The Artist and The Author

February 24, 2010 · Category: Essays · 2 comments

Over the years, the form of writing has changed. It started off as caveman drawings and advanced into internet blogs. Even though the art of writing has evolved profoundly, some forms of writing has also significantly killed the English language. What I speak of is the ability to send messages through your mobile phone, which damaged the use of grammar and the ability to spell and also forced people to speak in a nonexistent language, a language of stupidity. However, the advancement in writing forms has also become more expressive and visual than mere words on a sheet of paper. It became more of an art than a form of writing. It became a “blog”.

Since I was eight, the internet fascinated me. What also fascinated me was the web pages that were within this other universe. Over time, as I grew older and as my knowledge of coding and ability to design expanded, the internet became my universe and my web page was my domain. I was a blogger. I created the web layout that held my words. I made the foundation which allowed me to write. I was an author in the form of an artist . . . and I loved it so. But before I became who I was, I had inspirations that got me their. Personal web sites like Jemjabella and Rooeh influenced me to study this language, the language of web designers. They bribed me into their universe through chocolate cookies and a cup of milk. But instead of walking into the dark, mindlessly and confused, I found myself on a white canvas, untouched and beautiful. I was given the ability to learn freely through online tutorials. And, through trial and error, I learned.

After living in my domain, I have noticed that each web designer expresses their website differently. I figured that this was because everyone was different and blah, blah, blah. But it is true, each person has their own talents and their own skills. They get to where they are, website or not, through the choices they make and through their own goals. The creators of Jemjabella and Rooeh is an example of that. The former’s blog is very opinionated and liberal. She has a beast inside her belly that never ceases to stop. Her writing style tends to force you into her realm and causes you to want more. She is harsh, sarcastic, and very humorous. And she is willing to critique if she sets her mind to it. I have noticed that her web page layouts are subtle; they have an air of simplicity and provokes a sense of professionalism.

On the other hand, Rooeh’s maker treats the site as if it were a journal or diary. But, in my eyes, the site’s layout itself is what causes her audience to come back. Her layouts are very unique and her. She seems as if she enjoys vectoring and designing in Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator and incorporating those pieces into her layouts. She is more visual in her blog than Jemjabella. Not only that, but Rooeh’s owner also tends to create resources for her visitors and purchasable, handmade pendants and earrings for her studio. She is more hands on and artistic than the former, who seems more of a writer.

But either way, they are both bloggers. They know how to go beyond what a normal writer can do. They both can express their words through visuals, their layout, and hyperlinks. But over all, unlike your average author, their story is a never ending tale.