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26 December, 2010

It's an End of Year Sort of Thing

I'm cracking my fingers. Licking my lips. Have the tunes going, and am sitting down at my native keyboard.

But there's not much to report. I'm sitting in an apartment in Brisbane lamenting the weather and refreshing my Facebook and Twitter. The cricket isn't providing the sort of entertainment I envisaged.

I'm here with my family. It was a necessary move this year after avoiding the family Christmas last year. I was appreciative of the family time and stuffed myself senseless this year, but a part of me just couldn't get into it. I'm not sure what's placed me in this mini-funk, but if I could hazard a guess I would say it's a combination of amalgamated hangovers blended into one, and what's going on with work.

There's not much I can say about it on a public forum, but needless to say it's a shade unsettling and I'm looking forward to the resolution I'll have half-way through January.

I doubt I'll update again before the year's end, and while my history of sticking to them is chequered, I'd like to make a couple of resolutions.

1. Gym: three times a week at least regularly.
2. Book: Complete in 2011.

Short and simple. And totally achievable.

I wouldn't mind some travel either. Watch this space.

22 November, 2010

Thinking Big

Updating this has been at the back of my mind for the last week, but I have been rather time-poor. In amongst work, socialising, and hammering Fifa 11 I haven't had the chance to piece together an articulate entry, so you get this instead.

I've always considered myself a bit of a social media whore. I've kept my life relatively public since 2001 and have traversed the online landscape, with ICQ, discovering forums back in 2005, and even online dating (can't post links to that from work but I would be game).

I've kept it relatively stable these days and have learned some lessons. You'll notice I don't mention anybody else's name in this blog, and I'm a bit more polite on this than I am on Inthemix. I guess you get a feel for what you can or can't say across social media and what the effects are.

Or so I thought.

Three things happened over the weekend that made me reassess my social media presence, and made it seem quite small by comparison to others. The first, was my uploading my first Youtube video. There was a call-to-action through work for a video entry telling your (interesting) story to try and get a trip to New York. Being the game person I am, I submitted an entry recalling my attempts to get into media, and eventual success and struggles. It can be seen here. (Sorry can't be bothered looking at how to embed video).

Feeling aspirational, I checked out what other people have done. I stumbled across communitychannel. This was nothing short of awesome. Natalie Tran has built a cult following across the Internet by sharing skits and self-deprecating witticisms and broadcasting them for all the world to see. It's the number one channel in Australia for Youtube and in the Top 50 for the world. The level of overshare is epic, maybe not as protruding as some of my online gaffes, but definitely more endearing.

The third thing that happened was seeing The Social Network. Now let's face it. I'm ambitious but I'm never going to catch up to Mark Zuckerberg. I openly self-cringed when I saw the opening scenes of him blogging about his ex-girlfriend. Ah, my OpenDiary anyone? I pretty much did the same thing to my ex and others. Sorry about that folks - we live and learn!

So what did these three revelatory explorations facilitate for an aspirational social media whore? Do I need to ramp it up? Should I start a video blog? Can there ever really be too much online Marshy/Marshwah?

I'm thinking... nah, and if anything the combination of the above three experiences has only spurred me on to do more.

Run for cover motherfucker ;-)

21 October, 2010

My Baseline is Increasing

We all have a baseline.

And a lot of my friends would think of basslines when I mention them. But while basslines do tend to enhance my contentment levels as a dance music fan, I'm more talking about the a sense of wellbeing and contentment overall.

My baseline is increasing.

It's a gradual thing. But yep, I'm pretty sure that I'm finding basic things more enjoyable than two, five, or even ten years ago. I read the other day that you are at your happiest when you are 50, and while Google doesn't turn up a conclusive answer, I'm definitely nodding my head in some form of agreement.

When I first moved to Sydney, I had a couple of mates come up and stay, and I debated with one of them.
"Surely your twenties are the best, it's when you can party as an adult and not feel guilty."
"Nup", my friend emphatically stated, "as a 30-odd year-old I can confidently state the last year has been the best of my life."

I guess these little musings augur well for me then. And reiterate what I'm saying. As my life's progressing, I'm just finding more to find delight in.

And that's not really a bad thing at all.

30 September, 2010

The Grass Is Greener

I'm updating from my new desk. Well it doesn't feel as new as it did, given that I've been here five weeks, but it's quite alright.

Virtually all of my friends have asked me at some stage how I feel about my role now that I've made the leap over, and my answer usually comes in repeated iterations of two key words: love it, love it, love it.

I'm voyeuristic-ally vindicated. Pleasantly perplexed. Obviously obfuscating. It doesn't really matter what alliteration I throw into this entry, one fact remains the same, I'm happy to be here. Any tentative misgivings I had about moving to Sydney have ebbed away, I've reached my goal, and now I need to shift the goal posts further.

The Summer's in. I saw the personal trainer this morning. I've been going twice a week for the past four weeks. It's expensive, and I'm going to lose my bet, but I've definitely made a change for the better, and have made a habit adjustment for the better. My next little goal is to start cycling to work again, as we're in a different location, the light's better now, and it should be easier to reach from where I am. Let's hope I don't get clipped by a taxi again!

The writing's taking a backseat while I settle into my new role. I took a term off as I didn't want the distraction of something else while I was still finding my feet, but now that I'm back in alignment I'm looking forward to getting back into it. I should get credit for one of my subjects so will start on second year subjects next term. Bring it on I say.

Life-wise, I'm loving it. I'm in a good place at the moment, getting out and about with new and old friends and really nailing the work/life balance thing. This weekend we have a long weekend, I'm looking forward to watching an epic AFL grand final, getting some errands done, and then letting it all hang loose at Godskitchen - a trance music event that will have plenty of visuals.

I've got a good feeling about the rest of the year, I can feel some good energy coming my way.

Watch this space.


24 August, 2010

Getting Off One Train, and Jumping On Another

It is with a bittersweet taste that I write this entry. And I’m not just referring to the beer that’s in my mouth. I’m sitting at my work desk with the intentions of updating my blog, and I’m not at a loss of words to say what I want to say but am more feeling an underlying reluctance.
I’m glad to be leaving.
I don’t leave with bad blood or any ill will towards anyone I’ve worked here with but overall, after seven weeks of waiting to start a job that I wanted to start the second I got the offer, I’m glad to be leaving.
Now that’s said, I can get the other tidbits out of the way. I’m not going back to uni next term. With the start of the new job will come increased scrutiny, workload, and pressure. While I bit off more than I can chew this semester I’m still proud of my accomplishments. But going into a new job and trying to study at the same time just doesn’t seem like a good idea. Add to that I should get credit for the fourth subject (Journalism) in this course thanks to my undergrad degree – and I’ll have a Graduate Certificate in Arts (Writing). Not bad for six months.
What this does do, is open up the opportunity to commence the book again. It’s been on hiatus for the last six months and I’m really keen to sink my teeth in again. I’ve been thinking about how I can develop it and there is two things that stick in mind. The first is about what’s already been accomplished, and I think it could benefit from a re-write, I’m literally going to force myself to print out the work and re-type it word for word but in a more succinct/detailed style. I know this is a paradox – but there are passages that can benefit from culling, and there are passages that could benefit from much more detail. I’ve received a lot of feedback from the people I’ve chosen to share it with and the overwhelming message I’m receiving is ‘needs more detail!’ So that’s what I intend to do.
The second element is a bit more risqué, and could annoy family and my more conservative friends. That will be a more no-holds barred take on what’s happened since Perth and I’m not going to shy away from details about certain things. I’ve had quite a long time to think about it, and the book in its current state would be an omission of the whole story if I chose to end it where it lies. I think it would benefit from hearing what’s happened to me and where I’m at now.
The trouble is – is it interesting enough to be a book? Based on my past six months of thinking and learning with the Masters, I think it is, and I can’t wait to get stuck into some more writing. My trick of heading to Kiama for some coastal and Marshy time may be realised again sooner rather than later. I’m actually thinking next weekend would be a good time as it’s easier to make plans and stick to them before other things arise.
I’ll keep you posted on how I go.

03 August, 2010

The Life Plan

So I'm in for a busy week or so as I try and round off the end of this semester for uni. I've got two major assessments due on Monday and am looking to knock them on the head. I'm prepared though, and provided I don't get too distracted on the weekend it should allow me to see them through.

I'm writing from my beloved Melbourne this time. It's my last day of leave here and part of a "mini" holiday I am privy to before I begin my new job. I've got just over four weeks left in the old one before I jump straight in. To say I'm looking forward to it is an understatement of gargantuan proportions.

While I've been staying here I've been assessing what the next steps are with the whole life thing. I've come to a few conclusions. I'm gunning for Thailand in late November this year. That's a given. I haven't been overseas yet, have some of my best friends over there and I'm running out of excuses and youth. This is a no-brainer. The next steps for me career-wise are set in stone as well. I'm an account manager. I moved to Sydney with the objective of becoming one and I've nailed it. I'm looking forward to consolidating on what I've achieved and throwing myself into an industry that I've worked hard to thrive in. It will be challenging but that's what I signed up for when I moved to Sydney. So I guess in a way that's a no-brainer too.

The third phase of this will be an extended jaunt overseas. After this stage of my career I want to work abroad. In Europe specifically. I'm going to do the party thing, the working thing, the exploring yourself thing. And it's going to be everything I imagined and more. Of this I am sure. I'll miss my friends, but a perennial side-effect of staying in Australia has meant that more often than not I have friends abroad as well that I miss seeing, and this time I'll be the one that will be missed. Plus there's bound to be friends abroad around the same time. Of this I am even more sure.

I don't know how long phase three of the plan will be. It's hard to mete out these kind of things. And it would be foolish to. I'm measuring out a piece of string and leaving it at that.

Then, placed tentatively at the back of my mind, is the decision about where to settle down afterwards. Provided I return, I see myself either buying a property in the inner-West of Sydney, or plonking myself into an apartment in Melbourne's Southbank. Both options are attractive to me, and it will really hinge on where my friends are around that time and who I keep in touch with.

I came to Melbourne not really knowing what to expect or whether I'd arrive at these conclusions, but coming back home has really proven a catalyst for articulating what I plan to do with my life. Seeing friends and family again has helped facilitate this, and it feels good to have an idea of where I want to go with my life after all these years.

There's a whole myriad of things that could go wrong. My love life, the ever-present bipolar, unforeseen tragedies... but that's what makes life exciting, and I'm not in a hurry to predict whether I'll be spouting the same self-revelatory epiphanies in a year's time.

But it will be interesting nonetheless.

18 July, 2010

Rejection and Aspiration

Sunday afternoon and I'm sitting here listening to the progressive tunes of Sasha Le Monnier. I got some sets off a friend and haven't been listening to much else since. I'm loving it.

So I missed out on the scholarship I mentioned. The whole process was quite rewarding though in that it put me on the spot. I had to format and edit my manuscript into a presentable form, and also come up with two pages on why I thought it was worthy of being published. While the brief suggested that it wasn't a pitch - it felt like one - so much so that I was enthused enough to go approach some literary agents about my script.

I looked up some Australian agents and came across this site, the Australian Literary Agents Association and emailed a few of the representatives with the contact details supplied. I'm not sure what I was expecting, and knew that it's quite hard to get an agent, but the responses were still pretty discouraging! My favourite response was in reply to my email about my story being one that needs to be told:

“Yes these are stories that need to be told but unfortunately publishers don't. Sorry I can't help.”

A bit of a crash back to reality for this lofty, aspiring author. I'll get there though.

In other news I have a new job! It's all happened rather quickly, but it's exciting all the same. I'll now be moving to another agency as a digital account manager. Back in '06 I wrote about my attempts to get into advertising, and back then I was entertaining the first thoughts of moving to Sydney. Two years later I did move, and two years later I've achieved my goal of becoming an account manager. Now that I've got there I need to move the goalposts! The next big milestone will be international travel - I'm still gunning for Thailand late November and hopefully the new role will allow it - I'm crossing my fingers!

Writing-wise uni has taken over. I'm doing two subjects this semester and proving quite tough. I've dedicated today to get some more done. I'm keeping afloat, it's just my affinity for having fun on the weekend does eat into my study time.

I have to wait quite a while before I start my role thanks to my current job stipulating an eight-week waiting period in the contract. Not to worry though, it will be good to have a protracted send-off from a company I've loved working for before I take the next steps into a new and challenging job.

13 June, 2010

Long Weekend

It wasn't until this afternoon that I realised I hadn't had face-to-face contact with anyone since Friday night. After I chatted to my housemate and exchanged pleasantries, I went back to my room realising that I do this every now and then.
When I was living at college, surrounded by some 250 people 24/7, these times were few and far between. "Marshtime" my neighbour would say as I returned from a day's retreat. Yesterday was "Marshtime" and it has been a while since such a day has occurred.

I've had another couple of weigh-ins since my last entry. I've now put away 5.5kg. I'm feeling good about things, but beginning to realise that it's only going to get tougher. Whenever I'm training and thinking: hey, I'm feeling kind of fit now, some trigger will be set off making me realise I've got a long way to go. Whether that be panting after a long set of stairs, getting absolutely hammered by my personal trainer, or even looking at my paunch in the reflection of a shop window. I'll get there though, I've got resolve.

The other day I received in the mail confirmation of receipt of my scholarship application. My book's taken a backseat for the last month or so as I focus my efforts on winning this thing. I got my application done and posted it off, I find out if I'm shortlisted on the 30th of this month. I don't know what to expect really. I've put a lot of work into the manuscript and think it will one day make a great read. Whether or not it is deserving of editorial accolade and praise is another matter, and I have absolutely zero idea about the competition out there. All I know is that I'm competing with any number of Australians under the age of 30 who can write either fiction or non-fiction. I'd love to get some sort of editorial assistance regardless.

Uni has also taken a backseat, I've just begun the second semester and am getting off to a slow start. I will catch up tomorrow after watching our Socceroos take on Germany in this year's World Cup. It's hard not to get swept away in the excitement and spectacle, and for me I like this event much better than the Olympics. It seems more pure, more on the line, than the bloated extravaganza that features equestrian, badminton and table-tennis.

Another little writing exercise I have to fret over, outside of professional and academic pursuits, is a little ditty for next weekend's cocktail party. Three (;-) good friends are hosting it under the moniker: Erotic Fan Fiction. Some people are expected to contribute, including my good self.

I've got an inkling of what I'm going to write about, Sandra Sully Solo-Session has a nice ring to it I think. Will I be game to post the end-result up here?

25 May, 2010

Getting On With It

First weigh-in after two weeks of solid exercise and food documenting. I think I pulled 10 sessions over the past two weeks, mixing it up with: weights program, spin class, boxing, Body Pump, and a personal-trainer session that I shared with a friend.

The result: 2.5kg down. I was talking on MSN the other day and an optimistic friend suggested: 1.25kg x 24 = 30kg = results blown out of the water = science.

Given that I'm aiming to reduce 20kgs in six months - it looks like things are on track.

I was also keeping a Food Diary. This detailed what I ate for the last two weeks. I posted it up on the Inthemix Forums ready to be slated. It served a binary purpose: one, a wake-up call that I have a long way to go with this, and two, to illustrate what I'm currently eating and keep myself accountable.

I plugged the results into Calorie King and I came out in the clear, but that's almost exclusively due to exercise - I can eat much better and will be aiming to do this. I'm still keeping the food diary - it's a habit I like.

But this isn't a weight-loss blog! (Yet). Work's going well - starting to get a better feel for my clients and becoming quicker at the day-to-day tasks. I thought my previous experience in this field would augur well for me - and it has to a degree - but I'm rapidly realising that I still have a long way to go down the digital media path.

How this path unfolds is still yet-to-be-decided, I'm still keen to pursue copywriting, but think I'll focus on my Masters for now rather than taking on any additional courses. The AFA AdSchool piqued my interest but the $2,000 price tag for a course was a little out of price-range. I think I'm going to gun for Award School in March next year - it's competitive, but I'm determined.

It's around this time of year that I start thinking about my tax-return too. How much will it be? What will I spend it on? Can I put it to good use? This answer I think I can. I'm setting it aside so I can go to Thailand in November to see two dear friends. Hopefully with all the kerfuffle going on I will be able to get a cheap flight. As I've mentioned in the past - I really need to bust my travel cherry.

I'm languishing as a 26-year old and the time to strike is nigh. Once Thailand is conquered I'm setting my sights on the UK. Ibiza in September next year, then a working holiday in the UK and seeing the rest of Europe.

Planning Marshwah is planning.

Socially things are humming along, Winter hasn't seemed to dull any of my friends' enthusiasm for going out and this Saturday I have a friend's birthday to attend. I'm keen to try out the cider I just purchased from Thorogoods. I got a mixture of six bottles - and two or three of them on the weekend ought to keep me chatty enough without going overboard. I'm in two minds about drinking given my new-found fervour for fitness, but controlling it seems to be better than abstinence.

13 May, 2010

A New Me

Right now I'm feeling a slight ache all over. It's not mind-numbingly painful, more the relaxed kind of ache you get after a workout.

Whoa- workout?

That's right. After a year and half of listening to my housemate and friend get in my ear about going to gym, I bit the bullet and joined. And I don't do things in halves. It's all-or-nothing in my world. And what a world it is.

Since coming back from holiday, I've done a program, personal trainer session, body pump class, weights session, and gone for a long walk. I started a thread about it. The crux of it being that if drop 20kg within six months - and keep it off - I win $200 bucks. There's some motivation.

More motivation comes via the fact there's shitty picture of myself at current weight (105.9kg last weigh-in). The vain part of me needs to deliver. I want to be looking good come 7th November - just in time for Summer too.

It's not all vanity, I want to start eating better. My current habits see me subsisting off carbs, carbs, and more carbs. It doesn't help that I'm ekeing out an existence in media-land and that the bread here is free, but my days for excuses are now extinct. I'm making myself accountable, for the next two weeks (and probably thereafter) I'm keeping a food diary. At the end of two weeks I'm going to open myself to the slaughter and post it on the web to my friends. Judgment day is nigh and all that.

I've been busy with uni as well. The major assignment was due on Monday. I had a debaucherous Saturday night that saw me belting out John Secada - Just Another Day for a friend's send off. This meant that I had to piece together my brain and smash out a two-thousand worder. No worries, I thought, and smashed out a thousand. Went to the work the next day (the temptation not to was strong), went to gym afterwards (I needed to get the endorphins going so I could write), and managed to smash out the other thousand.

I was quite pleased with the end-result, it's worth 60% - so I should bloody well hope I'm plased. What annoys me though is that I have to enrol in my next semester subjects by tomorrow - yet I still don't know how I've done this semester. I want to know the results to know if I'm capable of doing two subjects (full-time) instead of just one. I think I'm going to bite the bullet and just do two - I'm all about giving myself a challenge these days.

And another challenge has arisen, while browsing through uni stuff I discovered a scholarship for unfinished manuscripts. In case you've been hiding under a rock and/or are unfamiliar with my life I'm writing a book. And have an unfinished manuscript. Details about the scholarship are in the link but essentially it's aimed at young, Australian, unpublished writers - i.e. Me.

I'll be putting my thinking cap on and coming up with a killer application, but the whole process should be quite the learning experience - it would blow my mind if I actually won.

That's it for now. I'm doing boxing class tonight. Bring on the pain I say, it's good.

28 April, 2010

Travelling home

Written on the 26/04/2010

I'm sitting on a V/Line train on my way to my beloved home town, Traralgon. It's a far cry from Sydney, but also a welcome sojourn as I cruise through my holidays.

I'm also nursing a bit of a hangover, since getting off the plane to Melbourne it's been rather non-stop. Not that I'm complaining, in the past few days I've managed to catch up with old school friends, Inthemix buddies, and my uni pals too. Now that I'm on my way to the country, it will be good to have a bit of down-time. I'm spending the next couple of days there, and then will return to Melbourne to do more catching up. This time with the poker crew I used to play with, a few more school friends, catch the Bulldogs in action, and rounding it all off with a wedding with two close friends. It's also a farewell for two more close friends, as they are heading off to Thailand.

I'm glad I made the trip back south, as I feel like a respite from work. It's not that I'm getting worn down or anything, it's more that I need a bit of a break after working through Christmas and not having that extra amount of time to do nothing. Doing nothing is important from time to time, and the next couple of days will be all about that. I'm usually a lot more selective with my days off, picking the moments to extend a weekend when there's a big party on, or incorporating some leave next to a public holiday. I call it optimum use of leisure time.

18 April, 2010

Feeling a shade melancholy

The weekend's come and gone, and while it wasn't a specatcular affair, I should be feeling more pleased with myself than I actually am. I got to catch up with friends on Friday, Saturday, and today, but all I really wanted to do was curl up under a doona and retreat from the world for a little while.
Which I got to do this afternoon. It was glorious. I watched Interstella 5555, an animation to go alongside Daft Punk's album - Discovery. It was an excellent accompaniment to an album I know inimately.

I was also meant to do some work on the book this weekend. That failed dismally. I'm very poor at working on it with a hangover, and after Friday night at my friends house I was certainly hungover. Yesterday and today I've felt like garbage - runny nose and headachey - but I seem to be coming good now.

There's two things I'm looking forward to this week. Payday (Tuesday) and my trip to Melbourne (Friday). For the latter, I'm actually going for ten days. Which is close to the longest amount of time I've spent there since moving here. Did I say I'm looking forward to it? I've got a few things on, a friend's farewell, a reunion with my old college pals, and a wedding. The main events are spread out though, which will give me plenty of time to see everyone I want to see, without feeling rushed like I usually do.

That'll do for now. Time for an early night, a bit of It's Always Sunny, and a good night's rest before another week of work.

12 April, 2010

The second album is rarely better than the original

As is the case with this entry. There will be no magnanimous statements. No ultimatums. Probably a little too much self-reflection, and a bit of ego-stroking. Nothing like my first entry. At all.

I came to work today a little tired. This was mainly due to my conscientious efforts on the weekend involving the Cannes Young Lions awards. While I didn't need to, I was in the office on Saturday and Sunday beavering away. Polishing my little foray into the media world.

But to drop the word conscientious is a shade pretentious, as I was hammering out this blog on Saturday. Procrastination I do well. I'm also engaged in the aforementioned right this moment, as one of the other projects I'm working on at the moment is a Master of Writing through Open Universities. I've taken on just one subject for my opening semester, looking to escalate it to two depending on my results for this one.

The subject I've taken is called Real Life Writing and I'm enjoying it. It's good material for easing back into study and not too rigorous or mind-boggling. There's some good, thought-provoking subject matter as well. We have to write 500 words a week on varying topics. One of the weeks we had to write about:


Write a short review of a piece of sculpture you admire. Include a brief reflection on the language you used when writing about the sculpture.
Not knowing much about sculpture, and wanting to dish out props to a very good friend of mine, I chose to write about the work of Michael Gallop. I wrote about his sculpture: Redolent. As per below:


In Redolent we see a microcosm developing. Large bullants jovially feast on spilt sweets with disjointed abandon. Each insect owning a piece of confectionery with little regard for the surrounds or their counterparts. The piece is richly ironic and deserving of its title, as an echidna stalks towards its prey with much of the same recklessness. Encased within spiny armour and safe in the knowledge of where its next meal is coming.

A part of his larger debut exhibition Imbroglio, held at the Latrobe Regional Gallery, Morwell, Michael Gallop’s attention to detail is both intricate and entrancing. Each spine on the echidna is woven across its coat, the insect’s mandibles glower over its unexpected morsels, the paper bag lies crumpled on the ground – all helping to piece together this completely believable scene.

The piece appeals not only due to its extreme reality, but also with its understated sense of humour. The insects are almost resplendent with glee, acutely unaware of what is about to befall them. An ordinarily awkward creature, Gallop captures a moment of splendour, as the echidna majestically paws towards its feast. A esolutely-pointed nose at the ready.

The dimensionality of the piece instils the viewer with wonder. Just as the insects are unwitting, what might ultimately befall us? Who are surely identifying with the moment just as (un)knowingly?
It felt worthwhile and I got good feedback from my tutor.

The entry that I worked on the weekend came out alright too. I find out in a week whether I'm through to the next round. Fingers crossed. I would love the opportunity to stand up and present my idea to a jury of media professionals. That's just how I roll.

Now to crank out 500 words regarding catalogues for this week's topic...

10 April, 2010

Beginning

The tradition continues. Started almost ten years ago, The Tomes of Marshy saw my first foray into the blogging world via the site Open Diary. While my enthusiasm tapered off for it in the end, there's always been a nagging sense that writiting was right. I love writing. I love writing about myself even more.

Inthemix took up most of my time after that. You can see an inverse correlation between the amount I updated my diary, to the amount of posts I made on ITM. This has continued (and will probably continue to continue) for some time yet. The posts I make under the psuedoynm 'Marshy' have been the stuff of legend. (For me). Over the years I've really enjoyed regaling the community with my tales and insights, often self-indulgent, often over-sharing.

It seems my posts tend to polarise people. Half the community laugh along at my flagrant abandon for conventional anonymity, the other half scorn me for being an attention-seeking whore. Both parties have it right. I like to keep my tongue firmly in cheek, and for better or worse, I like to think I offer something of value to the community. One prominent poster said to me a while back:
You're probably the most ballsy and honest person on ITM, and I love you for it.

While the ITM adventure has been a fantastic one, it did see my habitual posting impinge on my regular writing. Often what would have been a great entry for the diary, made its way into a forum post instead. This changes today for a number of reasons.

One, I'm out here to make a name for myself. I've got several projects on the go at the moment. I'm forging a career within the media industry, and want to continue doing this. While doing some research on my Cannes Young Lions entry, I came across this blog: How to get a job in advertising, design or media industries. There was one overriding point of the article that resonated with me completely. Blogs are the new CV. I agree completely. Whether I like it or not, I started down this path almost ten years ago and didn't realise it. In documenting my thoughts, ideas, complaints, and stories, I was putting myself out there for the world to see. I'm no oil-painting. I'm unapologetic and have a chequered past. I'm also late to the party. But if I'm going to succeed at media I'm going to do it on these terms, and when I progress it will be on my own terms. Chk-chk, open for business.

Secondly, I'm writing a fucking book. If I can't get my shit together and start promoting it what hope do I have for it being published? It's a story I want told, I feel it needs to be told, and if I'm not constantly writing and honing my craft, then it won't be told. Another prominent poster on ITM has this to tell me after reading what I've done thus far:

Writers write. Every day. I've done my quota on you today. Point being,
I've done today's wordcount. And the numbers for tomorrow too. (I tally weekly)
Nobody told me to, it's just what I do - I write. Every day.

I've racked up 300,000 words on Open Diary, 14,000 posts on ITM, and I'm still hungry for more. I need this, and I think this blog needs me.

Lastly, I want the attention. I crave the attention. I thrive on my ability to capture someone's attention. It's why I write. Open Diary was at its peak when I was receiving comments. My time on ITM peaks when I generate the most responses (see: I've generated $20,000 worth of ad revenue for ITM - where's my cut?). I want your eyeballs, and this blog intends to suck them out of your sockets.

It's not going to be a piece of art, it's not going to shake the world to its foundations. It will probably contain the occasional spelling and grammatical error. (As much as I hate them, and myself, for creating them). I'm undecided on how I'm going to incorporate this into your world. Ideally there will be some application that links these posts with Facebook/Twitter to add some extra exposure. I write for you as much as I write for me, so without much further ado... Welcome to The Scrawlings of Marshwah.