations and typography
