Overwhelmed and Excited

I've been having a bit of an overwhelming experience all of a sudden. My class is working on an Ebook together about literature in the digital age. Specifically, using the Amazon, Goodreads, and Kindle platforms. I felt all was going well, and then today I found out that my chapters pretty much need to be done (or at least in rough draft form) in the next couple of weeks. Uhhh what? At that news my brain shut down, and all my ideas for my chapters scattered at the thought of actually being used.

I guess in my mind writing my chapters has been a far off experience. Something I could do later.
Yet here it is.
Now.

So today I took a nap, drank some hot chocolate, and decided to pull myself together and figure this thing out. And to figure it out, I delved more into the academic side of what I'm working on. The personal aspect of it is always the easiest, so why not start with the hardest part first?

So I'm working on two chapters, and I've actually chosen to use a different book for each. And doing research for them is quite a contrasting experience!

My first chapter I'm working on is about how to write a good review for each different platform, as well as the impact that these reviews have and how they work differently. And for this, I'm using the book "The Goose Girl" by Shannon Hale. I'm comparing the way there's different "languages" in the book (animal speaking, people speaking, element speaking) to the way different people use reviews, as well as the different "reviews" of her life that the main character receives when she's a princess as well as when she's under cover so to say. Now this was a bit more difficult research for me as this isn't a super well known book, or fairy tale that it's based upon. I was able to find a lot of information on the author herself (who's an amazing woman who you should definitely check out), but not much on the book itself or why it matters. Which to me, makes this sort of a fun project because I actually get to create something myself!

And then my other chapter I'm working on is finding a way to make our online presence of worth, as well as finding our place and becoming more comfortable in this strange world we're referring to as the digiliteracy world. And guess what? Surprise! I'm actually using a whole series to help me along in this topic, one that many people already feel at home in. And that's the "Harry Potter" series by J.K. Rowling. And doing research for this one was VASTLY different because Harry Potter is so well known that there's pretty much something out there comparing this series to almost anything. While this means it's very relevant for the point I'm trying to make, it also created a new level of anxiety because there's so much information I just don't even know where to start, or what is actually relevant to my cause, as well as the overall cause of our Ebook..

Both "The Goose Girl" and "Harry Potter" are pretty personal books for me that I grew up with, and thus at the age of 21 this also means that these books grew up while the internet has also been growing up. There's been a lot of growing up in the digital age, and the literary age, and I'm sure there's a lot more growing up to be. Which is why I'm actually getting pretty excited (although intimidated) about doing my portion for these things because I've grown up with all these changes, and I'm excited to see the way that what I know and the knowledge I've gained will affect the digiliterature world in the future.

It may be bold to say that my ideas will change the world, but hey, you never know.

Depression Has its Own Magic

Often times an emotional illness is overlooked by what we see physically. It's easy to ignore the pain someone is feeling and just toss it off by saying, "oh, they're just sad."

Because of this, those of us with a mental illness such as depression are often tossed aside, left alone with these thoughts that continually penetrate our already weakened minds. Throughout my own personal struggles in life with chronic depression I've sought solace within the secure bindings of my books, and within the Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling in particular.

This series encompasses such a vast expanse of emotions and feelings, but the focus on depression within was a point that stuck with me, and has helped me remember that "Happiness can be found even in the darkest times if one only remembers to turn on the light." Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

While Harry has struggled with losing his parents his whole life, I never lost a parent until 2009 when my dad passed away.

When the dementors come and take away all the joy and happiness, and remind Harry of all the dark times in his life, I'm reminded of those dark times in my life, and the misery and hopelessness that seeps in during the most unsuspecting times.

When Luna is made fun of for being different, my heart aches at being made fun of and eventually having an eating disorder.

When Snape reveals how he loved and lost Lily, my heart yearns for all that in my life has been lost.

But it's not the misery in these stories that stood out to me, it's the way the characters bonded together and found a way out. They provide for Harry and many such as Molly Weasley and Sirius step in as parental figures. They ate chocolate and comforted each other when the dementors took their joy. They embraced Luna for who she was, and found that just because she's different doesn't mean she's a bad person. And Harry calls Snape the bravest man he ever knew for having the strength to carry on and protect despite the pain he's endured.

It may be clichéd, but J.K. Rowling changed my life by giving me that 11 year old boy in the cupboard under the stairs. She gave me an escape full of friends that continually help me. She gave me a home where no one judges me for an illness I fight against daily, and for that I'm forever grateful.

“Whether you come back by page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.”

-J.K. Rowling