Oh noes! The world is ending!

We really have become a jaded culture, especially as far as technology is concerned. We demand that tech companies give us the newer, better products… then immediately take to Facebook to bitch about how we don’t like them (even if the product in question is Facebook).

I’m not really any different. When I started using Windows 8, for example, I was annoyed by the lack of a start button. The home screen seemed stupid to me. I found myself actually wondering why couldn;t they have just made it like Windows 7?

You MONSTERS!

It took me a little while, but I managed to get a grip on reality. Innovation doesn’t mean doing the same thing over and over again… and coming up with something new comes with the chance that people will hate what you’ve done. We’re a weird species, constantly wanting new things that are exactly like the old things.

I eventually just sat down with Windows 8 for an extraordinarily long time (15 to 20 minutes) and learned how to use it, and now we get along just fine. New Facebook layouts only seem to bother me for the first couple of visits to the site, Twitter changing things around barely moves the needle anymore.

Believe it or not, I’m going to make a parallel to writing creatively here (shocker!). Too often, creative types tend to shy away from doing the new, weird, out-there thing because they fear the public reaction. Pulp sci-fi writers put together beautiful books of poetry that never leave their desk drawers. Literary fiction types plot out the best Fantasy story you’ve ever seen, but never let it see the light of day in case it kills their reputation.

My own 2 cents here — fuck it. Go put it out anyway. If you know you’ve got something great, self-publish it, or send it to a cool indie press. If it’s anything like me with Windows 8… the audience will come around eventually.