Jumping In

I guess I've just needed lots of projects recently in order to stay sane. I go through phases like that from time to time. And, since Kenzie got a Gameboy this week (for the most part, he's been playing Pokemon: "I may be a mere child," I just heard him say to the screen, "but my Pokemon are pretty strong"), I've spent most of my time working on the LFLF website. The subscription page is finally what I want it to be, and there are sample articles for each of the back issues. Instead of "Buy Now" buttons, there are "Add to Cart" buttons and such. Much more user-friendly.

When I started the magazine, I didn't know a thing about Dreamweaver. Or Photoshop. Or Pagemaker. I didn't know magazine layout. Or editor protocol. I didn't know anything about advertising. Or graphic design. Really, I just jumped in, blindly. I learned "on the job," so to speak. Some things Terry understood well - the programs, layout and design, etc. He taught me what he could, and I took over from there. He still designs the covers, and he draws the cartoons, but I do everything else. If someone had told me I'd be designing and publishing a website and magazine on my own, I'd have laughed. These weren't skills I thought I had.

However, the experience mirrors my belief in unschooling. Instead of studying website design and magazine publishing just in case I might want to pursue this path, I first developed an interest, then a passion. I dove in and decided what needed to be done. Then, I found knowledgable people, bought books, searched out information on the Internet. and figured the rest out on my own. I learned because I'm interested and I have a need to know.

I'm still working on it. Dreamweaver tables are simply not my thing. But, I've come a long way, and I have shiny, new webpages to prove it.