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Endings, Transitions, and New Beginnings: Advanced Self-Publishing Podcast With Orna Ross and Joanna Penn
The indie author's life is full of creative transitions and transformations, which means closing one phase and beginning another. In this session, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn discuss their current transitions, lessons learned from years of growth, and the projects and approaches they left behind along the way.
The Advanced Self-Publishing salon is brought to you by Specialist Sponsor IngramSpark. IngramSpark is the award-winning indie publishing platform that offers authors like you a way to publish your book and share it with over 39,000 bookstores and libraries worldwide.
Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our self-publishing advice center, https://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org.
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The indie author's life is full of creative transitions and transformations, which means closing one phase and beginning another. @OrnaRoss and @thecreativepenn discuss their transitions. Click To Tweet
Joanna Penn writes nonfiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F.Penn. She's also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker.
Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller's "100 top people in publishing". She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com
Read the Transcripts: Endings, Transitions, and New Beginnings
Joanna Penn: Hello everyone, and welcome to the Alliance of Independent Authors' Advanced Self-Publishing salon with me, Joanna Penn and Orna Ross? Hi Orna.
Orna Ross: Hi Joanna. Hello everyone.
What's happening with ALLi, Orna Ross, and Joanna Penn this month?
Joanna Penn: Hello, here we are again. Today we're talking about endings, transitions, and new beginnings, in a different order but we will do all of these things. So, we will be getting to that in a moment, but as ever, we are writers, and so we like to give you a bit of an update as to what's going on. So, Orna what's happening with ALLi?
Orna Ross: ALLi, yeah, we are at the start of, and probably you'll hear me moaning for another month or two about this one, a big update of our Self-Publishing Advice Center, which is a little bit overdue.
Over a thousand blog posts, that's just the ones we're keeping, not counting the ones we're letting go, and a major reorganization and revamp so that we can separate out beginner's stuff from advanced stuff, and just generally make the site a lot more user-friendly. There is tons of good information there, but it's not always easy to find it, and it's kind of set up as a blog site because it has always been, that's how we've always thought about it, as the ALLi blog, but there is a lot more than a blog there. There's our Watchdog desk and ratings, and I'm putting in a planning section as well. So yeah, that is going to be going on.
We are also updating our Open up to Indie Authors campaign. What was a comprehensive overview guide has now been split into different sort of cohorts and people that we're going to be approaching, because things are shifting, things are actually beginning to open up, and of course, we took on the wonderful Melissa Addey a little while ago, and we'll be making that announcement officially this month and launching that.
And the third thing we're doing, which is kind of part of the Open up to Indie thing is gathering data. We are really sorely in need of some accurate statistics and they're very hard to come by, so we are actually putting some time, effort, and resources into trying to get a snapshot of where we are today, because you and I are talking a lot about the creator economy at the moment, but these new opportunities are making the indie publishing scene ever more fragmented, and it's getting harder and harder to see what's going on. So, we're trying to pull together some sort of a statistical picture, and then thinking about doing a survey ourselves a little bit later on in the year.
Joanna Penn: Yeah. Well, since one of our themes today is transitions, I'll just add that websites, oh my goodness, I think they're just in a permanent transition.
The Creative Penn is the same. Since 2008, I mean, I just use the search bar on my own website. I use the search bar on Self-Publishing Advice as well. So, there's a tip for everyone.
Orna Ross: Yes. We do often say that, just search for the topic. But the thing is, you maybe get 15 posts, and some of them are spot on and still current, and some haven't been updated for three or four years, or whatever it might be. So, it's just a major organization job, really.
Joanna Penn: Yeah. Well, you and I were joking beforehand about how there's always something new. I mean, we are just permanently in tech transition, I think, so that's definitely something.
Now, in terms of what I'm doing, I just got, How to Write a Novel back from my editor. So, I am going to be editing that, and in terms of the creator economy, I will be releasing that direct first in all format's eBook, audiobook, and print, paperback, hardback, large print, workbook editions. All will be exclusive to me for at least the first month.
So, the idea is to take the biggest chunk of the sales direct to me, 95% royalties in my bank account that day, rather than doing, most of us, most people, most indies will launch to the stores first. So, I love the stores. Thank you, everyone. We love all our sponsors and everything, but this is a changing model. So, obviously we'll talk about that once we see if that actually works.
I did have a creative rest; I know you like talking about creative rest. I had a week in Greece and that was really good for just stopping and thinking. I read nine books that week.
Orna Ross: Wow. A rest, that's what Joanna Penn calls a rest, people.
Joanna Penn: And, of course, you and I have been working on our creator economy workshop, which we're running together this coming weekend. It's our first full day event together for, I think four or five years, because we stopped before the pandemic, and then of course the pandemic. So, we're talking new concepts, new technologies, new mindsets, and also running an event. So, we'll be talking about that as well. So, yeah, busy, busy. What about you?
Orna Ross: Yes, also busy. Also thinking and, I mean, I'm sure it's no coincidence that we've been working on this creative economy workshop, and then we're both thinking very much about publishing direct and all that, that means. So, I'm also trying to turn around, my website now is literally just for my sales and Patreon, there used to be all sorts of things there, and turning all the systems that are around it to try and point in that direction.
Yeah, and workshops, and updating the planners that go with those workshops, that's also what I have been focusing very much on, updating the creative business planners, again, with the creator economy more in mind. And I think one of the clear things there is that idea of direct first, and more generally, just thinking more and more about what would delight the reader, what will bring the reader closer, and how to nurture that relationship even more. So, that's very much where my head has been.
Joanna Penn: Although, we should say you still do poetry every day, right?
Orna Ross: I do poetry, I do at least three poems week. That's on Instagram. I mean, some of them are harmless, small little things, but yes, I do, I'm always writing.
Joanna Penn: That's a big deal. I mean, I'm more of a binge writer. Like, I'll do a book and then move into something else, and you have more of a constant than I do for sure.
What are transitions, and how can they effect indie authors?
Joanna Penn: Anyway, let's get into the topic for today, which is transitions, endings, and new beginnings.
So, basically when you've been in the industry as long as we have, which for me was 2008, really, when I got into it, and for you was?
Orna Ross: 1900, or something,
Joanna Penn: Certainly at least a decade before me, but you know that things change, the business changes, but also, we change, and this is so important. So, sometimes these changes are within our control. Sometimes these transitions are slow. Sometimes they are super abrupt. For example, the pandemic, how much did we all have to scramble in that period with our mindsets, our physical health, our mental health, our business models. But sometimes, as we're talking about the creator economy, it's this kind of slow change over time.
And all of these changes impact our creativity, how we make money, how we feel about our creativity and our business as well, our network. And as indie authors, we need to be comfortable with these kinds of constant transitions, beginnings, and endings.
So, we're going to start with transitions, moving from one phase to the next. Orna, do you want to start?
Orna Ross: Yeah. Well, like you said, sometimes we have transition thrust upon us and there's nothing we can do about it. So, obviously the pandemic thing is still what's very live in our minds, lockdown hit, and I mean, for authors, it probably wasn't as bad as for some other people who were used to getting up and going out into the world all the time, and then some people found it extremely challenging. And then of course, I think all of us, I don't think I know anybody who hasn't had COVID at this stage. So, you know, all these kinds of changes that affect our work, that's a transition. And in terms of getting comfortable with change, I think, understanding that, and understanding that change is the norm.
Then of course, there are the transitions that we actually are trying to make for ourselves. They're slower, they're under our control. It's really a matter of looking ahead and seeing, what do we want to create? So, for me, I'm currently looking ahead and trying to create a transition that will come for me in the future whereby I can transition into having a bit more writing time.
So, I'm setting up a publishing team who can help me with my publishing side, all the tasks and things that I don't have to do myself, and equally building more of a team all the time on the ALLI side. So, that's an example of the transition whereby it's something you're working towards, and it can take a long time. This isn't something that's going to happen overnight, but it's something that I welcome. So, I think that's the other thing about transitions, is it something you're actually trying to make happen yourself, or is it something that you're resisting? And that whole thing of the creative response to change, I think, is something that comes in very much there.
You're transitioning your business model, right?
Joanna Penn: Yeah. Well, I first wanted to wind the clock back. So, for people listening, you mentioned how long some of these planned transitions can take, so I pretty much decided I wanted to leave my job when I was an IT consultant way back, you know, it was sort of 2005/2006, when I just was so miserable, and it took me until 2011 before I left my job to become a full-time author/entrepreneur, whatever you want to call it.
But I took a massive income drop, but again, even with five years' worth of run-up, it takes a long time to build. So, this is another lesson learned, I guess, with transitions. And again, like you're saying, I'm trying to transition my business model again into going direct first. I've sold direct since 2008, but I am really just transitioning to try and make that the primary model.
But equally, there's so many things I want to do, but like you, it's finding the time, and a lot of that is automation. But winding back to when I first transitioned into full-time, most of my income was money for time. So, it was speaking, it was consulting, and I've transitioned my goal. My goal once I left my job was transitioning to assets that were scalable. So, creating books, courses, things that could sell without my time, and that is one of the secrets, I think, to being a very successful creative, is having assets which generate income, regardless of whether you are actually physically doing the work at that point, and that's very different to a day job.
So, when we're thinking about transitions, there's also these life stages. So, it can be, I want to move from this job to another job. It can be, people with kids listening, I know lots of authors who have little kids who are like, oh, I wish I had more time. Well, give it 10 years and those kids will be like, go away mum. And you've been through that, and I mean, there are different phases of our lives that we transition through. I'm in the "woman of a certain age" transition right now, and that's an interesting stage too. And your priorities change and again, it's, as you say, what's forced upon you versus what you can try and control. And I guess it's getting used to the things you can't be in control of. So, I was very, very angry at the beginning of the pandemic, I think we all were. It's part of the stages of grief, the anger side.
So, what are some of the other emotional aspects of these transitions, whether they're in our control or not?
Orna Ross: I think one of the significant transitions, that we don't always think of as a transition, is the learning stuff that has to happen for the indie author. So, we talked about slow ones that we control and ones that are thrust upon us. There are also the ones we jump into and kind of catch up with ourselves.
So, I would say self-publishing was like that for me, I jumped in. I just thought, this is amazing, this is going to change everything, I want to be part of it. I jumped right in, and I feel like I've only kind of caught up with myself now, where really there was so much to learn, so much that was so different, you know, all of that.
So, we are always, as indie authors, we are crafts people. So, we learn, like an apprentice, by doing, by modelling, by emulating, and all of that. And that learning phase can be a transition, you asked about the mindset and I'm coming around to it slowly, can be a transitional phase, and we don't quite recognize it as that.
So, I do see a lot of indie authors who fall off because of that learning, that sense of, this is too hard, as if it's always going to be that hard. And it's not, because what you're in is actually the learning curve, and once you've learned how to do it once, the second time is easier, and we've spoken about this so often, by the time you're on your third or fourth book then it's become automatic, you are hardly thinking about the book production aspect which took up so much of your time and thought on the first one.
So, I think for that learning transition, it's recognizing that, that's where you are. Always this discomfort when you're stretching. Change alone is enough to create discomfort, but when it's a stretch for you, then it's creative discomfort, which can make you feel very antsy and very anxious and very confused or lost, there are lots of emotions you can have. And I guess, knowing that you're in transition is part of understanding that, but also having practices and things that you do, that when you recognize the syndrome in yourself, you know how to cope with it, you know how to protect yourself and support yourself through it. It's really important in terms of getting to the next stage, because being an indie author, being a creative in today's creator economy, means that all the time, you're always expanding and going to the next phase, the next stage. It won't stop. It's going to be that until the ultimate kind of-
Joanna Penn: Until you're dead.
Orna Ross: The ultimate transition, yeah.
What practices can help indie authors to identify a transition?
Joanna Penn: Let's just talk about the practices, because you're right, we need practices that help us identify a transition.
And as you were speaking, this so often happens when we do this show, as you were speaking there, I recognized what's happened for me in the last few years. You've been privy to my thoughts. I've been like, I am so over this, I'm so bored with the way things are, something's wrong, and maybe I'm just over it and maybe it's an ending. But what I thought might have been an ending has turned into a transition, because some of the things that I was so excited about, we've talked about blockchain and AI and just so many things, VR and AR, I wrote an article on VR for books in 2012 and, you know, things are so slow and yet now actually they're starting to happen.
And so, this idea of, what are the practices that help us? And so, I'm going to recommend, and then you can add some more recommends. So, I do longer walks, they have to be long enough that I've gone past all the thinking about all the basic stuff, and I've dropped down into the next level.
Journaling. So, I don't journal every day. I don't write every day, as we discussed, but what I do have is this almost, this build-up, and I know when I have to journal because everything's built up and I'm like, oh, now I have to journal. A few weeks ago, before I went to Arizona, when I was in the airport lounge, I spent three hours writing and just doing all this stuff because everything kind of came together.
And so, identifying what phase you're in, are you in a transition? Are you in an ending? Are you in a new beginning? That is a tough call, because sometimes we feel like we're in a transition, but it needs to end, or it's the beginning of something new. So, how do you identify which one of these things and what practices help you?
Orna Ross: Yeah, free writing is my biggie, as you know, I've been singing the praises of that for years, which is very like journaling, but you do it really, really fast. So, you get beyond the conscious mind.
Meditation is another one for me, consciously stilling the mind so that the unconscious stuff can kind of rise up.
Yeah, I think it's not a coincidence that you found yourself sorting through all this stuff when you were on your way to Arizona. That thing of a create date, where you take yourself off and you're not in your normal environment and you're doing something that you enjoy, like travel or whatever. So, you mentioned creative rest there at the beginning. Creative play also. These are the practices that allow us to get some perspective, because when we are working, and immersed in the work, we can lose that sense of perspective.
And I think it's really interesting, what you said about, the ending was a transition. I've seen people over the years, and I've done it myself, where I've walked on something or dropped something that I should actually have just rested, just set it aside and let it percolate for a while, but instead kind of said, no, it's over.
And I think actually, probably everything could be done with, I think, the other thing, add time, you know, add some time, wait and see, is it? We can have some very, very strong emotions and be very, very certain about something, and then next week it all looks completely different.
So just, yeah, I think that's pretty much it.
How can endings impact your indie author business?
Joanna Penn: Okay. Well then let's talk about endings. Sometimes it's your decision. For example, I moved. I guess London ended for me and for you at different points. And I moved to New Zealand, I moved to Australia. I end countries and cities quite regularly.
But it can also be an external decision that you have to come to terms with. So, for example, and I'll be totally honest on a personal level, my first husband left me very suddenly and that was not my decision. It was an ending, an abrupt ending, that changed my entire life. Like, your life pivots around. Very happily married for the second time, everyone, don't you worry.
Or for example, in traditional publishing, I've heard quite a lot lately, I don't know what's going on, but somebody's editor moves on or gets fired, the imprint is stopped, and books are just orphaned. Things happen that are not in your control.
Another for Indies, for example, the introduction of Kindle Unlimited in, I think it was 2014, ended a whole lot of stuff for a lot of people, me included. It changed the business model overnight. Then the end of organic reach and the rise of paid advertising, we've talked about these things. Or a change in the Google algorithms, I've seen that change people's business overnight.
Lots of things that kind of hit in different ways, especially when you see the industry. So, what are some of the other things that might happen with endings?
Orna Ross: Yeah, you can be dropped by your publishing house, or indeed, you can have your Amazon account closed, which is something that authors don't realize and can happen. And I think this ties into something else, which is around protecting yourself against possible risks and endings in the future that may be outside of your control, which is something that may be as indies, we're not always brilliant at doing.
So, understanding what it is to have a sustainable foundation under your author business and how you mitigate against risk. You can never prevent risk completely, things happen, as you're saying, that are completely outside your control, and things are always ending and beginning.
We've just seen, Smashwords was one of the big indie pioneers, has now merged with Draft2Digital, which was an ending of one phase for both of them, and the beginning of a whole new phase.
And we, as authors too, can find that we have come to the end of the series, you know, something we've been carrying around for a long time. The Six-Figure Author podcast ended recently, and lots of people are upset about that because they really loved that show, but those authors needed to move on to new things.
I think, as creators, we have to end things sometimes, and it's often good to go out on a high. But then there's the other side, where you think you want to end something and, you know, maybe you're just tired and you just need a break or something.
Joanna Penn: Yeah, it's true. I mean, I've considered ending my podcast a number of times, and then it ended up being another transition. One of those big ones, and this might help some people is, around 2015. So, I started the podcast 2009, and in 2015, it was like, I am spending way too much time on this. Either it makes them money or it's ending. So, that was a business model shift. It was okay, so how do I make this pay? And I changed the podcast into a revenue generating unit, as business people call it.
But in other ways, so, I used to do a lot of webinars and I shut them down, and that was a significant income stream that I shut down for lifestyle reasons because I'm a morning person and the webinars were always late at night, and I would get almost like a hangover the next day because the energy of webinars broke me, and I said, I can't do this, it's not worth the money.
You mentioned the Six-Figure Authors, I highly recommend people listen to the final episode of Six-Figure authors. It's brilliant because all three of them, Lindsay, Jo, and Andrea, talk about why they're ending it and what's going on in their lives, and they're all completely different reasons that they're ending the show and what they're going on to do, but very important to consider.
Also, you mentioned ending a series, I did want to ask about this because you have, just talk a bit about how you've gone back to this same group of books. How do you know that it's going to be ending this time?
Orna Ross: Yeah, well, it's ending because I know the ending. I know the ending of the book, finally. So, this was a book that was, I thought it was two books, and then it became three books. And I knew that there was a third book there, but it took me a long time to excavate it.
So, I had a whole part of it, but I didn't have the other part. So, yeah, I'm in the process of working on that. The other thing is, I think, knowing sometimes you have to call it a halt to something. So, I worked on another series, a non-fiction series, the GoCreative! Series for a very long time. I put together loads of different half-written books, you know, they were open for ages. I was forever surfing up and down and all the rest, and I think you and I discussed it and you actually said, maybe just get rid of it. So, I actually did. I took a part of it and turned it into just Creative Business Planning for Authors and just kind of went with what was my core niche, and just let the rest of it go.
Will it ever come back? Maybe it will. Is it a transition? Maybe it is, but for the moment it's dead until I get to these other projects completely finished. In which case, I think I want to go onto something new and not go back.
So, yeah, knowing when you actually should drop things, I think, and I still wake up thinking of bits that I would add to this book or that book, for that series and I still often think, you know, maybe I'll resurrect it or whatever, and then I think, no, there is no time, stop it.
Joanna Penn: Well, I think this idea of there is no time, or for me it's always, Memento Mori, remember you will die. I'm just that happy soul, but that's always what I think, and that's what I think the pandemic gave a lot of people. For you, we talked about that, because it was a significant birthday that was coming up, and it was like, well, really, what do you want to do with our precious life, as Mary Oliver says.
Orna Ross: Yes, absolutely. We want to do it all, but what can we do realistically, within the time frames that we've got? And I think this is certainly, this is one of my issues, and I have seen it in other authors as well. In your head it's all possible, but in your planner, it's not possible, and that's why I have to be quite rigorous strict with myself on planning. So, I can still, as I said, go off wool gathering and think, yeah, I'll fit it in, I'll make it happen, but then when I actually look at what's coming up for the next two years, I know that, no, I'm not going to fit it in and make it happen.
The other thing I'd love to say about endings is that I think it's really important to note small endings, small accomplishments. I think there is this thing in the indie authors life where the to-do list is always there, and it's always growing. No sooner have you knocked something off than something new has come in and is on it. And that's one of the things that planning did for me was, noting, logging, sort of, mapping the intentions and then logging the accomplishments. And they're often very different, they're not the same. You start off thinking the week is going to go one way and it goes a different way. But at the end of a week, you've done all sorts of things, and logging that, and noting the end of the week, and whatever you managed to achieve in that time, I think that's really important. And not to constantly be looking at the next thing, the next thing, the next thing, the next thing, because over time that can actually become quite wearing.
So, celebrating lots of small endings along the way, because writing long form is challenging and it takes time, and it can take a long time. I was a journalist for years and I think it's also one of the reasons I write poetry. Short form is very satisfactory. You get lots of finishing.
Joanna Penn: Well, I was just reaching for my logbook by my desk and my pack of stickers, I thought I would show people. So, this is my daily logbook and there's just a page, but it's not a diary, I just literally log what I did with a few lines. And I get a sticker if I achieve something towards one of my goals, so if I wrote some first draft or if I did some editing. And then I get a gin and tonic or a glass of champagne if I print a first draft, which is very exciting. I do try and do micro celebrations, does that count as my sticker?
Orna Ross: Definitely, I love your stickers.
Joanna Penn: I'm such a child, but I'm like, oh, I get a sticker!
Orna Ross: Yes, I think that's great. That is the whole creative play thing, as well, not taking ourselves too seriously.
Joanna Penn: I'm glad I got a point for that; you see I'm so competitive.
Orna Ross: A point for creative play. Get an extra sticker.
Joanna Penn: Yeah, but can we just talk about ending still a bit on series?
So, I have 12 books in my Arkane series, and I want to write more in that series, but because I have so many other books that I want to write, like I'm doing this pilgrimage book, and I'm going to have pilgrimage guides and do that stuff for my travel side, and then my non-fiction side. I just don't have, like you said, there's not enough actual practical time to do all the novels.
And so, my readers are asking for another Arkane thriller, but I'm feeling that I've got about three standalones that I really want to write and that sort of keep talking to me. Elizabeth Gilbert says that, if you ignore an idea long enough, it goes and finds someone else. So, I'm actually really struggling, and I mean, it's not necessarily an ending for my Arkane series because I haven't killed off my main characters, but how long do you think you can leave something before your audience thinks it's an ending or the idea goes somewhere else?
Orna Ross: I don't think there's a particular time, it just will, or it won't. I think all you can do is prioritize the books, isn't it? And then just see, again, is it an ending or is it a transition? I mean, at some point that series will have to end, and I guess at that point you will kill off your main character and then that's that.
Joanna Penn: No, that doesn't happen in these thrillers. These long running thrillers, they're all at like 24 [books]. People have been writing them for decades, and a lot of the things I read, they're on book 24/25, they're episodic.
Orna Ross: It doesn't have to end. Yeah, fair enough. I think that this brings up the question of the different ways that you can let something go. So again, it can let you go, and you'll find that you can't write another book in that series, for example, not that that's your problem, but that is something that does happen to people, where they think they are going to keep going with something and then they suddenly find, actually, I can't do anymore of this. A bit like me with the GoCreative! Series. So, that's one way in which it finishes with you, kind of thing, rather than you finish with it.
Do you consciously drop something? You can sell something or pass it on to somebody else, that is another way in which you can end things. So, there are all sorts of different ways. Again, sometimes emotions take us, and we go for the big chop, but there can be ways that are much gentler in terms of ending things.
And I think, you know, we were joking there a moment ago about the ultimate ending, but it is important, as indie authors, to plan for that. We are going to pass on and we own intellectual property, and I'd like to give a shout out here to the Estate Management books that Michael La Ronn has written for ALLi. And for members, they're there to download in the member zone. There are two, one from your perspective, as the author, setting up and leaving things behind in an orderly fashion for your heirs. And then there's one for the heir, so they know what to do with all that intellectual property, because I think that's really important and there's a lot of value there, and if we want our work to live on as well, it's important to get that one into order.
Joanna Penn: Yeah, well, earlier you mentioned about protecting yourself and having sustainable practices, but having a business is also about organizing all that practical stuff. That practical stuff includes accounting and taxes while you're alive, and then also estate management, but also building retirement income and all of that kind of thing, other streams of things, insurance. And as you say, organizing things, I feel like, me included, when we start writing, we don't think about any of those things, and then you realize it's all in your head and what happens if you go. Like with COVID, or all the time people go unexpectedly.
But having all these things sorted, even, I was talking to someone the other day and they hadn't updated their wills. They hadn't actually, you know on your pensions you have to nominate a person if you die, and all of these things. These are tiny things, but protecting yourself and those people you love, it's actually part of this whole thing. This is the Advanced Salon; these are things we need to think about.
So yeah, I guess we talked about perspective earlier as well, about taking a step back and maybe looking at things and going, okay, so how am I preparing for these types of things? And if you're not at that stage yet, then, well, you must be at some point in your life. That's the thing. Anyone listening has things they should probably just at least put on a one pager.
Orna Ross: For sure.
Joanna Penn: Yeah, just in case.
How can I embrace new beginnings as an indie author?
Joanna Penn: Okay, well, let's move into new beginnings and changing direction. So, from the end to the beginning, because we're running this event this weekend, and it feels like, well, I had to do all the stuff with COVID conditions and stuff, but it feels like new shoots of hope. Post-pandemic, everyone's running around doing in-person conferences because everyone's so desperate to see each other again. And it's really lovely that that's happening, and I know COVID hasn't gone away, but most people, I think, well okay, a lot of people are feeling like, let's move into the next phase and new ways of doing things.
So, also in terms of new books, as I said, I feel like I'm beginning a new cycle with fiction. A standalone novel is always such new thing, because you have to really invent everything from scratch as opposed to pick up a series character. So, it's a chance to do something different, and maybe that's the exciting thing about new beginnings, you get to do it differently next time. Obviously, a lot of the process is the same, but you get to reinvent stuff. So, what about you?
Orna Ross: Yeah, definitely. I think workwise, I'm very much in ending phases rather than beginning a new project. I have a new project in my mind that I would like to do, but life-wise making a transition out of London, which is kind of scary and kind of wonderful, into a new place by the sea, which I've always found inspiring, and I'm definitely feeling that sense of, you know, just by changing your location, things change around you. And I'm enjoying the new ways of working after all those years of lockdowns, felt like centuries long, it's great to be in a different sort of environment. We've thrown ourselves into one of these workspaces where there are lots of people around us, lots of other creatives, and social change makers, and people like that. So, that's really stimulating and really different.
So, from a life perspective, I feel like I'm definitely in a whole new phase, and loving it, and realizing as I'm in it just how stale things had got during the lockdown time, which at the time I felt, oh, it's fine, you know, we're lucky compared to most people, we're fine, our work's online and blah, blah, blah. And all of that was true, but when I look back, I realize, gosh, how narrow things had got, and how important it is to shake things up. And how important it is to get that fresh perspective, and I do love that creative date kind of thing, once a week, with myself doing something different that I've never done before that I really enjoy doing, is something that I missed so much. Now it's back again and I'm really enjoying it, and as I'm doing it again, I'm realizing, gosh, I don't even know how I managed without it because it was just so boring for that time. It was everything, every day was the same. So, from that point of view, it's all good.
Joanna Penn: Yeah, you said stale there, and earlier I wrote down jaded, because I felt jaded in my day job, back in my old day job. And you know when you're becoming jaded when you're saying things that are kind of cynical and slightly negative, and you're like, oh. Me, for example, being angry, I know that's not me, and that happened a lot. Same as you, it's feeling that we were hemmed in.
We were constricted for so long, but this, I think also is just a sort of tip for people, in terms of whether you need a transition or a new beginning, it's that sense of staleness, or feeling jaded, or the overwhelming negativity or anger when it's not your normal personality type. If you're feeling that, then you probably need a new beginning, whether that's a new book, a new location, a new business model, a new something.
Orna Ross: A new partner.
Joanna Penn: Maybe let's not go that far.
But it's interesting that there are indications, there are signs. Your body gives you signs. Your mind gives you signs that you need this change. And we have to listen to that.
And we have to, you know, coming to Jeff Bezos, love him or hate, Amazon has changed many of our lives in many ways, but he talks about the business being focused on day one. It's always day one at Amazon, and Andy Jassy, the new CEO, put that in his opening letter in his first year as CEO, since taking over from Jeff Bezos. But it's always day one, and I actually love that. I think it's a brilliant business mantra to have. I mean, they are obviously a huge company, but we can think that too. We can think, okay, it's day one, what am I beginning today? And what do we leave behind? What are we transitioning? And sort of, try and recapture that energy, but to let go of those things that maybe make us feel jaded.
I mean, there's a difference, there is a balance, right? Let's talk about marketing. People say, oh, I don't want to, it makes me feel bad. How do we tell the difference between things that we don't really want to do versus we're jaded, and we need something new?
Orna Ross: I think it's about sensing the energy, isn't it? Jaded energy, as you say, it has a real, sort of, cynicism, a negativity of a different kind. One is fear, and the other one is something else. So, I think if it's a fear factor of something that, I'm no good at this, I don't know how to do it, then it's a different kind of sense of energy.
And I like this concept of the beginner's mind, which very much ties into what you're saying there about the day one, which is a Buddhist concept of just emptying your mind of all preconceptions, and notions, and ideas about what's going on.
And I think losing ourselves in the doing of things is very often the way we can see whether it is something that is actually, no, I've had it. Because usually, with the thing of it being something that you really need to do and need to get on with, once you start doing it, it takes you over and you're fine, off you go. But if you're really tired, the more you do it, the worse you feel.
So, it's about the direction of the energy, I think, more than anything else. But you're right. It can be difficult sometimes. Sometimes it's a matter of just waiting it out and seeing what's there. And also, consciously introducing new ways. I mean, part of being day one is that you don't have a set way to do things and so you can do them in a different way. Try new kinds of writing, new formats, you know, not automatically doing the same thing that you always do, not automatically doing the next book in the series, doing the standalone, trying a form or a format that you haven't tried before, a new collaboration.
There are so many ways that we can freshen things up, and I think just taking a really close look at where we are in terms of these three things that we've been talking about today, endings, beginnings, and transitions, and sort of labelling what's going on and saying, okay, that one's coming to an end, something could do with a freshen up, and a new beginning. Actually, looking at it through these three lenses could be a useful exercise.
Joanna Penn: Absolutely. Fantastic. Well, this has been an interesting topic today. So, we'll leave you with those questions, what's happening with you in terms of the different aspects of your author career around endings, transitions, and beginnings?
And we hope we've given you something to think about.
So, next month we're actually going to be talking about our lessons learned and our tips on running events for authors, whether that's live and in-person, as we're doing coming up, or online, and Orna runs online events regularly. So, we're going to talk about that and some of the pros and cons of the different things. So, that's coming up in July. So, I guess that's it from us? Anything else, Orna?
Orna Ross: Nope, that is it. I have no more, it's the end for me.
Joanna Penn: It's the end of this session. So, happy writing.
Orna Ross: And happy publishing, everyone. Bye-bye.
Author: Howard Lovy
Howard Lovy has been a journalist for more than 35 years, and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Howard is also a freelance writer specializing in Jewish issues whose work appears regularly in Publishers Weekly, the Jewish Daily Forward, and Longreads.


C.C. Image: Vancouver Film School on Flickr.
Music is a powerful force. It can make us cry, and make us laugh. It can empower us, inspire us, anger us, motivate us, and change our perspective on the world. Sound can help to unravel the mysteries of our universe, and take us deeper within ourselves as human beings. A great song can hold a place in our heart that is uniquely precious, and yes, a great song can change the world.
Not only can sound achieve all these amazing things, it can effect us on a deeper, more subconscious anatomical level. Music has been proven to improve creativity, improve motor and nonverbal reasoning skills, boost our vocabulary, improve productivity, help us utilise energy more efficiently when we exercise, slow our pulse, lower our blood pressure, reduce levels of anxiety and depression, and alter the way we interpret others. Thousands of studies have probed the influence of music on our brains, from babies in the womb to the elderly, and the results are uniformly spectacular. This ancient art form has both directly and indirectly shaped every one of us - our thoughts, our feelings, our actions - and the world around us would be an altogether different, altogether darker place without music.
C.C. Image: Hernán Piñera on Flickr.
One 2010 study conducted by researchers from BMS College of Engineering in Bangalore, Malaysia, reported that subjects experienced a dramatic reduction in stress and a marked increase in physical relaxation when they listened to music that played around 60 beats per minute. In classical music, such a tempo is written as larghetto, which translates to not very fast or somewhat slowly.
The figure of 60 BPM is not coincidentally a cause for feelings of relaxation and ease. The average adult human resting heart rate is approximately 60 to 100 BPM, with a reading toward the lower end of the scale typically occurring during deep sleep. Individuals who consistently record readings of around 60 BPM are usually physically fit and healthy, such as young athletes.
The human heart beats more than 3.5 billion times in an average lifetime, at around 100,000 beats a day. The heartbeat of a human embryo begins at approximately 21 days after conception, at a rate near the mother's (75 to 80 BPM). Such tempos are engrained into our being from our earliest moments; every single one of us lives to a beat, a beat that changes moment to moment and yet is omnipresent. A beat that can exhaust or relax us, and which will only stop at the precise moment of our death. Our heartbeat and its rhythm are two of the most personal elements of our being.
Music is always set to a beat, too. Genres that make us move, like disco and pop, are typically performed at around 120 BPM - a convenient double time to our resting 60 BPM reading - an energising rhythm that makes us comfortable and happy. Meanwhile, genres like dub and the aptly named downtempo are relaxing, soothing styles of music that get down to the 60 to 90 BPM range on a regular basis. And styles of music like techno, jungle, and drum and bass electronic music - intended to be played for large crowds over extended periods of time, delivering intensely stimulating, energising impact - can be played at anywhere from 150 to 200 BPM.
C.C. Image: Mani9flores on Wikimedia Commons.
All of these figures achieve their desired effect by design, not by coincidence. Anyone who has ever experienced the insistent doof, doof, doof, doof of four-to-the-floor trance music in a club or festival environment can attest to the phenomenon: masses of bodies moving like waves that rise and fall in a synchronous pulse along with the beat. Raves like these carry on for hours upon hours, long into the early morning and often beyond. There is a distinctly hypnotic element to it all. Such electronic music is almost always centred around a drumbeat that goes and goes and goes, and in a live situation everybody in attendance is pulled along for the ride. Think of the remarkably apt name of the genre: trance. Everybody is compelled to move to the beat, just as every day feet subconsciously tap along to the radio whenever music is playing.
The omnipresent streaming service Spotify knew the scientific link between our heart rates and musical beats when they announced their Running service in May 2015. Their app records your running tempo using the accelerometers built into your smartphone, before converting your running cadence into a BPM rating and automatically generating playlists of music which match that precise tempo. Spotify even offer songs called Running Originals, created by artists like the Dutch DJ Tiësto, which - in lieu of a fixed tempo per song - dynamically adapt to your running pace.
C.C. Image: Tuncay on Flickr.
Runners and indeed athletes in most any field have been employing heart rate training for years. With this technique, using simple formulas for calculating one's heart rate reserve (the difference between your resting heart rate and your maximum heart rate), different exercise ranges are calculated. Each zone corresponds to a particular amount of effort exerted, and services like Spotify Running aim to motivate athletes to push a little harder into each challenging zone, as cleverly curated music pushes them forward and sets the pace. Musicians like Underworld, deadmau5, and Calvin Harris become musical personal trainers, always helping you go further.
Public domain image by Giovanni Paolo Panini, c. 1747.
Interest, wariness, and aversion to music's biological effect on listeners has continued to the present day. The Dutch-born American physician Joost Meerloo wrote about music in his 1961 book Dance Craze and Sacred Dance, characterised by a decidedly ambivalent attitude to the then-developing style of rock music. He stated that "the contagious rhythm of Rock 'n' Roll" is "a form of rhythmic mass hypnosis." He also expressed his concern that rock music "may go over into the madness of oblivion and self-destruction." One wonders what Doctor Meerloo would make of today's trance and house music, designed as it is for the express purpose of eliciting transportive release.
In 1985 Ozzy Osbourne was sued based on the accusation that his song Suicide Solution had caused a teenager to attempt suicide as a result of the song's "musical brainwashing." The case was thrown out on freedom of speech grounds, but the rise of subliminal back-masking, prevalent in much of the heavy metal music of the time, became a widely contested topic of debate. The parents of two teenagers who shot themselves in the '80s blamed Judas Priest, claiming "satanic incantations are revealed when the music is played backwards." Their expert witness - a marine biologist - concluded that he could make out the words "do it" backwards in a song, and although the case was not successful, the idea of heavy metal as a form of potentially lethal brainwashing had become widely accepted by many. When teenager Richard Kuntz killed himself while listening to Marilyn Manson in 1996, his father testified before a US Senate Committee to argue that the New Orleans singer had employed musical brainwashing and was responsible for his son's death. The media subsequently blamed Manson for the Columbine High School massacre in 1999.
Marilyn Manson. C.C. Image: Sebi Ryffel on Wikimedia Commons.
Brainwashing and music have a closely linked history, but beyond cheap cashing in on demonic themes, there is modern work being done that ties scientific musical phenomena with physical change. Binaural tones have been studied since the mid-nineteenth century, and have been claimed to aid in relaxation, meditation, creativity and other desirable mental states. These tones (also called binaural beats) are auditory processing artifacts, or apparent sounds, caused by specific physical stimuli, where two tones - one in each ear - are played, each at a differing frequency.
The effect on a listener's brainwaves depends on the difference in the frequencies of each tone, for example if 400 Hz was played in one ear and 440 Hz in the other, the binaural tone would have a frequency of 40 Hz. Binaural tones are a controversial topic among many and remain largely unverified scientifically, though some of the more optimistic studies have stated that these alien-like, weird sounds may simulate the effect of recreational drugs, improve athletic performance, help people to memorise and learn, stop smoking, lose weight, and cure erectile dysfunction.
Brainwave science. C.C. Image: Glogger on Wikimedia Commons.
Public domain image: Wikimedia Commons.
Goodman is of course correct in his observations. In 1989, U.S. troops in Panama City aimed loudspeakers at the Vatican embassy where Noriega had barricaded himself, blaring deafening music day and night to anger him and prevent him from sleeping. Among the songs they chose for Noriega's listening pleasure were Nowhere to Run by Martha and the Vandellas and Linda Rondstadt's You're No Good. The Waco compound of David Koresh and the Branch Davidians was bombarded with ear-splitting recordings of both music and assorted recordings that included bagpipes, seagulls, dying rabbits, sirens, dentist drills, and Buddhist chants. And in 2005 it was widely reported by the international media that the Israeli airforce were employing deafening sonic booms - caused as their low-flying jets passed the speed of sound - as a method of psychological warfare in the Gaza Strip. Elsewhere, high-frequency blasts of audio at 2,100 Hz to 3,100 Hz at 150 decibels have been used to dispel crowds and dissuade looters, including during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Sonic warfare is very real and very dangerous, and goes to show that audio frequencies can be employed for ill-gotten gains after all. Yet sound is largely used for good; at the more positive end of the sonic spectrum, we have mantras. Mantras are defined as "sacred utterances", and have been used for over 3000 years in spiritual practice. Believed by many to have extreme psychological and spiritual power, a mantra may or may not have syntactic structure or literal meaning; the spiritual value of a mantra simply comes when it is audible or present in thought. The sacred Sanskrit syllable Om - a central mantra of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism - was labelled in ancient India as the "cosmic sound" that initiated the creation of the universe.
Mantras written on a rock in Nepal. C.C. Image: Markrosenrosen on Wikimedia Commons.
When humming a sound such as aaaaa, the physical vibration can most keenly be felt in the stomach and chest region; similarly, ooooo and mmmm stimulate the throat and skull regions respectively. When these three syllables are combined, we achieve Om or Aum as it is otherwise known, which - when chanted successfully - activates the stomach, spinal cord, throat, nasal, and cranium regions. These powerful sonic repercussions are still held by millions today as being spiritually all-encompassing, and even dangerous. Beginners to mantra meditation are rarely encouraged to begin with the singular Om syllable, due to its perceived effect.
Cymatics - the study of visible sound - has been effectively applied to visualise Om mantra chanting. Typically in cymatics, the surface of a plate, diaphragm, or membrane is vibrated by audible noise, and the regions of maximum and minimum displacement are made visible by a varied coating of particles, paste, or liquid. Different patterns emerge in the excitatory medium depending on the geometry of the plate and the driving frequency. I encourage everyone who reads this article to watch the video embedded below, which uses a CymaScope and a 1981 recording of the Om mantra being chanted inside the Great Pyramid of Egypt, in order to show the power of the cosmic sound in action. The results of this ancient chant coming to life before our eyes are amazing, awe-inspiring, and unforgettable.
It is particularly fascinating that elliptical shapes are the primary ones which are displayed in the above video. Elliptical paths are the routes planets take as they orbit stars such as our sun; such celestial bodies do not travel around the sun in perfect circles, rather in oval shapes. The stars themselves also move through the galaxy in the same elliptical patterns. Therefore, elliptical shapes are essentially a visual representation of the way in which celestial bodies respond to gravity, the force that binds everything together and sustains life as we know it. The significance of Om in ancient religion as the sound of our universe's beginning, and the correlation of its cymatical visualisation to gravity and the movements of our universe are food for thought indeed.
Cymatics is a fascinating field, and one can get lost in the visualisations that have been filmed for many pieces of music. Some artists, such as the electronic mastermind Richard D. James, aka Aphex Twin, have even included visualisation in their own songs by other means. Using spectrograms - a visual representation of the frequencies of a particular sound - James imprinted two songs from his Windowlicker single with images. The title track features a spiral pattern that evolves towards the end of the song, while ΔMi−1 = −αΣn=1NDi[n][Σj∈C[i]Fji[n − 1] +Fexti[n−1]] (usually shortened to Equation for obvious reasons) features a terrifying spectrogram of James' own face, smirking with his trademark sinister grin. It's hilariously geeky, interesting stuff.
The "Equation" spectrogram. Image used on the grounds of fair use.
From allowing musicians to encode their self-portrait into compositions, bringing our ears the apparent sound of our entire universe and its origins, giving us the motivation we need to work, create, or push ourselves, intimidating our enemies in warfare, carrying us away in a hypnotic trance, curing our ailments, and even just providing plain old emotional release, sound and the way we create and interpret it is a fascinating subject. Music has been with us since the dawn of our species, and the profundity of its impact cannot be overstated.
Great music brings us to worlds beyond our knowledge, opens them to us, invites us in, and changes us forever. Music has shaped both you and I; it has helped us to make sense of our world, and helped build that world around us. Keep that in mind, the next time you press play on a piece of music that means something to you. Whatever the reason for that emotional connection may be, have no doubt that there is a reason. There are psychological and spiritual planes by which the only entry is through music. Let it take you there.
For me, the Beatles' White Album is actually a canary yellow affair. Meanwhile, Jay Z's Black Album is really a cobalt blue record, and Orbital's Brown Album should really be known as the Bottle Green Album in my opinion. AC/DC's anthem Back in Black is in fact Back in Crimson, Donovan's Mellow Yellow is mellow pink, and Jimi Hendrix's Red House is actually painted carrot orange. Mondays and the letter B are navy blue, the number 8 and G major chords are brilliant purple, and the word irresolute is largely silver. My mother is royal yellow, my father is dark purple, and my brother is forest green. Numbers, letters, words, geographic locations, dates, times, notes, chords, songs, and people all carry consistent colour associations - but I'm not mad.
Public domain image: Wikipedia Commons.
Synesthesia (from the Ancient Greek syn "together", and aisthēsis "sensation") is a neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. People with synesthesia are called synesthetes. Studies have conflictingly suggested that synesthesia may effect anywhere from .05% to 4% of the populous.
The condition comes in many forms, and subjects have variously reported experiencing the sound of a car door slamming or the pitch of a piano's middle C evoking a certain colour, seeing mentally coloured letters and numbers, perceiving the number one as being "further away" than the number two, constructing abstract mental maps of number forms whenever they think of a number, feeling certain sensations as the result of hearing certain sounds, experiencing a sensation when they see someone else experience that same sensation, and tasting a particular taste when they hear a certain word spoken. Every one of these phenomenons, and more, belong to at least one of the various sub-forms of synesthesia.
A synesthete might perceive the left panel like the panel on the right. C.C. Image: Edward M. Hubbard on Wikipedia Commons.
My associations as I reported above represent something of a mixed bag, which isn't an uncommon experience; many synesthetes report combinations of subtypes. I have fairly mild forms of both grapheme-colour synesthesia (in which numbers and letters - graphemes - are associated with particular colours) and chromesthesia (in which particular notes, keys, and sounds elicit unique colours). There are also indefinable things - I have no idea why Detroit is indigo blue or my brown and white Jack Russell terrier is in fact fire truck red - thrown into the mix; the musician Dev Hynes told The Fader that the Empire State Building clearly evokes a Gmaj9 chord for him. As with any synesthete, every association I have is always the same, and they occur completely automatically. I cannot re-program an association, prevent one from happening, or forget one once a trigger has been encountered and a link to a colour has been forged.
I clearly remember the first time I realised that these experiences were not usual. Reading a music magazine in my teens, I happened across an interview with the British rapper Roots Manuva. He was promoting his 2005 record Awfully Deep and talking about how he had composed that record so as to maintain a distinct silver tint throughout; I read on, not noticing anything out of the usual in this approach until he attributed this silver mindset to a condition I had never heard of with a weird name. After a little bit of research, it quickly became apparent that nobody in my immediate family shared in my colour associative experiences, and after much research and testing I came to identify and enjoy synesthesia as I experience it.
Public domain image: Autumn Blossoms by Vincent van Gogh.
For almost all synesthetes, their associative experiences are something to enjoy. It is not listed in either the DSM-IV or the ICD because - like perfect pitch - synesthesia is really more of a neurological phenomenon than a condition. In fact, perfect pitch and synesthesia often occur hand-in-hand, and certainly people with strong chromesthesia may be able to easily identify notes, chords, and keys simply through mental colour coding. Only rarely does synesthesia negatively impact a person's normal life, as in the case of sub-types such as misophonia, where negative emotions like hatred and fear are triggered by certain sounds.
Regions thought to be cross-activated in grapheme-colour synesthesia (green=grapheme recognition area, red=V4 color area). C.C. Image: Edward M. Hubbard on Wikipedia Commons.
The prevailing analysis of the mechanism of synesthesia posits that the phenomenon's perceptual overlaps are due to so-called "crossed wires" between regions of the brain whose functions become entwined. Regions involved in the identification of graphemes lie adjacent to one of the main regions involved in color-processing, for instance. A normal developmental process called pruning usually partially eliminates the connections between certain parts of the brain, but many scientists believe that in a synesthete's brain some pruning processes may have failed and led to cross-activation.
C.C. Image: Sergiu Bacioiu on Flickr.
For my part, I believe that most every person has the ability to visualise and connect sensory experience. It is the same as imagining our home when we are on vacation, or the face of a loved one who is no longer with us; our mind is abundant with memory and perceptual links. Certain images which we conjure up will elicit certain emotional responses, and certain emotional responses will elicit certain images - all occurring within our mind's powerful eye.
For instance, if we picture a sheet of plain craft paper, entirely painted bright yellow, we are able to see it in our mind's eye. Try this experiment, with eyes closed, and let the yellow colour shine for a moment in your inner mind. Somewhere deep behind your eyes you can see yellow, without the perception of that colour actually interfering with your thoughts in any particular way. We all have this ability; the only difference in the mind of a synesthete - or at least, in the mind of this synesthete - is that such mental images are inalienable to certain triggers in our environment. For instance, I see yellow within my mind much as you just have, but automatically; whenever I see the letter S, hear Dayvan Cowboy, or think about Tuesdays, and so on. Every colour in every shade has such associations.
Have you ever closed your eyes in the sunlight, and let the slowly shifting outside rays create changeable colours and subtle patterns on the inside of your lids? As I listen to Frédéric Chopin's second Nocturne in E-flat major, I experience something similar: waves of gorgeous cerulean that is alternately pale and dark wash over me, like a blue-hued kaleidoscope that moves in perfect harmony to the song's plaintive pace. In the 30th bar, when the pianist is urged to play con forza, and harsh chords rapidly begin to descend before reaching a resolve, the palette of the piece darkens and finishes at a tone of gorgeous midnight blue. The sensory bliss that such a piece evokes is awe-inspiring, beautiful, and breath-taking.
When everything has an association with a colour, everything takes on another dimension; a private, personal dimension that feels unique to your experience. Every one of my favourite pieces of music - songs that mean the world to me, like LCD Soundsystem's All My Friends, Elliott Smith's Angeles, Beethoven's Sonata 14 in C-sharp minor, Songs: Ohia's Blue Chicago Moon, and the Beatle's Yesterday - carry me into worlds purely their own, totally inaccessible by other means. They are emotional weights that cannot help but pull me in the direction of the music, down roads by which I relish the journey. But the synesthetic associations make up merely one layer of this complex experience; the myriad unique memories I associate with each track comprise yet another, still more potent element of their personal meaning.
C.C. Image: "Vision" by Carol Steen on Wikipedia Commons.
There comes a point at which any phenomenon, condition, or disorder is considered separate from what most people experience at one time or another and becomes worthy of diagnosis. Synesthesia is no different; we are sensory and visual creatures by nature, and using imagination it is possible for anybody to use outside information to enrich the experience of life. After all, how many artists have drawn on the sounds and sights of a youthful summer, or on the cold palette of a winter's day? Such inspirations and experiential connections are natural ways of interpreting and expressing the world and indeed ourselves.
That for some these connections are made automatically is not the point. Our minds are endlessly complex; as the human race explores deep space and the secrets of existence, much of what lies inside each of our bodies remains a mystery. Synesthetic experience is but one sensory firework display amidst the brilliant carnival of our human forms.
Public domain image: Claude Monet.
The associations and emotional currents that run through my mind as a result of synesthesia are very precious to me and form a part of my unique perspective on the world, for which I will always be thankful. Yet when I think of the power of any mind turned to imagination and inspiration I am humbled. After all, there is no suggestion Claude Monet ever employed something like synesthesia to paint his masterpieces, yet few have ever interpreted their world to such staggering effect. Each of us has a unique perspective, along with the power to weave light, form sound, craft function, and seek meaning; I am reminded that this world is only ever what we make it, what we interpret it to be. Picture that.
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This period of time holds Great Possibilities for all of us; Close your eyes and block all Projections of Darkness coming upon the land, and lock yourself away for a bit of time each day in your room of Light. This is your place of Beauty, Longing, Hope and Love.
Great Miracles are about to happen. Now is the time to cast ourselves upon the altar of change. God lovesit when we come to Him during the most impossible times, so he can completely enter into our bodies and our hearts, and work the Great Work! Neptune entering the Sign Pisces covers the world with Ideals, Imagination, Visions of the Perfection, so quickly, there will be those who will not understand how their dark plans did NOT come to pass.
Pisces the Fish is associated with the Christ and those who are like Him.
We are going to see the restoration and regeneration of everything.
Miracles are coming and this may seem like a fantasy, but it is real.
Expect Angels to intercede for you and your nation. Call to them now!
Expect the most unbelievable economic solution to suddenly be put in place in the governments, region by region, before any underground Power even has a chance.
This Neptune, and this Pisces, carries within them the pure Ideal, and represents the soul who returns to this time and place to practice the Imagery, the Photographic Projecting of Perfection upon the outer world as was always intended. This will increase the deeper mind to access wisdom and mercy, compassion and a fierceness of making Ideals come true.
The souls of light are here again for performing miracles and precipitating great Mercy and Healings. Our ability to visualize and hold a thought, and with full confidence, watch before our very eyes the thing materialize will now be easier than ever before. We, they are artist, ministers, musicians, healers…they are the compassionate ones.
As Neptune moves into Pisces a door opens for us to bring forth the incredible power of God inside of us; imploring the Light to save the Earth and use this period in time where we can better exercise our use of the imagination….( Imaging). Imaging is not fantasy, its a faculty of the soul to engage in the full use of the body temple as God created it. The body was created with the engineering in the two eyes, the glands in the brain, specifically the Pineal Gland and the inner sight and mental imagery, much like a camera, to be able to use its mechanism to project God's Perfect Vision out into your world in order to create something better than what is happening now. Just like in the physical eyes, the Pineal Gland has also rods and cones and acts very much like a camera or tv, allowing an inner sight, which is why it is called "the third eye". Not only is it suppose to be a receiving of imagery from the heaven world, capturing concepts and complete ideas from the Mighty I Am Presence above, but also God through this third eye, desires to project His/Her perfection of an idea or concept out into the physical environment around you.
The amazing thing is, if every Son and Daughter of God used this mechanism frequently, and it was done properly, no creation would conflict with any other creation because all creations are being drawn down from the Universal Blueprint in the invisible realms of the Spirit of All Light. And that Blueprint is in perfect harmony with every portion of the plan. Faith is used to trust the formula, the process of using this mechanism.
C. We Hold onto that new knowledge and then believe it can be done. It doesn't matter, how big or small the matter is. It really doesn't matter. Hold a concept of a step by step plan to bring prosperity and security back into our nations, our money, industry, health, protection against nuclear toxicity etc..whatever YOU need and that you feel would be good for others.
E. take the experience and the study in, realize all the things you have read or heard, this is the best so far,and God will keep adding to your new truth, but you must work at it!
H. Then Seal it in the name of the great I AM, it is finished.
I. Watch, pay attention, write it down, keep a note of it because in some form, it will come true.
Neptune in Pisces is the Beauty of precipitating a purified world, purified economy, purified governments and multiplying out of thin air. Neptune rules Idealism and Imagining, the Mirror projected outward, the glass.
You can see how terribly important it is to NEVER visualize and hold an image that has harm to it, or greed, or that will cause the suffering of anything.
Stationary Mercury retrograde at 0-1* Virgo Opposes Neptune July 28 through August 8 2011 which can reveal a lie and inspire you to call for its exposure and alternative plan.
October 10 2012 through July 19 2013 is the most important in the near future of all the dates of precipitating the Power of Security, Abundance, Change and implementing the Structure of the new Economic and Liberating Plan for the world, according to God's Will.
You see, what you can do is take the idea of being a Co-Creator with God and actually understand how it works. You are sitting there in your room, putting on your most beautiful inspiring music, and you have in your mind already an understanding of a great thing that could happen that would solve a problem of unhappiness somewhere, but more than that, it is the excitement of the Vision, of having something Magnificent to occur, to manifest, to come into Reality! You pray, you say " God, I desire and Call to you to make this thing come true; Bring this forth Dear God, with all your Power and your Perfection. Take command I pray to manifest this beautiful thing. This perfect thing. This most joyful and elegant Blueprint and process that can change civilization and remove the suffering in every way forever!
This cycle slips into the complexity of all the other hard Astrology during this time, almost inconspicuously, so no dark force notices.
It moves in like the Holy Spirit, slips into your heart, wakes you up in the morning, calls you to visualize the perfect solution, the most amazing vision, and it sticks with you all day, you can't get it out of your mind, you can feel it, want to research it, talk about it. You think " could this be possible, how could it happen?
Look, there are those who do believe in this science, and they are very dark, and they think that they should create in the world, and we sit back and watch TV and complain. You are actually created with more resources and internal powers of love than they are. Yes, there is a difference. Humility and a desire to have immortality. There are those in the world who know their time is up. How do you know which one are you? Do you desire freedom love, mercy, independence, harmony creativity and happiness for all? Do you think everyone feels like this who has the powers and capabilities to misuse their third eyes and their powers to put forth plans into the Earth? Well, the answer is NO. Not everyone has good will.
Once you lock onto your project, protect it, fight for it. It is a Great Light that has come upon us, but quietly. It doesn't act like Pluto or Uranus, or Mars. It is like the positive Divine Tsunami covering the lands from coast to coast. You see, there is a perversion of Neptune also, but today I wanted to talk about what it was truly intended for: Manifesting and experiencing divine love and the immaculate feelings and concepts of God into the Earth.
The Great Lord represented by the powers of Neptune in Pisces which has an essence and mind and intelligence that permeates the atmosphere with Love and the Ideal Pattern of the Perfect World, has entered the world and is moving into your life, the streets, the cities, the nation. This Presence literally moves upon you and inside and compels a longing to occur. The longing for safety, perfection, abundance, magnificent. Nothing can stop it.
He created bodies with the system inside so He could use us, like we step inside our car, and it accommodates our wishes to where we want to go.
Whatever you feel has come into your lap that inspires you and causes your heart to be passionate about the idea, and you desire this thing to be created so all can experience the blessing of it, call it down! and always say, " According to God's Will, Amen." I mean, it might really not be the best thing to have a Nordstrom built in every neighborhood, so lets lift up our aspirations a bit, but maybe a blessing to establish a completely safe and amazing school for children under the age of 6, where one could leave them there knowing all possible learning materials are being presented to their child, and in complete safety.
I had an inspiration to write this article and include an example of a strong argument for economic change in our country and the entire world, so it would settle and work within our minds. This is like the learning stage, where we take in a new idea, and the more we assimilate it, the more we understand how it could be possible. Once that happens, and we call it down into the world OUT LOUD, IT BEGINS TO HAPPEN!


text:
Q: How do I use a Radio Button to vary the dropdown menu in a R Shiny App? I'm very new to using Shiny apps but have managed to put together a dropdown menu for a list of TagIDs. However there are 3 types of Tag IDs that I would like to differentiate between. Two simple solutions are 1) just creating different tab items for each Tag ID type or 2) adding text in front of each TagID to delineate the type. What I would like to do is create a radio button for the 3 types of tags that modifies the list of TagIDs present within the dropdown menu. Any idea on how to do this "nested" dropdown menu within a radio button?
Thanks!

A: It is not entirely clear what you're looking for, but this might be helpful. In the demo below, you can use updateSelectInput in an observe block. When a change is made with the radio buttons (e.g., when a "type" is selected), then the selectInput choices for tagIDs are updated based on the type selected.
library(shiny)
library(shinydashboard)

df <- data.frame(
  type = c("A", "A", "B", "B", "C", "C"),
  tagID = 1:6
)

ui <- dashboardPage(
  dashboardHeader(title = "Menu"),
  dashboardSidebar(
    radioButtons("types", "Type", unique(df$type)),
    selectInput("tagIDs", "TagID", NULL)
  ),
  dashboardBody()
)

server <- function(input, output, session) {

  observe({
    updateSelectInput(
      session, "tagIDs", "TagID",
      choices = df[df$type == input$types, "tagID"]
    )
  })

}

shinyApp(ui, server)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Refrigerant gases such as Freon R-124 are highly toxic, environmentally harmful, and heavily regulated. By detecting R-124 gas leaks early, the plant operators avoided the need for costly refrigerant replenishment, loss due to spoiled product and limited any environmental impact.
Moreover, the high sensitivity, handheld FLIR GF304 enabled inspectors to pinpoint and visualize the exact source of these invisible refrigerant gas leaks faster and more reliably than with using fixed sniffer detectors as well confirming effective repairs once complete.


See you all later, enjoy the evening of trance on AH.
where is the thread for this show "Luke Blanc Presents Trance Edition 034"?
this set has been really good thus far!
Last edited by evyqueen87; Apr 25th, 2008 at 02:24.
DAMN is it friday yet!?!?


Agriculture and farming has changed a lot over over the years. In this day and age farmers and growers need to communicate quickly with their employees in the office and in the field. They need to get their products to market quickly, a delay could cost thousands of dollars.
Real-world job sites bring hard knocks, dust, dirt, water and hazardous materials. Safety is essential and you need the fastest, most effective response if there's an incident. The MOTOTRBO Professional Digital Two-Way Radio System is ready to help you respond to those challenges.
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In order to keep up and keep ahead, your workers need reliable, easy-to-use communications so you can increase their efficiency and productivity, improve plant safety, support long work shifts and rapidly respond to incidents, wherever they happen.
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Applications that track vehicles and shipments enable more on-time and accurate deliveries, all while improving safety and complying with regulatory requirements. Drivers are safer, costs are lower, and customers are satisfied. Meet your deadlines safely and efficiently.
From the wastewater plant to the power line, or at the office, Motorola Solutions is helping utility companies work more efficiently, productively and safely in the most difficult conditions and demanding environments. Help your operation run more efficiently and safely.


text:
Lexi Lowe is a blonde bombshell from across the pond in Newport, South Wales, UK. after being a bored government worker, she began her career as a stripper in the UK and never looked back. Lucky for us we imported her to the porn capital of the world, California. She's being doing hot anal and interracial scenes ever since. She can't get enough. She's a super tall drink of water at 5'10." She also has massive jugs, 32E to be exact. It's easy to see why this Welsh babe has made such a splash in the world of porn. She's a total slut and she takes in EVERY hole. She can take a massive cock as hard as you can give it. This leggy mega-slut is an absolute crowd pleaser. Check out her ANALIZED scene with Chris Stroke where she gets pounded insanely hard in her asshole. You won't be disappointed.
30 (1988/7/17)
32E-28-34
Worked for the British government before becoming a stripper
All scenes with Lexi Lowe
Lexi Lowe and Penny Pax: Swingers Love Anal
Lexi Lowe, Penny Pax
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Looking for a reliable vehicle that is both fuel efficient and comes with complete peace of mind when you purchase? Look no further than this slick Silver 2017 Kia Forte LX which provides spacious and comfortable seating for up to 5-passengers, excellent fuel economy, plenty of power options including hands-free/heated seats/touchscreen/backup camera/satellite radio and much much more! Best of all this great Kia carries with it the balance of factory warranty to insure complete peace of mind when you purchase at YOUR CHOICE of either a great price or low low payments!
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Adventure through the Buri Gandaki / Budhi Gandaki valley, rich with diverse picturesque scenery, from the paddy terraces to the high arctic terrain.
In the backdrop of ancient traditional Buddhist culture.
Charming villages in the ancient trans-Himalayan trade route.
The word "Tsum" is derived from the word "Tsombo" meaning vibrant and stunning in Tibetan language.The magnificent hidden valley of Tsum is located in between the massif peaks of Bauddha-Himal Chuli and Ganesh Himal in the close environs of the world's eighth highest peak Mt. Manaslu. Also known as "The Valley of Himalayan Pilgrimage", Tsum Valley is situated in northern Gorkha district of Nepal and is truly an amazing area.
The path here leads up towards the valley of River Buri Gandaki and passes through the wild and unexplored area inhabited mainly by the people of the Gurung ethnic groups. A good cup of the locally cultivated organic coffee and Tatopani hot springs will truly relax you during this exhausting hike. The upper Tsum valley, which is a part of the central Inner Himalaya, opens up from a place called Chhokangparo. That is where the hospitable locals of Tibetan group "Tsombo" welcome you with traditional buttered and salted Tibetan tea and local foods. The Valley of Tsum is exceptionally rich in cultural heritage. The valley is dotted with gompas (Buddhist monasteries), chortens and Mani walls. The longest Mani walls are over 250m in Dzong and Phurpe.
The old people of this valley believe that they have seen or found the signs of Mehti, commonly referred to as the Yeti or 'Abominable Snowman'.
Arrive in Kathmandu and transfer to respective hotels.
In Kathmandu with half day guided tour at places of interest.
Drive from Kathmandu to Arughat 535m via Gorkha.
Trek from Arughat to Liding 860m. 4-5 hrs Overnight camping.
Trek to Machhakhola 930m. 4-5 hrs.
Trek to Jagat 1,410m. 5-6 hrs.
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Trek to Chumling 2,363m. 5-6 hrs.
Trek to Chhokangparo.3,010m 5-6 hrs.
Trek to Chhule-Nile 3,361m 5-6 hrs.
Trek to Mu Gompa 3,700m. 4-5 hrs.
Trek to Rachen Gompa 3,240m. 4-5 hrs.
Trek to Dumje 2,440m. 4-5 hrs.
Trek to Gumba Lungdang 3,200m. 5-6 hrs.
Trek to Ripchet 2,468m. 5-6 hrs.
Trek to Dobhan 1,070m. 4-5 hrs.
Trek to Soti Khola 720m 5-6 hrs.
Trek to Arughat 535m. 5-6 hrs.
Drive back to Kathmandu and transfer at respective Hotels hotel.
In Kathmandu free day for independent activities.


text:
How Lola Bunny Broke the Internet
When the character's new, far less sexualized look was unveiled for 'Space Jam: A New Legacy,' a strange corner of the web erupted. As it turns out, thousands have disconcertingly deep ties to this cartoon rabbit basketball player.
By Carrie Wittmer Jul 15, 2021, 6:20am EDT
Share All sharing options for: How Lola Bunny Broke the Internet
Harrison Freeman
In Lola Bunny's debut in 1996's Space Jam, the blond-banged bunny bursts through the doors of the Looney Tunes gym. Sultry jazz plays as if Barbara Stanwyck just showed up in Double Indemnity. Bugs Bunny's jaw drops and his eyes bulge. He is looking at the sexiest bunny he has ever seen.
Lola has an exaggerated hourglass figure, wears short shorts (speaking from experience, these are not great for playing basketball) and a crop top (also not great for basketball). Tweety, who is a baby bird, calls her "hot." Lola's features—like her bunny butt and her bunny boobs—are put into focus every time she's onscreen. Her pinup, Marilyn Monroe–inspired silhouette is exaggerated both on and off the court. After Lola dunks on him in their first meeting, Bugs Bunny—and I promise this is the only way I can put it—stiffens.
Women have been hypersexualized in the media for centuries, and that includes animation—going as far back as the 1930s with Betty Boop, a caricature of a Jazz Age flapper who resembles both a baby and a grown woman. Disney adopted its strategy for female character design as early as Pinocchio in 1940: Cleo the fish has large doe eyes, curled eyelashes, and luscious lips, features that are still typical for the studio's modern animated female characters from Aladdin's Jasmine to Frozen's Elsa. The most notable, hypersexualized female animated character is Jessica Rabbit of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (being adjacent to rabbits is crucial for sexy cartoons, apparently). Lola Bunny and Jessica Rabbit were created from the male gaze for the male gaze, during a time when the entertainment industry assumed the majority of its audiences were white, straight, and male—even when it was obvious that those audiences were under 13 years old. However, it should be noted that both Lola and Jessica—and even Jasmine and Elsa, and many other Disney princesses—have a slightly and perhaps accidental feminist layer to their no-nonsense, independent personalities, although it is masked by egregious stereotypical characterization.
But historical context alone doesn't explain the actual phenomenon, the decades upon decades of real-life humans growing helplessly attached to, and helplessly horny for, a cartoon—and in Space Jam's case, a cartoon rabbit. As it's become clear, the original Lola Bunny represents far more than patriarchal animation. She represents something burrowed deep in the male psyche.
Hoop There It Is: How a Band With One Album Became the Sound of 'Space Jam'
I Believe I Can Fly: The Oral History of 'Space Jam'
In March 2021, a redesigned Lola Bunny for Space Jam: A New Legacy (in theaters July 16) made its debut in Entertainment Weekly. The new Lola Bunny (voiced by Zendaya) looks more like an animated bunny in a practical basketball uniform than a pinup girl. Her figure and her body language is not exaggeratedly feminine or sexy. She isn't turning any Looney Tunes into an ironing board. A New Legacy director Malcolm D. Lee told Entertainment Weekly that the sexualization of Lola Bunny in the original Space Jam was "not politically correct" and "unnecessary."
"This is 2021," Lee said. "It's important to reflect the authenticity of strong, capable female characters."
But surprisingly—or not, if you merely consider the universe in which we live—not everyone agreed with Lee's decision to remove a sex object from a kids' movie. The redesign spurred what I am hesitant to call "controversy" from men online who were mad that Lola Bunny no longer exemplified their ideal basketball-playing, sexy animated bunny woman. Lola Bunny became a top trend on Twitter; The Cut ran a story with the headline "Lola Bunny's Less Sexualized Look Divides the Nation"; Insider called the meltdown "the latest culture war." For days that felt like weeks, the Lola Bunny discourse was inescapable, even for people not extremely online. In a now-deleted tweet, conservative radio host Jesse Kelly wrote that he could almost hear the new Lola Bunny "scolding me to wear a mask as she drives by in her Subaru." Scott Greer, a former editor at the right-wing Daily Caller, talked about the redesign on his podcast Highly Respected, saying, "I truly know the depths of human sorrow" and "nothing is safe." (This backlash also spurred a different backlash, as backlashes tend to do: Some people thought that Lola could be a strong female bunny with her original boobs, because boobs are not bad or scary. To those people, I say, I think it has been a while since you have seen Space Jam.)
Suddenly, with one character redesign, a hidden but surprisingly large corner of the internet came out of the shadows. Even before the controversy, a community that is relentlessly obsessed with Lola Bunny has existed online, mostly centralized on a subreddit with 21,800 members called LolaBunnyNSFW. (If you go to the site, do not open any of the posts, I am begging you.) But the advent of A New Legacy turned the subculture from private and fawning to public and frothing.
In the face of all this, it's worth asking: Why? Kathleen Gannon, a mental health counselor specializing in expressive arts therapy who wrote a thesis on parasocial relationships with fictional characters in therapy, says that men are so attached to Lola Bunny for one main reason: nostalgia. Parasocial relationships are one-sided relationships, commonly with fictional characters or celebrities, and "relationships with characters from media is part of forming an identity during childhood," Gannon says. The original Space Jam came out 25 years ago, at a time when many of today's adults were "forming an identity," as it were. Those bonds made by children, teens, or young adults in the '90s were fundamental, and thus remained firm long after the credits ran on Space Jam. And so, when Lola returned this year in her new form, it triggered a parasocial breakup for so many, Gannon says, resulting in the same genuine feelings of anger, betrayal, and loss that you'd experience from a breakup in real life. Zendaya herself expressed a similar theory in a recent interview with EW, saying, "She's special to a lot of people and their childhoods and they've been able to grow up with her, so I get that sense of protection."
Though while nostalgia and sexual awakenings play a key role in the development of parasocial relationships such as the ones the angry men online have with Lola Bunny, societal expectations for women established by the media—including hypersexualized characters such as Lola Bunny and Jessica Rabbit—are a major factor as well. Gannon compares the Lola Bunny vitriol to the collective disdain that developed toward Miley Cyrus in the early 2010s. Then in her early adulthood, Cyrus moved on from the kid-friendly Hannah Montana persona and became a sexually confident pop star. Her performance at the MTV VMAs and her music video for "Wrecking Ball," in which she sings on a wrecking ball naked, sent the nation (primarily the conservative crowd) into a tizzy, mirroring the Lola Bunny discourse. The transformations of the women (or rather, the woman and the cartoon rabbit) themselves are the opposite, but the animosity remains the same: Women are expected to be one thing, and when they change or evolve people feel like they've been personally slighted.
No matter what the Lola Bunny redesign looked like—even if the only change was the color of her shirt—Gannon believes people would've been pissed off. "People have a real connection to characters," she says. "The anger people have with that is because they changed from what was their original concept of the character. Like, 'This isn't the same, it's different. Why is it different?' That's where the anger comes from." So while many men are oddly and fiercely attracted to Lola Bunny, it's not as simple as that: Lola is different, and in a different movie than the one that introduced them to the character they (in some cases literally) love. That changes everything about their relationship with her.
The IP fest that is Space Jam: A New Legacy might not be groundbreaking cinema in the way that, say, Casablanca is—even if there is a scene in the movie where Yosemite Sam "plays it again." But the respectful redesign of Lola Bunny could pave the way for animated female characters to become more than a mere fetish. From there, perhaps it's a domino effect: If no one grows up with an unhealthily, absurdly sexualized animated character, then there'll be nothing to correct 25 years down the road, and from there, no one to get viscerally upset about a kid-friendly rabbit basketball player.
Carrie Wittmer is a Brooklyn-based freelance writer with bylines in Vulture, Consequence of Sound, and Harper's Bazaar. She tweets at @carriesnotscary.
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text:
Reports violations of the
  PEP8 naming conventions.

Example:

class mammalia(object):
    extremities = 4

    def feeds(self):
        print("milk")

In this code fragment, IDE offers to rename mammalia to Mammalia.
  When the quick-fix is applied, the code change to:

class Mammalia(object):
    extremities = 4

    def feeds(self):
        print("milk")

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Suriname and the IMF
Country Reports in full text
2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 All
Read about Article IV of the Articles of Agreement
Suriname: Selected Issues and Statistical Appendix
Electronic Access:
Free Download. Use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this PDF file
This Selected Issues paper for Suriname describes the structure of the financial system, and provides a preliminary assessment of the conditions of the banking system. It highlights the need for a comprehensive public sector reform, targeting both the civil service and the public enterprises, and reviews the recent policy developments and financial sector reforms. It also provides the IMF's projections and estimates for Suriname on central government operations in percent of GDP; central government revenues, grants, and expenditure in billions of guilders and in percent of GDP; summary accounts of the banking system, and so on.
Country Report No. 2003/357
Bank supervision Banking Civil service Commercial banks Financial institutions Financial regulation and supervision Labor Public employment State-owned banks
1SUREA0022003