About Utopia Moment
Utopia Moment is Jack Ruttan’s blog of sketches, and occasional writing and photos. Sometimes the sketches are collaborations with others, or drawn by different people in jams, or get-togethers.
It’s a blog about process, as the artist learns and improves his technique. He hopes it’s instructive for others, who are searching and working — possibly going through the same processes. They’re not always the best or the most beautiful drawings, but he wants people to get a kick out of them just the same.
Somebody asked me where the name “Utopia Moment” came from. It’s something I made up, when I was in a Brian Eno type of mood (he likes to give enigmatic titles to his pieces). I think it refers to the instant when everything feels perfect; but it’s so fleeting it’s hard to grab onto and is immediately past. Also, the name has a nice assonance.
Me
Thought I should put that in, because the below is something I wrote at the inception of the blog on this system (WordPress)
Should write something here. It’s late at night. I’m happy that the blog works, though some things have to be done with the blog “theme.” Some important pieces are missing. Still, it’s neat to be able to change the look of the blog so easily. But playing with it means fooling with PHP, which I am not so confident with. Still, a couple of tweaks here and there might take care of it.
Really what I wanted to talk about here was the purpose of the Utopia Moment blog. That might have to wait until tomorrow, because it’s late tonight, and I have to get up relatively early. Splendid, though, all this flexibility on the blog system.
Jan 08, 2009
Looking outside my window
I’m up at 5:30 am, still sleepy, but not wanting to lie in bed. Browsing on the computer. I like the theme the blog is using, and the ease of changing it. Lately, I’ve been plumbing the depths of CSS.
While the power is interesting, making things, and making them different (trying to fit the picture of the ideal web page in my mind, usually failing, or taking a long time), my mind is not well-suited to this type of work. Ordering numbers, categorizing, and getting details right. Still, there are things to read, supposedly suited to beginners, or “idiots,” as I suppose I am in this case, so it’s something for the future.
All I want to add on the new, admirably simple theme, is an “admin” link up top, and the blog-roll. Then maybe a parchment paper-like background, and we are good to go.
Hmmph. This beast does not like certain additions I make, such as a header 2, and a link up top. It’s like one of those hard Zen masters, the ones that hit you with sticks.
Nonetheless, I promised to talk about the reason behind Utopia Moment. That’s not one of those long-deferred, empty promises. Not that the reason was anything complex. On the old blog, I had written “Sketches and musings of a writer/illustrator. TV, cartoon, and literary-related things.” That about covers it, except I now dislike the word ‘musings,’ mainly because others have made fun of it.
But I can’t think of much to add to it, without being needlessly verbose. Of course, that’s the point of this “page.” To chat a little bit, but I haven’t given myself a point in the end. Except to say, visit my web page at http://mruttan.ca for more information. I hope I’ll be putting in more interesting things there, also.