I thought it might be interesting to share the way I use computers
which is informed by my life when I am wearing my artist hat.
I have been using "the network is the computer" for almost 10
years. Perhaps if I could
have afforded a very powerful machine to start with I might not have
taken this path but
probably I would have gone this way anyway because I have taught
myself how to multitask to the extent that I need a great deal of real
estate and power.
My core system includes 3-6 desktops, 1 laptop, a local server,
three remote servers,
amazon storage, video storage, digital music studio, 2 cell phones
most in wired and
wireless configurations. I don't like the wireless configuration yet
as much because it
is still less reliable and less secure.
Until recently I had a Linux machine in the mix. I also wanted to
use rsync for backup
but it was too slow when I tried it.
Each system has its own monitor and keyboard or other input device,
I use a graphics
tablet for some applications and a musical keyboard for others and
dragon dictate for
others. I am an all windows system although I wish I could integrate a
mac because of
things like time machine, but I have a good deal of adobe software I
would have to
re-license.
I have learned to multitask in such a way that I can setup one
process or task and
while it is processing turn to another machine to start another
process or task. Using
multiple windows has never been a good solution because to be
productive the workflow has to be setup pretty precisely to avoid
resizing windows and palettes all the time. If I
could afford a very large single monitor I would still have to move
things around so that
I can see them well so even larger monitors is not a complete
solution. Moving my chair
and swiveling is a better solution. Good posture and hand position is
important when
working this intensely so as not to injure myself.
I find that I can be very efficient this way with almost no down
time (wait time) so
that I can create and process my work in real time. Without doing this
I found that I was
always waiting for something and would lose concentration. I think my
experience of
playing a musical keyboard and other musical electronic devices has
given me a full body
approach or at least and ambidextrous approach. I can use one mouse to
control a machine with my right hand and another to control a machine
with my left. My setup tends to be probably pretty cramped for most
people and I use rolling anthrocarts and aron? chairs so I can move
fluidly. I have application redundancy because I still find rebuilding a
machine and getting all my applications to work properly and with
stability can set my
back a week. Redundancy allows me to plan a rebuild better.
There are a couple of somewhat surprising challenges. One is that I
have to be sure to
eat well before I start work and to stop as soon as I begin to tire
because loss of
concentration can send the whole system into chaos and it becomes easy
to screw something up and not remember how it was done. The stopping
is the hardest.
This whole approach may sound funny to others but my goal has been
to be able to think
and create in real time. I believe that the measure should be for the
person to be as
productive as they want to be and can be.When I have employees I try
to provide this same capability for them. After all it is the person
and their life that is the most valuable
not the machine(s).
For the most part it works quite well.
--
Ann Racuya-Robbins
Founder and CEO World Knowledge Bank www.wkbank.com
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