Wooden Hysteria
Finally.
The big news: I’m not dead. Although, for the past few months, it’s certainly felt like it.
Like this guy, I’ve been stuck: fire lapping at my feet, in near- or total panic, desperate to do something — anything — but unable to do so. It’s been some of the hardest months of my life, and it’s taken a tremendous toll on both Osprey Design and me personally.
However, the recovery begins soon: almost four months on, the final divorce agreement has been signed. There are details, but for all intents and purposes, it’s done. At long last, I can move on with my life.
[Pause for deep breath.]
Time for some announcements:
- The recent outage was spambot-related, and took days to fix. Some things — notably my mail — still aren’t working. (For cryin’ out loud. I so didn’t need this extra stress right now.)
- The main ospreydesign.com site is down for a complete redesign. It’s bloody well overdue, and, hopefully, I can do it properly this time — such that the spammers will lose.
- Foreword is also on the redesign list. Further, more than just the look will change — the focus will shift slightly, too. Fewer entries strictly on book design — although there will still be plenty — and more on use of photography in book design, advertising, and other design mediums.
Why? Well, that’s the most important announcement of all.
Simply put — someday, I’ll share more of the sordid details — having my primary business at risk of being lost to the divorce has led me to spend as much or more time doing photography as design, especially book design.
And darned if I didn’t get good at it. Enough so that people started asking me to do stuff. Then hiring me. A decision was necessary: just do design, or both photography and design?
Yeah, you saw it coming. Introducing Giles Hoover, Photographer.
Don’t get me wrong: I’ll still be here, designing books — and yapping about book design — for a long time to come. Indeed, stay tuned for more on both book design and photography next week. Then, shortly after, some semblance of regular posts.
Finally.
As always, thanks for stopping by.
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Posted by Giles, Wednesday, June 13, 2007, at 3:06 AM.
Posted to Book design | Personal | Photography | Site news
Comments:
Yay!
Nice to see that this site is not dead!
Good luck in your new endeavors.
Welcome back!!
Yow. Been there, done that. Time to breathe and regroup, for sure.
However (and I may be way off base here, as I’m totally unfamiliar with your work prior —- just doing a little websurfing), do you have any need of illustrators? Just getting started, but you can view some samples at www.robinworthington.com.
In the meantime, good luck with your New Life. It gets better, I promise.
Welcome back to my favourite blog! Kept checking and glad to see you back. I have been going through similar life changes to you and photography has become increasing important in my work as well. Good luck.
Congratulations, Giles.
Your photographs are truly beautiful.
Lovely photos. Much prosperity in your new business. Glad to see you back.
Your photography is beautiful, so I think you’ve made a wise decision! Best of luck.
Do you really think your blog’s melodrama and hyperbole will encourage readership? I’m more impressed that you commented on a cat’s behind than the fact that you’re busy vacationing in Florida while having drummed up hordes of business. Hard times in the face of divorce? Shame on your crocodile tears. How about something honest and original? I’m sure your soon to be ex-wife is wasting no tears. It’s clear by your self-indulgent writing that your audience and integrity was the last thing from your mind. No one likes self-pity, especially when it is used to wave a banner.
Thanks to all of you — it’s nice to be back.
Robin: Not at the moment. Thanks, though!
Cynthea: I’m sorry I offended. Please continue to comment; I welcome someone holding my feet to the fire.
That said, please get your facts straight. It will make the criticism more constructive. Thanks.
Giles, once again, congratulations, my friend. Glad to see the site back up (I’ve been busy) and the postings regular. With your incredibly beautiful photography and your keen design eye, you’re able to do whatever you want — just keep at the dream. I look forward to seeing your new work pop up around me. :)
“Success does not come to you, you go to it. Leave the cave, kill it, drag it home.”
Cynthea: Apparently you do not know this man. If you did, you would know that Foreword and ospreyDesign has been on the forefront of his thoughts. It’s the brutal divorce that’s caused the problems in the interim. It’s not self-pity, it’s concern. Get it right. Besides, what is a blog but self-indulgent?
Do I sense some deep-seated animosity?
Giles, glad to see you free.
It seems, to me at least, that being critical of someone’s blog—while in the interest of free speach, press, etc.—does little more than take up (cyber)space. I wonder what has happened in “Cynthea’s” life that has given her such a negative predisposition (and, frankly, the time to go criticizing blogs).
Perhaps I, too, have too much free time…