And no, that doesn’t mean sitting around writing pancake haikus vs writing a novel (you know who you are!). I’m talking about drawing images with light!

I’ve tried light writing out before, but after an experience at the birth of 2010, I wanted to try some more elaborate drawings. Having minions to draw for me turned out to be a lot of fun. This is what happened the first time around. @bodhiquest and @cypressrising were the scribes who helped me create this photo.

I used to live next to a photography buddy, but now we find ourselves on opposite sides of the bay. To make collaboration easier, we decided to try out some light writing on our own but with a similar theme.

These shots were basically our test run to try out some ideas and practice this style. What kind of background should we shoot on, what would get drawn, how do we direct the scribes, etc?

by @AnnaChipman (feat. @hammins)

by @crispylettuce (feat. @QU1CKF1X)

At this point, we had only tried having 1 or 2 scribes. It was time to up the ante and get a whole group going. Throughout this process, Anna and I had been getting good practice shooting in this style. However, it was just as important that our scribes were now versed in the ways of light writing as well!

Here is what we came up with.

by @AnnaChipman
(feat. @hammins, @bodhiquest, @hschulte95, @crispylettuce, @QU1CKF1X)

Trying to keep your place in the air, especially when you are trying to keep track of where someone else has already drawn, is difficult to say the least, lol. We had a lot of fun! Thanks everyone!

To Abe, Bryce & Dave

I recently experienced a lot of encouragement and support from two wonderful friends of mine. It goes a long way to combat discouraging thoughts, procrastination and despair about ones situation in rough times. It can be a call to action that gets the wheels of the mind turning again and inspires you to get back on the horse. I’m not talking about generic “be all you can be” or “believe in yourself” comments, but the type of attention that only someone who knows you can give.

I’m addressing you guys specifically because I know you’re in the same boat as me. We are all trying to make it on our own right now: starting businesses, selling our talents and trying to carve out a place in the world for ourselves, on our own terms. This brings on a roller coaster of doubt, anxiety and excitement that makes it tough to stay on track.

I have known each of you for a long time. I have worked with all of you in one capacity or another - so I say this from experience. You each have something to offer the world and you’re on the right path. You can make it as an author, Abe. You can make it as an artist, Bryce. Your business will work, Dave (and so will your music). Keep going. We’re in this together.

If you aren’t one of the three people I’m addressing, you might be asking yourself why this is an open letter. I’m simply suggesting that you encourage a friend. Now!

The following conversation has been re-threaded to prevent seizures and consciousness disassociation. Also, reading the following will be more enjoyable if you first put on some 3D glasses.

Crispy Lettuce: Some of these dudes in Asimov’s piss me off. 3 degrees, have awesome jobs and write reems of scifi in their spare time. wtf
Cookie Monster: haha, yeah, some people I think are born to withstand distraction. can you imagine living in a time when geniuses were legends, like Da Vinci, Franklin, Tesla. fuck, Ben Franklin still intimidates me
Crispy Lettuce: Be nice if that came about again
Cookie Monster: the dude was a 1000 year champion of the universe
Crispy Lettuce: Instead of ashton getting the attn he does
Cookie Monster: like an age of legends
Crispy Lettuce: Mmmm
Crispy Lettuce: I need to go to space and mine things. Need scientists to get lots of money to make that possible. I can’t have a deflector shield without them
Cookie Monster: I want a space game to come out. something rad
Crispy Lettuce: Haha
Crispy Lettuce: No, CM, no. Stop glorifying game makers. We want real ships
Crispy Lettuce: No more sim space mining, no more sim space mining!
Crispy Lettuce chants
Cookie Monster: maybe my childrens children can do the mining
Cookie Monster: well, what are you doing about it? you should be a lobbyist and try and bring down the military spending and redirect it at intergalactic operations
Crispy Lettuce: yeah!
Crispy Lettuce: Uhhh being enthusiastic about the privatization of space?
Cookie Monster: get the fucking lead out
Cookie Monster: enthusiasm doesnt make spaceships. try and get in at an aerospace company
Crispy Lettuce: I have checked them all
Cookie Monster: your enthusiasm may be too low
Crispy Lettuce: They only want Space Avionic Commando Machinists LVL 3. I’m missing like 6 degrees in particle physics
Cookie Monster: dude, Ben Franklin would have 8
Crispy Lettuce: I know, I suck
Cookie Monster: you are not doing Ben justice
Crispy Lettuce:
Cookie Monster: epic life fail. I am ashamed to know you
Crispy Lettuce: I have failed u, Ben!
Cookie Monster: I will just get in my space game. you can go get more degrees
Crispy Lettuce: Nooooooo! But who will manage the mining drones?! I can’t do it all!
Cookie Monster: I dunno man, maybe some other dork, I will be on patrol around Ganymede. blasting space shit
Cookie Monster: into space shit
Crispy Lettuce: That’s it, no space for u
Crispy Lettuce: No u stay here and live in ur games
Cookie Monster: I have a space shit transmutifier
Crispy Lettuce: No Ganymede
Cookie Monster: F U, I go where I want
Cookie Monster scoots around Ganymede