What
Would You Ask SARK?  Mar-23-2005
Why did you stop hand-writing
your books?
Have you
ever wanted to ask your favorite artist or author a question?
I usually
don't
entertain
the
thought
because
1) famous people are very busy, 2) how would I get my
question to them, and 3) what profound thing would I
ask?
Well, all those things got tossed out the window when SARK
introduced her "Ask SARK" feature on the Planet
SARK Marvelous Message Board (MMB) last year.
In a discussion board format, SARK allows registered posters
to address questions to her — that she may
or may not answer depending on an infinite number of variables.
When the forum was brand-new, SARK answered most of the questions.
That's when I stepped forward. On May
12, 2004, I ventured onto the Marvelous
Message Board and asked SARK:
Handwritten
Book Pages — a Charming Trademark!
Susan,
I've read three of your books so far. When I began the second
one, I realized that besides your inspirational artwork, your
handwritten pages made the books extremely charming and intimate.
Much like a letter to a good friend (and the little drawings
always made me smile, too).
With the ease of computers these days (even with a one finger-typist),
works like yours are rare. Do you think you'll ever produce
a book in any other style? Would you even want to?
Also, when you create the pages, do you draw
the picture first and then write the words around it,
or vice
versa?
And do you
find yourself writing or rewriting the same pages since
you can't simply Edit > Undo with your keyboard?
Designing minds want to know!
SARK answered my post:
dear _____,
thank you for asking. my newest
book [Make Your Creative Dreams REAL] is actually a combination
of my handwriting
and creative
typography —
i couldn't
fit everything in that i wanted to say using handwriting
(the
book would have been 600 pages!) also, i was ready
for a change. there's much more i'll be doing with
book
design,
as i've got at least 50 more books to write.
also, in response, i usually do
the words and then the pictures. yes, i would sometimes
rewrite a page 6 or
7 times for editing
reasons!
Well, wasn't that cool? I got a personal response and the
bombshell news that SARK
decided to break the mold on her signature style.
Two month's later (July 2004) I acquired that book, Make
Your Creative Dreams REAL, at SARK's workshop
/ book signing in Chicago. The typography was certainly
different. Even with the best intentions, computer-styled
type treatments don't compare with SARK's handwritten flair.
I tried really hard to like it the same... but it
just wasn't. Sigh.
Well enough of that. Here's a secret... it's been almost eight
months, and I'm purposely procrastinating on finishing
that book.
Yes
siree,
I have it
bookmarked about
two-thirds
the way through because I don't want it to end. It's my
first SARK book, with a special signed note from her to me
— and I refuse to finish it.
The ironic thing is that the
book is
all
about
addressing
issues like procrastination and fear and similar things
we buy books like that for. Well, maybe it's okay if I'm
procrastinating for the RIGHT reasons <nudge,
wink>. The reasons are similar to prolonging finishing
off a tasty piece of cake — I want to keep savoring it!
Oh, and about SARK not hand-writing entire books anymore...
I get writer's cramp when I write a one-page letter to a friend.
I certainly understand progress, but that doesn't mean
I won't miss her signature hand-written style. It's just
so
cool. She even wrote that way with markers on her
presentation pad at the workshop.
Maybe I should go back into the forum and ask if she's ever
heard of Fontifier?
That might be a solution to the current typographical dilemma. •
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