Update 2011

I don't know when exactly, but this tract of land is going to change soon. Move, to be precise. How (as in format and content) I am not sure. Where, I'm pretty sure but without knowing how I don't want to make any promises.

When I started Imaginary Magnitude, it was a means for me to explore and share ideas on a variety of things: things philosophical, things artistic, things writerly, sometimes things political and social. There were (and are still) essays, book reviews, shitloads of photography, thoughts on film, thoughts on me and my direction (or lack thereof). It is this last point which has become topical, if not online then off.

Back in 2006, when I posted my first "Hello World", I was an employee for a film/TV production company, in search of independence. Within the following year, I found that independence as a freelancer. It was a successful decision. On June 12th, I will sit on a specialized panel at the TIFF Lightbox in downtown Toronto to discuss stereographic 3D filmmaking. Last year, I presented my thoughts on digital post production workflows at Pinewood Studios. Over the course of my career, I've supervised at least two feature films which have opened at #1 in the North American box office. I have an honorary Emmy Award for my work in the edit room. I also got to sit in on a recording session with producer Hal Willner, and had the honour of witnessing Mary Margaret O'Hara lay down the vocals for her chilling rendition of Blues In The Night. These are all good things, and I put them out there not to boast or chest-thump, but because I often get so wrapped up in the day-to-day details of my profession that I overlook the significance of certain plot points.

Thing is, what I'm doing is not creative work. It's loosely collaborative and, if anything, I've most enjoyed the parts where I've been a voyeur. As regular readers will note, I'm a fiction writer. A novelist who, at 39, needed (note past-tense - I am 40 now) a career which did not consume every moment of the day (and/or weekend) with the flotsam and jetsam of other people's creative (and logistic) stress - or, put in a better way, something consumed by the right people and the right stress, for the right reasons.

After long consideration, I decided in 2010 to pursue an education in psychotherapy, with an eye to practice as a therapist. Psychology has been something I've always been pulled towards, and psychotherapy seems a fitting combination of my skills and interests. Last September was my first class and the first year has raced past me: a lot of writing, a lot of reading, a lot of listening, a lot of talking and feeling. So far, so good. I've got two more years ahead of me, but will begin seeing clients as early as November of this year as part of the training program.

I've had to reconsider many things lately, this blog being one of them. Since contributing to the post production diary on Guy Maddin's film (via Tumblr), the Blogger interface seems a little clunky and not as receptive to throwing paint on the wall. I also don't know what this is about anymore: this blog. So, I may abandon it and start something new...or I might simply import this sucker elsewhere. I've got a couple of domains held, and a cool webhost, so the rest is really up to me (and time, and Fate, and my patience with coding). Besides, five years is a long time to do anything.

This is not my last post, but by September I'm sure I will have put a new site together. A new address as well. I will let you know when that happens.

[June 3rd: edited for clarity and accuracy of my age, in case anyone thinks I'm trying to pass myself off as 39]