Should we Twitter?

by midlifemaven on July 2, 2009

I went to grad school a few years ago when Facebook was still primarily the domain of students, and was surprised that classmates a fraction of my age were willing to ‘friend’ me. As time has passed I’ve found and rediscovered friends from many stages of my life on Facebook, as well as colleagues and friends I’ve met more recently. Over time I’ve pared away the ‘friends’ I’ve never met or interacted with in the real world, and have learned how to shut out some of the less riveting chatter. Facebook now seems to me to be the current equivalent of chatting over the back fence with family, friends and acquaintances.

About eighteen months ago I was told I should look into Twitter as well, to connect with other people with similar interests. I did so, and was surprised by how many people began to follow me. (My “Twitter-stalkers” according to a non-Twittering friend!) I post links to stories I think may be of interest, give information to people who ask for help, and let people know when I post something new on my blog. This seems to be fairly standard behavior!

While I’ve got my Facebook chatter down to a friendly and acceptable level, the vast number of followers on Twitter mean that it can be hard to find the voices of those I originally followed. The news of imminent appearances on TV from an NBC cameraman and Steven Fry’s witty and pithy remarks, have vanished into the vast sea of chatter that has become overwhelming to follow.

While I was trying to work out whether to drop lots of those people I follow ‘just because’ , or maybe spend less time on Twitter, I was on Facebook and noticed a link to this blog post by Steve Coxsey. Some of his concerns are different from mine, but his complaints about the cacophony and general messiness are ones I can definitely identify with.

I also read this string on the Vibrant Nation site – which you should visit even if you don’t want to read more about Twitter – where the consensus seems to be to use Twitter to make and sustain connections, and not to just get thousands of followers!

How about you, do you spend time on Facebook or Twitter – too much time maybe? Do you feel either site provides information you couldn’t get anywhere else? Do you think microblogging the way forwards, or do you think is it yet another piece of technology that needs to be reined in before it runs amok?

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Soul Art Cards Kit

by midlifemaven on July 1, 2009

If you have visited my companion information site, you will know that my mission is to assist people in finding their own path through midlife using the arts. There are already pages up with general instructions for some of the projects, but after talking to several people felt that offering the projects in downloadable kit form would make them easier to carry out. My goal is to include everything needed except supplies like scissors and a glue stick.

As a pathological crafter and maker of things, I also know that not everyone sees such activities in the same way! As a result I have created a lesson plan, and taken photographs as I went through all the steps, so the kit offers step by step instructions to ensure success.

I also know that my addiction to collecting images and fonts is not mainstream, so have added many pages of images and then appropriate words in different typefaces and colors so it is possible to print off the kit and get straight to work!

For more information you can visit this site, or buy it here:

Soul art cards kit image

Make Your Own Soul Art Cards Kit

$29.99 for over 80 pages of instructions, images and words to use!

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‘Up’ – a story for all of us

June 30, 2009

The hero was older and not glamorous. He and his wife were very close so when she died he was very lonely and lost. Soon he was being forced to go into a retirement home, and this aggravation provided the catalyst for him to reignite a childhood dream of adventure. His unexpected sidekick was a socially inept, equally lonely, and overweight child – finally a story line I could buy into!

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Does experience trump speed?

June 29, 2009

Perhaps what I am arguing here is that while the ability to process information as rapidly may start to diminish at 27, but that what we lack in speed we make up for with experience.

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Michael Jackson

June 26, 2009

I’ve noticed today commentators have had difficulty explaining Michael’s age – he was alternatively “too young to die” but “not a young man” – which presumably left him squarely in midlife at the end of his life . . .

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Is Madonna the poster child for a midlife crisis?

June 25, 2009

As an expat Briton I often find myself turning to the authorities I grew up with for advice, so when I came across an article about midlife crisis by English doctor, Miriam Stoppard I stopped to read it. The article suggested that Madonna is a woman who is showing all the classic symptoms of [...]

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Just try it!

June 24, 2009

As I’ve got older I have found my self much less concerned with what other people think about me. It’s really refreshing, and has freed me to try new things I would have previously talked myself out of doing.

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Why hasn’t the recession changed marketing for the better?

June 23, 2009

I had hoped that the recession would encourage more creativity and less desperate grasping from marketers.

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Updating the way we think

June 22, 2009

I have never challenged my redundant messages before as a) they hadn’t hit my radar screen until recently, and b) they mostly contain some element of good advice. Despite the original good intentions, these messages now limit me in ways that have become frustrating.

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Where should you live?

June 19, 2009

Does the town or city where you live support the life you want? Is it close enough to an international airport to support your wanderlust? Is it so urban you run to the countryside at every opportunity? Do you crave access to cultural events, but have few options unless you undertake a four hour drive? Is it full of antique shops and artsy stores but you love urban minimal design?

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