Conferences, training days and seminars are great ways of re-focusing. Removing yourself from normal environments has a way of crystallising experience. Even as a delegate or guest speaker you soon realise that there is an element of chaos at work, as no matter how well you prepare your notes, like all live events, anything can happen!

My recent experience at the Writing Industries Conference has helped me re-evaluate the media I work in. In the digital age its no longer necessary to compartmentalise your skill-sets. You can be a specialist with many specialties! I was introduced to the notion of “transliteracy” by Mahendra Solanki‘s brief mention in conversation about Sue Thomas‘ work. It’s a good label for my own work – crossing as it does the boundaries of poetry, fiction, art, digital art, music, electronic music, digital photography, illustration and importantly – web delivery platforms. After a few days considering how best to describe that mix of genres I came up with “transmedia technologies”*. It wasn’t long however before James Sebastian over at the Invisible Lodge suggested a variation (with due respect to SteveG as well) ….

Call me a …. Transmedia Alchemist!

So there we have it, a new label, new moniker, new pigeonhole for the masses and a cause to champion!

I still enjoy “new-renaissance man” – a term coined by a magazine to describe my work some years ago but its kinda hard living up to the notion of someone akin to Leonardo DaVinci !

*Transmedia Alchemist – An adept at fusing arts and technology, regardless of discipline or platform.