Welcome to the Blank Slate

Hello and welcome to the first edition of the Blank Slate.

The Blank Slate is a simple attempt to share views, ideas and links to new methods of storytelling.

My background has been largely in writing and film.

I have a love of all things art.

I am extremely fascinated by media and in particular how we as individuals now have the power of the ‘long tail’ to create our own niche media sites or even companies. In fact, I have my own content production business and am also currently in the process of developing various media networks and agencies. At no other time in history, can individuals so easily decide to set up a media company. There are no longer any barriers to individuals developing their own media companies – cameras are cheap, computers are cheap, there many cheap (and/or free) hosting options available for websites. More so than ever before, the individual content creators now have a vast array of opportunities to reach new audiences and also make money from their content.

So this blog will not be limited to any particular medium or even artform – I am simply interested in discovering different ways people are engaging with new media to get their views heard. In particular, I am interested in finding out how people are using these new media and social network opportunities to continue the age old human tradition of telling stories.

As an interesting aside I strongly encourage all readers to go and watch the documentary, ‘Flight From Death – The Quest for Immortality’. It is a fascinating film based largely on the work of Ernest Becker and his Pulitzer prize winning book, The Denial of Death. The film looks in depth at the theory that death anxiety is the primary human motivator and accounts for the development of everything from culture and religion through to the urge for violence. In particular, the film argues that each persons innate need for immortality, leads the human race to create (and believe in) culture, religions and symbols that stretch well beyond any single persons lifetime. It is these symbols and the threat posed to them by opposing symbols that leads to much of the unrest, violence and war that plagues the human race. Highly recommended!