The Cowation Blogging Update

It feels very strange not to put up a blog post every day after having done so for the past few months; however, as of late I have been notoriously busy. Although I have posts lined up, I prioritize sleep over getting the blog up. So, I have made the decision to revert to putting up a blog post once per week until the stress of working and living my intense life has calmed down to the point that I can re-enter the blogging field. However, I will be putting updates on my Tumblr for all to see regularly. For now, dear readers, please bear with me as I work to check off all the boxes on my very long to-do list.

How to Use The Cowation

My fine readers,
In the last month I have been growing The Cowation and have made several changes to the design and other aspects of the site. I would like to take this opportunity to highlight those changes and give new readers a primer on how to use this site. Veteran readers (I prefer that term to "old"), I would love to hear your thoughts on the new design and how you find the site as a whole. Please share your favorite posts, pictures, or just wacky stories of how you met me/connected with the site. It's all appreciated here!

Here are the changes:

First, as you can see in the right sidebar, I have now been accepted into the BlogHer ads network. I will be receiving revenue from BlogHer for displaying their ads and when someone is directed to the ad from my website. In order to preserve transparency, I will also indicate when one of my posts includes links or provides me with revenue, whether that is in reviewing a product or through links.

Second, I have now included a New Here? page for people to get acqauinted to the site - you can check out that page for some of my favorite posts and to access this primer.

Third, there are now multiple ways that you can connect with The Cowation: you can subscribe via RSS or email, Tweet me @thecowation, Like the Facebook page, go to the related Tumblr and DeviantArt, or listen to me talk on SoundCloud. These are all on a deck of buttons that are to the right of the screen. Since they can be pretty overwhelming, I am including a breakdown of how each of these options benefit you after the jump! Also after the jump, there is a primer on how to use the site if you're just starting out.

All of the following information and more can be accessed at the page How to Use The Cowation, which is also linked right above the Labels dropdown menu and in the New Here? page.

The Q: What Are You Doing for the 4th of July? (and Responses)

This week's question is a pretty simple one (well, I suppose it is for the American readers, perhaps not for others):

What are you doing/did you do for the 4th of July?

I don't quite know yet, but I believe I'll be hanging out at Gasworks Park and telling young people to vote along with my other Washington Bus Summer Fellows.

And here are your fabulous responses to the question: What does fashion do for you?

Video response from Joanne H:

Text responses after the jump.

The Q: What Does Fashion Do For You? (And Responses from Last Week)

This week, I have been talking a lot about feminism and fashion and the way that personal meets political through your self-expression. Now it's your turn to speak:

What does fashion do for you? What messages do you share with the world (consciously or unconsciously) when you put on clothes/makeup/accessories? Does your personal interact with the political through those choices?

As with last week's question, your answers will be posted here at the end of the week!

And, without further ado, here are your answers to last week's question: What/who made you think about your identity?

The Q: What/Who Made You Think About Your Identity?

This week, I have shared a bit about my racial identity, so I want to turn it over to you:

What or who in your life has made you think about your identity, for good or for ill? And what did you value most about that experience?

Identity can take many forms: racial, national, gender, sexual orientation, philosophical, spiritual, even your picky eater-itude! Let me know in the comments, Tweet me a response @thecowation, or email me at jordanalam@gmail.com. Next week, I'll put up your answers to this question for everyone to read.

Yay, audience participation! And have a Happy Father's Day!

Want to read more about identity before the answers go up next week? Check out my review of Colonize This!, a book of essays by women of color approaching feminism.

Question: How's the New Design?

Hello there, readers!
I have been doing some tweaking around here now that I've gotten some new blog and micro-blog outlets to connect to, and I want your opinion.

The changes I've made are to a) change the labels from a cloud to a drop-down list, b) put up a Twitter feed, and c) put up a Tumblr feed.

How do you think it looks? Is it cluttered or well laid out? Do you like the labels as a drop-down menu or a cloud better? Do the feeds look nice or crowded?

By the way, if you're wondering whether this is today's only post, don't worry! There will still be a musical interlude posted later today.

DIY Interlude: Please Stand By

I am at an impasse.

I have come to love the broadsheets that I have created for the collage project so much that I feel it would almost be better to leave them as is (as opposed to cutting them up into all sorts of cool shapes), although that was not my original intention for the project. What's a crafter to do?

I believe that this "stuck-ness" is another part of my process that gets downplayed when looking at the finished project. In the midst of things, I will spend countless hours thinking about how to do something that will end up taking about two hours total. Brainstorming and setting those thoughts aside to gestate for a little while is ultimately an integral piece of the whole creativity pie.

So, fair readers, I entreat you to help me out. Check out the last DIY Interlude post and tell me: how would you like to see these pieces end up? Cut into shapes? Left as is? Something completely different? Let me know!*

*And, if I don't get any comments, it'll just be one big surprise!

Take a look at the rest of this collage process in steps one, two, four and five.
You can also check out some more posts featuring my photography.