Devon County Show! Technology Vs Crafts!


360 Immersion Experience in Radio Devon Marquee
Array of hand knitted poppies
Lots more Hand Knitted Poppies
My dad’s Dragon poker
Close up of my dad’s Dragon poker

On Thursday this week I went to the Devon County Show on the outskirts of Exeter; which is the city where I live in Devon, in the UK.

I would say it is predominantly crafts and countryside driven. Which means there are lots of crafters around. These poppies in the picture are all hand knitted but look so real. My dad is a retired blacksmith who does regular blacksmithing courses at the same place where the Devon County Show is held. He also enters the show’s blacksmithing competitions and this year he won a prize for his poker being chosen by Sophie – the Countess Of Wessex! Who is married to Prince Edward. He also got a second and third prize for other categories.

What I love about the Devon County Show, is that it shows off so much creative talent and skills, from art, to hand made soap and fudge; to the latest in technology; to outdoor clothing, spa pools and both indoor and outdoor furniture. It really is a mixture. The show is on for 3 consequetive days and it ends today.

I loved watching the screen of the guy with the headset on. He was in outer space in a 360 immersive experience, and he had to climb a ladder on the outside of the aircraft. A guy who was 80+ years old had a go on it after this guy, and did not want to stop!! 

So often crafts and technology are thought of as polar opposites; one bring artsy, the other more scientific. But both this and the other crafts, all require a great deal of creative thinking and action taking to produce the outcome. Someone still needs to create the virtual reality world. As a writer, I know what an enjoyable but sometimes painstaking experience the action taking can be. The experience of writing non-fiction, is not the painful part, but the editing, typsetting and everything else, can be tough. I am on the 3rd Typsetter for my Asexual Perspectives print version of my book!! I won’t be paying someone to format for me in ‘Latex’ in the future. #lessonlearnt

Write soon and stay quirky.

Sandra xx

How the Digital Revolution Exhibition can Inspire You to write


Hi everyone

If you read my last post, you will know that while I was in London last month, for the Success 2014 Seminar, I went to the Digital Revolution Exhibition.

I have more amazing videos to share with you.

Sometimes you may wonder how my activities relate to writing. Almost everything I do, I can connect to writing in some way. Some directly and others indirectly. I also feel it’s important for any reader to be able to understand what makes a particular writer tick, in order to better understand their writing and their nature.

From my own experience, this is how the Digital Revolution Exhibition, can help inspire you to write.

● Unlimited writing prompts

A good example of this, was seeing the original Altair and Mac designs. These can inspire you to write a drama set in the period they were produced. Alternatively, what’s the story behind those specifically. Why did someone buy each of them? What work is saved on them and why?

● The feeling of magic

The music, the atmosphere, things moving by sensor, touchscreen, special effects, create a feeling of magic. Can inspire you to create fairytales.

●Taking a behind the scenes look at films; Inception, Gravity and How to train your dragon 2.

Helps you to understand how a script can be brought to life.

●Fantasy becoming reality

Seeing things move by themselves and come to life. Such as a lamp like the one in the Pixar shorts, can get your creative juices flowing.

● Not believing your own eyes

Seeing yourself on screen; one minute with smoke coming from your face, the next stage, seeing yourself with wings and birds eating your body. Conjures up stories of illusion and fantasy.

● Future technologies

There is a solar powered dress on display which lights up. Couple that with the information that clothes in our future will be used to charge our mobile phone, makes you think up future Sci-fi adventures.

The Digital Revolution Exhibition, is at the Barbican in London until 14th September 2014.

If you have been wondering why I haven’t been blogging on here quite as much lately, I am currently working on my new design www.beatredundancyblues.com site. As my web host no longer services the site builder I used to build the site on, I have to create a new site using WordPress.org. This has to be done before I finish the final formatting of my Break through the barriers of redundancy book, because I cannot update the site and it is advertised on the front cover of my book. Thankfully, I love designing and creating. To create a new one is hard work and very time consuming, but pleasurable at the same time.

Write as soon as possible
Sandra

 

Digital Revolution Exhibition – A sneaky peak behind the scenes


Hi everyone

Last month I went to the Success 2014 Seminar in London. Whilst I was in London, I went to the Barbican to see the Digital Revolution Exhibition. It blew my mind and you are going to be blown away too.

I have something special for you; in the next posts that follow, you will get to take a look behind the scenes, at the breathtaking special effects of today’s technology and sample some old classics. I have been watching some of the video footage and it feels like I am back there, immersed in the wonder and pleasure of fantasy meets reality. If you love magic and fairytales, and dreams coming true, you won’t want to miss these videos.

Take a sneaky peak now, with these two incredibly short introduction videos:

For those of you who prefer photos; here are some for you.

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The Digital Revolution Exhibition is on until the 14th of September 2014.

Do not miss the videos.


 

I don’t like to be the bearer of bad news, but on a heavier note; I have had to remove the video and post about my interviewing Author Hinton Sheryn, because he has been convicted of pedophilia. You can read about it here if you wish to: http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/Boy-struck-Plymouth-paedophile-piece-wood/story-21309308-detail/story.html

My apologies to anyone I may have offended by posting the video. At the time of interviewing and posting, I did not know about any of his indecent behaviour, and I do not condone it.

Write soon

Sandra