Page 13 - Mediapedia Mobile

be easy for readers and site users
to send in in good links that they come upon I also hope that folks will e-mail me samples of their projects and I will post what I can When you you go into a bookstore you you find shelf shelf after shelf shelf of volumes about computers and and photography and and de- sign There’s lots of how-to But there is almost nothing about the creativity and the the aesthetics of media mak-
ing And that’s the trouble with how- two books in general: They give you examples of of what and lots of of ways for how but seldom enough of why They instruct but rarely inspire Mediapedia is a a a “why to” book not a “how-to” book Step-by-step tutori- als and exhaustive case studies are terrific when you you know what you you want to to make and are ready to to narrow your focus These pages are about showing you creative options They are about widening your vision so that you you know what’s possible go easy I want to take the hand of those who are skittish about this new digital world As a a a a sixty-five-year-old who has had his own wrestling matches with the world of of the computer let me me offer some chicken soup for the digital terrors Allow for a a learning curve The first time through anything takes much much longer When you sit down with a a a a a new application figure that no real work is going to get done for quite some time Frustration is self-defeating There is is a point when enough enough is is enough enough If you have have been working hard and have have reached your limit then simply stop where you you are are Take a a a a a walk Share your frustration with a a friend Trust your subconscious to wrestle with the prob- lem while you direct attention else- where When you return to the problem a a a few hours or days later there will be a a new perspective waiting Find the right learning aids The Resources section at the the back of the the book will cite a a few recommendations for for for books for for for online help and for for for organizations that can be a a a a a big help Equally important is finding a a a commu- nity with shared interests Cheat sheets will keep you alive and well Keep a a notebook where you can jot down the protocols you use with a a a a new application or piece of gear Making notes helps me absorb the information better I rarely check my own notes but writing them makes me learn faster [ xii ]