diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore index fce9e43..1e2ed97 100644 --- a/.gitignore +++ b/.gitignore @@ -9,3 +9,5 @@ *.dvi *.bcf *.tdo +*.lot +*.lof diff --git a/Documents/Volume1/Journaling.tex b/Documents/Volume1/Journaling.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9365d5b --- /dev/null +++ b/Documents/Volume1/Journaling.tex @@ -0,0 +1,386 @@ +\chapter{Journaling} + +Yes, yes yes... I know that I have a item I was going to add to this +and a whole thing about, ``Who are we?'' which I am avoiding writing. + +I get the desire to write the previous thing about sales first, because +that was very much the topic of what was on our mind, when we were +sitting down to get something down here. + +This about journaling wasn't really on our mind, it's just we +don't feel inspired to write directly about who we are right now. + +Maybe we'll totally skip that. Because you know, it's not something +that we like to really consider directly because it always feels not +right. + +So, let's talk about journaling, rather than talking about ourselves +directly. + +I don't really want to fully dive into this, I have started a project +already that kind of has sat sadly for... Months, maybe over a year, +maybe even over 2 years. + +I want to sort of cover a few different things with journaling: + +\begin{itemize} + \item{Why Journal?} + \begin{itemize}[nosep] + \item{Self Communication} + \item{Getting Things Done} + \item{Understanding Self} + \item{Understanding World} + \end{itemize} + \item{How we journal} + \begin{itemize}[nosep] + \item{Bullet Journal} + \item{Just Writing} + \item{Script Writing} + \end{itemize} +\end{itemize} + +Dang, that was a longer list than I thought it would be, so let's get +started + +\section{Why Journal?} + +This is something that honestly I'm sure there are at least as many +reasons as there are people journaling. Which? Um, that sort of seems +a bit odd, as what I'm talking about here is probably some fairly generic +reasons. + +These are reasons that I have for why I try to journal (and sometimes +actually succeed at it). They aren't really the only reason's, but we +have to start somewhere, and we have to not overwhelm ourselves and our +gentle (or not so gentle) readers. + +\subsection{Self Communication} + +This well... Self? Maybe that's hitting us a bit weird... Selves? +System? Well maybe System is better then.\todo{Make this better with +more direct use of something along the lines of system.} + +This will probably (hopefully) get edited, but I don't want to go back +and do that right now... Remember, ``This will be terrible,'' from the +introduction. It's not our goal with the thing, it is more an invitation +for ourselves to be accepting as we are capable of, of it not being +perfect. Especially for it not to be perfect as we are working on it. + +So... {\it System Communication}, then. We use journaling for system +communication, to have ourselves better able to understand what's going +on with the system as a whole.\todo{Something about Simply Plural and +Discipline App} + +This ends up coming out in a few different ways, and more details about +how this comes out in the different ways I've listed as ``How we +journal.'' + +The thing we're noticing is that actually a lot of the why and the +how end up interacting. We were thinking that the ``Bullet Journal,'' +type format didn't have to do with much more than getting things done. + +And with looking at this, even the just getting things done of the +``Bullet Journal'' format (Can we call it BJ? Let's at least for +now.)\todo{Is BJ OK?} at least for us, involves system communication. + +Why do I say that? Well, I could write something down as Jigme that +I want to get done, and then Moddy shows up, but wasn't aware of that +and they can look at that, and go ahead and get it done. + +The other aspects felt a lot more like they were directly related to +the ``internal communication'' aspect, as that is pretty much the direct +purpose of them. + +So, what about getting things done? + +\subsection{Getting Things Done} + +This feels all of a sudden what I said about how the ``just writing,'' +and ``script writing,'' are basically about just internal communication +that they have to be also connected with the getting things done aspect +as well. + +The way they help with that may actually come up further down the way, +but basically because they are about the communication, they can help +with understanding as to what needs to be done. + +So, wait, we were talking about why? I guess that means I really +need to talk about the executive function issues.\todo{yep this is a +chapter too.} + +It easily can take 3 days to do a single load of laundry with just +the general inability to remember that is what is going on (it's not +right in front of us, and sometimes the person fronting, is not the +person who put the laundry in), and often when remembering, promptly +getting interrupted by things outside of our system (people, phone, +computer, dog, et cetera). + +Properly noting this stuff can be a huge help in cutting that time to +more like reasonable levels. + +Does it happen? Rarely, but hey a system can dream can't they? + +What about the other things that I've got in that lovely list up +there $\uparrow$ (and for me over there $\rightarrow$ (yes I just +spent several minutes getting the arrows to show up acceptably)), +maybe let's look at them? + +\subsection{Understanding Self} + +OK, before I go too far with this, I feel that in our case, we're needing +to split this into the self and the system, so let's do that. + +Well, maybe a bit about this before going to that. It might seem obvious +now that this makes sense, but when I wrote the list above, it really +did not. I didn't really see that this was different, but in writing, +found that it really is. + +It's really very difficult to express what's going on in a way that +actually fully expresses this. As I type a single word, there's like +five different sentences going on that may or may not shift what's +happening with the greater thought pattern. + +Every so often enough of what's happening has a, ``click'' type moment +where something comes up that needs to be noted. Sometimes that ends +up working out, other times it doesn't. + +It can be easier to get some of these thoughts better to come out +when working with a physical medium like a pen and paper (how I like +to have my journals when I'm managing that), than it is when trying +to express stuff on the computer. + +So, that's what happened to bring this to realising that this is actually +important to pull into a more clear that the individual self, and the +system are connected, but not the same. + +\subsubsection{Understanding the Individual} + +This would be something which figuring out how certain patterns with +certain members of the system are there. + +This seems like it may have been a significant breakdown in counselling +when we've gone through it, as the counsellor (and ourselves) lacked the +understanding that talking to Jigme about something that happened when +Little One was fronting, can be next to useless. + +Until Jigme understands Little One, it is like me trying to explain +why you went into do the thing you did. And, if you really want to +understand, no matter how much Jigme understands about what Little +One did, they can't explain as well as Little One can themselves. + +So, getting what Little One, or Jigme, or Samantha to understand what +they are going through, and why they are doing the things they are +doing, is very much a step in getting stuff so that the system +as a whole better understands what's going on. + +Which is very much a place to transition to more specifically speaking +about understanding the system. + +\subsubsection{Understanding the System} + +We're taking a break right now, will get back to you shortly, need to +step away a bit. + +Ah, we're back... That helped. Now, I got into some of what I'm talking +about how figuring out how an individual member of the system helps with +understanding the system as a whole, but that sort of is not the whole +thing about understanding the system. + +Like it is a lot different to understand how every individual in a +classroom is behaving, than it is to understand how the classroom as +a whole is working. It's a bit of a difference between considering +things from a psychological versus a group psychology or sociology +view. + +I'm not sure I can wholely say more about it than that without trying +to do it, and ending up going through a long rambling discussion that +quite possibly doesn't even get any further along than I already have. + +Let's move to the next thing about understanding the world. + +\subsubsection{Understanding the World} + +This is more a matter (at least for me), about understanding how I'm +fitting in the world, but it can be more general in just understanding +the dynamics of the world. + +In the ``Are you going to sell this?'' chapter, I talked a bit about how +that works out, around the idea of collectivism versus individualism, +and about capitalism. I didn't go into detail about how I got there, +or really in any level of detail about the topics, but just enough +to maybe start to think about those topics yourself (if you have +not already been). + +So, it does end up being a somewhat useful thing in doing that, and +any of these tools which I'm about to go into can be part of that. + +\section{How We Journal} + +This will have to wait until some other time... + +I guess it's a fairly simple thing, but I was just done whenever I +paused there. So, there's basically three different ways that I do my +journaling. Doing the Bullet Journal (BulJo? I think that might be a +form used to refer to it, but ah not really sure?)\todo{ah Bujo, that's +actually official}, then just writing portions out, and writing +scripts. + +This certainly won't go into the full details of any of these methods, +just give a bit about how I do them, and how they kind of address the +why above. + +\subsection{Bullet Journal\textsuperscript{\tiny\textregistered} +(Bujo\textsuperscript{\tiny\textregistered})} + +Bujo\textsuperscript{\tiny\textregistered}, was created by Ryder +Carroll, to help deal with his ADHD, (or maybe to deal with his egotism, +and not in a good way), technically it's not an open system, but also +technically there's a lot of information publicly available officially. +It's not clear really what the status of the trademark, and his +enforcing of it is, if he is enforcing it, and finds I dared to mention +his product and mention that I use it, well I guess this section will +change ... It's why I decided to create my series on journaling (that +never got very far). + +So, he uses a system that works for him. He's making money off that +system, and as he's trademarked it, no one can use the name in anything +which would be considered to be a commercial product. + +I've run into this attitude with other systems meant to help people. +Someone ends up making money from it, and also preventing the spread +of it in a ``legal'' way, as they somehow consider that it's so important +that it be protected. + +I've had very strange issues with the use of +WordPress\textsuperscript{\tiny\textregistered}, because even though +what I was doing was saying, ``we are using this product,'' you can't +actually say that (depends on who it is to some extent), if what you are +doing is considered commercial.\todo{What is commercial?} + +Anyway, the system (which is trademarked not patented, it can't really +be), is a decent system, but it's not really open. + +And, apparently he doesn't respect the IP of other people... + +It really feels like a huge faff that he's making a decent amount of +money from, just get yourself a blank notebook, do what you can, and +check out even his videos, or other instruction. + +It's a great system for getting stuff done. But really it comes down +to, ``keep it simple,'' ``make it your own.'' + +Yes, he's got some specifics. But those specifics are basically, a +20 minute video worth, or a single double sided A4/Letter paper to +explain enough to take it into something that you can take further. + +So, let's move to something that I'm more comfortable talking as a +way I'm doing stuff (because I don't have any term associated with +it that I am aware is considered proprietary). + +\subsection{Just Writing} + +This isn't really anything particular, though probably sort of is. + +There is a concept called ``free writing''\todo{Get Wikipedia Reference +here.} where a person writes continuously for 15 minutes, or some other +period of time, with the pen never stopping. + +While I've tried to do that, I've never found that it was anything +other than just a huge stressful ball of anxiety, because I kept, +``screwing up'' how I was doing this. + +For me, this is to just write and feel free to stop and thing or +whatever whenever you want. + +You may sit down with something on your mind. You may be writing +about your day (where I kind of started with this), or you may write +about some topic, or whatever. + +The point for this for me, is it really doesn't have rules, except +for what you set out when you do it that particular time. And +really those rules are mostly, ``why am I sitting down to do this?'' + +I have found that this isn't that common for me any more, but I +feel it's actually a good place to start. Pick up a small notebook, +and just have it so you can fill it up with whatever you want. + +You can do this as a daily practice, do it multiple times a day, +do it just whenever you think about it. + +So, what about the other Script Writing thing? + +\subsection{Script Writing} + +This is a new thing that I've started to do. I started first with +doing this in a sketchbook, and sometimes do stuff similar to what +I did still. + +Essentially this is something where we create document of an internal +dialogue, or maybe multiple parts talking, and trying to keep track of +who is saying what in that dialogue. + +I have started to use the Stage document class, in \LaTeX, to write +some of these scripts. + +The purpose and format are a bit related. For me, this is one +of the system mapping tools that I use. The specific tool that I +use isn't as important as finding something that works. The writing +in a sketchbook, or notebook, or whatever does work, and there is +nothing wrong with doing that, but I find that it also is a way that I +end up with something that ends up being a bit of a scribble, that I +don't really know what is said. + +Which... Leads me to another how that I hadn't thought about... + +Just scribbling. + +\subsection{Just Scribbling} + +This probably isn't quite the thing here. I guess this is a bit about +why I really like to do some of this in a physical, open format journal. + +I haven't found a way on the computer that I can quickly switch between +writing a text thing that ends up being decently formatted, to being able +to throw a sketch, or formula in (well maybe a formula as I can do +something like): + +\begin{figure}[htb] +$$\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} {n\over{n^2}}$$ +\caption{I really have no idea what this ends up being.} +\end{figure}\todo{Find out +what this ends up summing to.} + +(yes I looked up how to do that), in \LaTeX. + +But I can easily switch when I'm using a pen/pencil on paper, to +whatever format I want, and it doesn't require any kind of mode +switching or loading anything up, it just happens. + +So I could just throw something down that is very much just a +scribble, a ``ball of anxiety,'' and just sort of do that, or +do a sketch of an idea I'm trying to explain, or whatever. + +\section{Conclusion (sort of)} + +Well, that's been a heck of a lot, that I really did not expect +so I want to say that this actually was a little weird to write +up as a lot of the breaks were because things were bringing stuff +up, so yeah, take breaks, and enjoy your stuff. + +I don't think this vaguely covers what I'd like to, but it +certainly is a thing, that I can work with. + +I'd really love to write more about this whole topic, and probably +will, but right now, this is done. If you want to journal, just do +it. Don't spend your time trying to find the right way to do it, +don't spend your time finding the right journal to do it in. Just +do it. + +If you find what you are doing, then change it. Or you might decide +just to stop, or set it aside and not worry about it. + +Sure you'll get ideas from various sources. They are great, but +don't let them start to get in the way of just doing the thing. + +And yes, that's a lot easier said than done for a lot of people, +including ourselves in the Datse Collective. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/Documents/Volume1/Sales.tex b/Documents/Volume1/Sales.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..abab4bc --- /dev/null +++ b/Documents/Volume1/Sales.tex @@ -0,0 +1,160 @@ +\chapter{Are you going to sell this?} + +This was {\it not} where I thought I was going to go next. I wasn't +really sure where I was going to go, but I had no idea that this was +going to be even here until I was looking at some zines on Etsy, and +thinking back to something that was asked about the journals that +I was making yesterday. + +The friend who came over, asked if I was going to sell them, and to +be honest, I have thought about doing so, but really I don't feel that +is something that I really is something that I really am really able to +do. + +There's several factors here. The journals are basically my own way of +trying to create something that will help make it easier for me to be +able to do what they are intended for (journaling).\todo{Journaling} + +At the time I was creating them, I was tipping in pages to a purchased +notebook, and that was every week. It was a significant amount of +work every week just to prepare things for the week, and honestly, I +was feeling that was actually {\it easier} than what it was replacing. + +I know the current version isn't handling that idea as well as I had +hoped that it would. I fully hoped to have it so that I would have +something, which could end up solving the whole situation with it. + +It doesn't. What it does is gives me a basic replacement of the +purchased notebook, in a smaller (fewer pages and I guess slightly +smaller pages) format. + +It's in a lot of ways still an improvement, as it is closer to what I +want, and I can just do some printing and assembling, with out having +to search for something that works, and I can customise them as I work +along with new versions. + +What would they give to other people? Well, as something I have put +together, they would mostly be something that they would be buying +because it's a way to show support for me. + +What I would rather do for people who might get these, is to have +them be supporting me to support me, and I could use this as +one of the things I might send them on a somewhat regular basis. + +Now, this is a little different. There's something here that I feel is +of value in itself. The arguments I've stated above don't fully make +the, ``I probably won't sell this,'' answer as easy to understand. + +There's a lot of other different things about why I can say that I +probably won't sell this. I'll start with some of the easier answers. + +I'm likely to have trouble assembling them into something that I will +have enough of to really be able to justify selling them. I just don't +have the physical ability to regularly be doing the 2 hours that it +takes to assemble maybe 5-10 in a good efficiency time, and I really +also don't have the executive function to manage to sit down and do +that when I do the work when I do have the physical ability to do it. + +Which also brings up yet another factor, which would be that I really +would need to have these (or the journals) be something like \$30.00 +for a 40 page journal, if I was going to consider what I would need +to charge in order to ``live'' off of the sales. + +Yes, it's a hand made item. Yes, that might get some people to feel +that it's really worth it. But a \$30.00 monthly journal is not +something I could justify spending myself even if it was perfect, and +I really had access to that kind of money. + +This would probably be more like \$45.00 for a print version, if I were +to do so with the intention of paying for my time. + +That is probably where the understanding ends up starting to diverging +from the easy to understand reasons, and more into some form of +cultural differences. + +I live in a deeply individualistic society in Canada, where there are +some people try individually to create a more collectivist experience. + +This is not as strong as it is in U.S.A. or I think U.K.. But as someone +who would really like to have a more collectivist world, it is difficult +to have people who aren't already there understand that is really even a +thing. + +I have spent time in Finland where there's not a speck of garbage +around, or that was what it was like when I was in Finland. It's not +that there's all these rigid rules as to what you do with the garbage. +It is that when there's a question of, ``Will this harm others?'' or +``Will this benefit me?'' the balance is more in the not harming others. + +The same thing when I spent time in Japan. My Japanese and my Finnish +are both rather low in being able to use it. French is pretty low as +well, and I spent a year in Montr\'eal Qu\'ebec, where there is a bit +of a perception that if you're not speaking French (less so than other +parts of the province) you can be treated rather poorly. + +The thing I found in all these spaces, was that by my sense that I +am asking that they understand that I don't understand that well, but +being willing to work with them, I felt way more ``at home'' in all +these spaces, than I have in the vast majority of English speaking +spaces. + +In related topic (and this is probably for another time)\todo{Write this +up}, I was asked where I was from in the city I live in, and have lived +in now for I think more than 40 years in total (and was born here). + +No, it wasn't the, ``But where are you really from?'' type thing that +BIPOC people often report, but it did give me some sense of what that +experience is like.\todo{Where are you really from?} + +So... Let's get back to where I was going... With a better +understanding that I'm not really in that capitalistic/individualistic +view that the, ``Will you be selling that?'' question seems to mostly +be coming from, the idea of getting this in the hands of people who can +afford to pay what it's worth, is a bit of an affront to my ideals. + +I absolutely want to make sure this will get in the hands of the people +who I feel need to feel seen, and those are people who usually can't +afford to pay what this would be worth, and one way that I have addressed +that in the past (with digital goods), while still charging has been to +have ``community copies,'' which I do wish to continue even with physical +items. + +I certainly want to be able to have this (and the journal), at a price +which feels like it is the price which the version would be fair in terms +of the time I put into it. I'd also like to say that those prices will +include prices which will allow community editions both in print and +digital. + +Many artists, will sell stuff (even custom stuff), at a price that will +``allow them to continue to do the art,'' and this is very +understandable, that the main focus is to just be able to do what +they want to, but I feel it often ends up being a bit misguided. + +Why? I feel it's two issues, but a big one is what I have seen about +how to price your work. I have attended workshops both for independent +business people (not for people who are in an MLM, or some other form +of contracting with a corporation so you can be an independent person +under their roof), and artists about how to price your work. + +Some of this has gone into huge degrees of detail about it, which I have +to say works very well for some people, other situations have gone with +some idea of really very simple things, which also works for some people. + +All of this pricing ends up with some sense that things are often priced +at a rate much higher than those that artists who just are trying to +make enough money to keep doing their art will price things at. + +The one thing particularly from the artist perspective, has been that by +selling your work at a rate less than what it's worth, you end up +devaluing other similar work from other artists. + +I feel this is true, though it feels that you can justify the idea of +giving your work away more easily than you can justify underpricing your +work. Especially if you are doing both pricing at a fair price, and +being able to somehow get stuff free. + +So, I likely will be listing this as available for people who pay, +though probably pricing at a premium over what I feel it is worth, +and providing community copies to anyone who would like them (though +in somewhat limited numbers). +