Next entry: GoodReads Reviews - 29 July 2009



Welcome back to Esoteric Renaissance~!

It's taken longer than I expected, but things are shaping up to be fully online by the end of July.

When I initially brought the site down, it was my intention to reevaluate my web presence and where I wished to focus that energy. I was becoming overwhelmed by my tendency to try all the various services and communities and needed a break. I was also seriously considering breaking my fanworks off into a new domain and keeping them separate from my original work. (That will not be happening, which is what's caused some of the slow-down -- reintegrating that information into the archives, etc.)

To give you a quick idea of what's here and what's coming back:

• Blog - The new blog will focus more on a specific subset of topics, mostly my interests in technology, art, fandom, and spirituality. Pointers to new things elsewhere on the site may also be found here.
  
  There will be sprinklings of personal life mentioned, but the more "journal-ish" posts will be relegated solely to my insanejournal/livejournal. Please feel free to send me a friend request there!
  
  This section is open as of today.



• ER 'Thon - What used to be known as 'Imagine This' has been absorbed into the main Esoteric Renaissance site as the new "ER 'Thon" section. All past years' archives (except for 2005, which appears to have been lost) will appear here and future events will be blogged here as well.
  
  Archives should be ready in a couple days. Things are currently ramping up for this year's event on July 25th, 2009.



• Gallery - The gallery will remain pretty much the same as it always has been, although it will be expanded to include my digital art, fanart, collages, crafts, and photography. A collection of all the visual arts I dabble about in.
  
  This should reopen in the next week or two.



• Writing - This section is being expanded to once again include both original and fanworks. Stories, essays, poetry, rpg characters, and a couple of new projects I am anxious to unveil.
  
  This section is projected to reopen by the end of the summer.



• Vault - This is the new archive. All posts from the blog, artblog, journal, and photoblog will be stored here for anyone who wishes to review old posts. This is separate from the "blog archive" as I am essentially 'rebooting' the blog all together.
  
  The archive will reopen slowly over the next two or three months.



• Altar - Back when I first started building sites on the web, back when I owned a site at GeoCities Athens and then on earthlink, I always kept a section set aside as a "book of shadows" or "meditative retreat", some place to archive poetry, chants, recipes, etc. resulting from my witchcraft practices. I haven't kept up this section since moving to my own domain, but I will be attempting to bring it back once more.
  
  The Altar should open by the end of the summer.



• Graphics - It has always been my intention to offer up IM stats, sig tags, websets, and assorted other web graphics that go along with my original artwork. At one time, I had the beginnings of such a thing set up. This is the rebirth of that endeavor.
  
  Graphics should be available, both free and for purchase, by the end of the year.



• Hearth - This is a new section of the site, a members only area that will allow friends to converge and chat, give access to special 'members only' sections of the gallery and writing, as well as a few other goodies. Anyone wishing to join the membership here will be required to abide by rules of respect and common decency. It is intended to be a safe place.
  
  More information will be forthcoming as this gets closer to opening later this year.

Hope you all will stay tuned~!