NOT BAD FOR SOMEONE WHO CAN’T DRAW…  AT ALL.

I don’t tell people I’m good with Photoshop.  I tell people I don’t suck at it.  Give me a blank canvas and an idea within my area of skill and I’ll probably come up with something decent.  The graphics on The Athletic Nerd certainly haven’t gotten worse as my Photoshop skills improved over the years.

XTRA | The Non-Artists Guide to Photoshop Addiction

Take the graphic above for example.  I was just messing around with different options for the upcoming 1000th post.  From a traditional design standpoint it’s probably garbage.  But I think it looks pretty cool considering I’ve been teaching myself in my spare time.  It’s definitely a step up from one of the original logo I posted on this blog:

Now, this is not a blog about Photoshop so why does Photoshop matter?  Because this blog is about the freedom of creativity.

WHAT DOES BASKETBALL HAVE TO DO WITH IT?

When I was growing up, we had a gravel basketball court in our back yard.  I loved that court.  I played out there for hours especially when something was on my mind.  It became my quiet place to do something I loved and think.  It was my escape.  Eventually, I moved away from home and I haven’t had access to a basketball court that offered the same peace and quiet I once knew.  Photoshop filled that void.  It’s my creative escape.  It’s where I go to think about screenwriting or life in general.  Photoshop is therapeutic.

XTRA | Photoshop Cures Writer’s Block

XTRA | Screenwriting Inspiration in Photoshop Magazines

I love looking back at my progress.  I’ve become a lot better at creating more detailed images.  Since this blog relaunched after The Summer of Screenwriting on September 15th, I’ve been adding and updating graphics.  Here are a few of my recent favorites.  Click any of them to be taken to that section of the website.

Today, I spent some time creating two new graphics.  The first is an updated REVIEWS logo that may or may not replace the old one.

I also created a new customizable ‘Features’ graphic that debuts in today’s Screenwriting post.  Speaking of which, check out this pointless screenwriting animation I did. I say pointless but I definitely had fun creating it.

XTRA | Confessions of a Wannabe Animator

Most of my inspiration comes from sports broadcasts.  I love when networks debut new looks.  I’m surrounded by sports at work everyday and every once in a while I see a graphic that looks achievable.  So I take a shot.  Sometimes it works out.  Sometimes it doesn’t.

The point is, I love this blog, I love to write screenplays and I LOVE movies.  But every once in a while, it’s nice to have a hobby that’s as pressure free as they come.

A BLANK CANVAS

The bonus to my Photoshop addiction is the benefits it brings to The Athletic Nerd.  I’ll never stop trying to make this site look as pretty as possible.  It’s an easy task to accomplish because it’s so much fun.

Everyone who starts a blog feels a great sense of pride when someone links to them or mentions their site in any way.  They are tiny victories and for me, they are the fuel that keeps me writing each and every week.

Today, The Athletic Nerd was mentioned in Total Film’s weekly newsletter as a cool film blog to visit.  I’m also a part of their extensive ‘600 Movie Blogs You Might Have Missed.’

If you haven’t seen Total Film’s website or the extremely popular magazine be sure to check them out here.

Thanks to Total Film for the mention and to @WatchALotMovies for the heads up.

The Large Association of Movie Blogs (L.A.M.B) is an awesome resource for anyone looking for new movie blogs to visit.  There are literally hundreds of blogs written by passionate film fans.  You can spend hours surfing all the original content including features, reviews, lists, opinions and more.

I’m proud to say I’m Lamb #457.

The LAMB is a community built around the largest movie blog database in the world.  They also publish great content on a regular basis including the annual LAMMYs, a celebration of movie blogs.

IF YOU LOVE READING ABOUT MOVIES.  THE LAMB IS FOR YOU

Click here to check out the site.

Click here for a complete list of LAMBS.

Total Film put together a massive list of movie blogs a while back and you must visit all of them immediately…  Understandably, that would take a while as there are probably around 1000 in total on the list. (Not counting doubles of course)

But if you love movies and things that are awesome then click the two links below and start exploring!

600 Movie Blogs You Might Have Missed

Another 600 Movie Blogs You Might Have Missed

Thanks to Total Film for putting these lists together and for including The Athletic Nerd.

Nobody told me how much work goes into building up a blog.  Like many beginners, I figured writing everyday would be enough but that’s not true at all.  Creating a successful website involves constant research, promotion, social networking, web design, plugins, pages, posts, advertising and more…

Behind the scenes, you have to get to know terms like Analytics, Adsense & Affiliate Marketing.  There really is a lot to do on a daily basis if you want your blog to grow…  And honestly, my blog isn’t that big yet.  Even after two years, I still feel like a rookie with a lot to learn and even more to prove.  Especially to myself.

Yet every so often, there are tiny victories that make me smile.  Victories like being mentioned on Final Draft’s website or being mentioned on /Film.  The latest tiny victory occurred when I saw an advertisement for a movie I plan to see on my site.  Google’s Adsense program has matched my site with many film AD’s before but the Warrior advertisement below was nice to see.

It’s a lot better than generic ADs that don’t really involve movies or writing.

Advertising on a blog is a tricky thing when you are first starting out.  I didn’t even have advertising until my second year because I didn’t feel like my traffic was high enough.  I just focused on building graphics on my own that promoted certain features of my blog.

Someday soon, I’ll start pursuing advertising a little more but I’m okay taking things slowly.  I don’t want to become a site that’s full of ads.  To me, the content suffers because there are too many distractions.

It’s a complex line to flirt with but I’m confident that I’ll keep learning.  I have to.  This blog has to keep evolving and improving and that’s exactly why tiny victories count.

Incidentally, if you’re interested in learning more about advertising on The Athletic Nerd email me at jason@17west.ca.