Hugh MacLeod Goes Back To Basics

Hugh’s story about his recent years is similar to mine. So I hear the echo in my head when he says that he wants to get back to the basic core, and refocus on his blog.

I have been rededicating myself to /Message in recent months. Like Gaping Void, it doesn’t directly pay the bills, but it is the wellspring of everything else.

I will be continuing on with my various projects — the Open University’s Social:Learn project, where I have been leading the design effort for the past months , a new start-up in NYC, building another product of my design (about which I plan to start making real disclosures in 2008), and working with other interesting folks — but I am going to make sure that I leave enough time in the mix to pursue my ‘line of inquiry’ here, at /Message. At several points in the past year I just took on too much, and my writing trailed off.

It’s not a burden: it’s constantly rewarding give-and-take. A wrestling match with my own devils, a friendly debate with friends, a marathon chase.

I was interviewed by some journalism student earlier this year, and when asked what was the single most important business decision that I had ever taken I responded “blogging.” It has trumped every other action I have ever taken, including getting my master’s in computer science, which I now consider second biggest.

So, as Thanksgiving comes to a close: Thank you.