Cutting Through The Noise

Back to the Museum again today. I think the Berkshires were more affected by the "super storm" than we were, but I didn't have any problems during my hour-long commute... the skies, in fact, were vividly blue... with interesting cloud formations.

After taking care of some emails and other matters, I finally hunkered down on my video project, working on the "puzzle" of editing my transcript to come up with some logical,  short narrative. I don't know if it is normal, but at this stage I literally take my typed transcript (all 35 pages) and cut and paste them on to colored sheets of paper... I know, I could easily do this on the computer too, but I somehow feel more engaged by starting my editing process this way... it's also more fun to leave the computer behind, and work in a more tactile way (I guess that's my artistic tendencies shining through). 

Also, to be perfectly honest, it's good for me to work in this manner. I could instantly feel the difference from being away from the computer screen, with the distracting emails and search engines. I laid my materials out on a table, and felt a calm focus that is difficult to maintain while sitting in front of my pretty Mac. 

But at work I'm the "manager of media"... so these moments seem in short supply. There must be a way to have more structure, though. I'm the first to admit that I can get easily distracted by news, and working on an exhibit about comic books is just inviting trouble for me... 

Up until yesterday I was all about the election (happening in just a week!), but now it has been Hurricane Sandy. It really has been hard to not want constant updates in this instant information age... and the media can certainly feed into that anxious frenzy. At the gym tonight, some of that seemed founded...

As I took my hour-long jog on the treadmill, I watched NBC Nightly News... I couldn't believe my eyes, looking at the damage that the storm has wrecked... especially in areas like New Jersey and New York City! I heard Queens mentioned several times, and wonder how I would have fared if I still had my place in Astoria. I also heard some talk today about global warming, and the "new normal"... some areas in the Hudson Valley are actually still struggling to get back to normal following Hurricane Irene...

So, I'm torn... I'm a curious guy by nature, and certainly want to be informed (especially during an election season and national emergencies!).. but I know that I could probably be more productive if I just turned down my media consumption... losing power, in this way, wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. In the meantime, I wish all dealing with Mother Nature here on the east coast, a speedy recovery.