Writing speculative fiction acquaints one with liminal spaces: where things come to be, areas of transition. Luckily that’s one of my favorite places to be.
Again I find myself in such a place. More and more I spend my evenings positing and researching ways that art can do real work out in the world. I appreciate both writing and reading work simply for power of the piece and its own beauty. Yet often, as an author, I want more. If you’re lucky enough to inspire another that’s essential work, and it’s real. Yet there are those who don’t require inspiration, only the right tools to help them make creations that move us forward. I have stories that exist within multimedia pieces—primarily visual art and audio work. Perhaps it’s time to expand into more webwork—sites and app development to take advantage of expanded capabilities in the work itself as well as to share. With Blueprints for Better Worlds, I opened up the possibility but seems there’s still rich earth to till in that plot.
I refer to Blueprints as the first of my portal pieces, that is pieces that reach from the imagined to the real in a bid to manifest more of the former in the latter. How does it do this? Well like any good storyteller I won’t give it away prematurely, but suffice to say it’s aspirational and electronic, using the web for what I think is one of its best uses: providing accurate, helpful information to bring about progress and work toward a better world. Thus the title.
Inspiration and practice have potential for social impact. When used together that potential is realized. I would say watch this space to see some manifestations, but soon this space will close. I expect to start sharing them in 2022. My virtual home is http://www.teneadjohnson.com. Stop by anytime.
