Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Onward!

A lot can happen in a year. So just imagine how much can happen in six years. That's how long ago I started this particular blog. I had no clue at the time I was about to close the door on a couple of aspects of my life and open the door on a couple of others. Just luck of the draw, really.

I've spent the last few months trying to figure out what I wanted to do with this blog going forward. There was a strong sentiment to just close it down entirely in September. Views were down, and there was the growing realization that "blogging" has shifted to a degree from when I started. Plus, it was hard to ignore the fact that two friends of mine who coincidentally also started blogs in 2009 had abandoned posting on their blogs. The handwriting seemed to be on the wall.

But? In the intervening months, I've come to realize the possible usefulness of keeping this place open. It's not going to be the same as it was in, say, 2010-11 though. When you push the reset button, you can't just undo that decision. Plus, I simply don't have the same level of interest I had when this enterprise was at its peak.

I suppose in a real sense I fell victim to that very interest in building this blog. "OWARI" is not this blog, just as it wasn't the fanzine that carried the name off and on for ten years. OWARI is me. The blog is just a vehicle, and I think I lost sight of that along the way.

Anyway, the OWARI blog will stay open and I will keep posting here when the mood strikes. I would *like* make at least one post a month for consistency's sake, but I'm not even going to promise that. Similarly, I don't know what you'll be seeing here in the future. This is not me being coy, because I really just don't know. We're going to find out together. And if there's not much to say? There won't be much here.

I'd like to say how much I appreciate everyone who reads this blog, from the regulars I've inexplicably built up over the years to the one-offs who arrive via search engines. You've buoyed my spirits as I try to make some difficult transitions. Onward and upward with the arts!