ChristinS Interviews aa lite
Insights from a Gecko Breeder, Fractal-Maker, and Passionate Writer
On your profile and in some of your Hubs, I see that you breed geckos, which is a very unique hobby. What drew you to it and what is the best thing about it?
I was actually introduced to day geckos (and also frogs) by my boss at my last job. I’d always loved animals and wanted to keep them. As a very young child I started a ladybird (ladybug) farm. I used to keep tropical fish, but I’d secretly hankered for something more unusual.
Then it turned out that my boss had been a keen keeper of reptiles and amphibians before he came to London. I convinced him to get “lab geckos,” which lived in his office and which we shared. This and his many stories convinced me to get my first frogs, then came the geckos.
Unfortunately the shared hobby didn’t lead to harmony at work. I ended up having a protracted full-out war with the boss which went on for years. Occasionally we would call a time-out and talk about our geckos like good friends.
You've also written a lot about fractal art, which is really interesting and lovely. Can you tell readers about this type of art? What inspires you? Do you do art professionally also?
I am only a noob fractal-maker. I’ve been creating them for a year. Before that if you referred to me as an “artist” I would have laughed, I can’t draw to save my life.
Fractals are a strange marriage of maths and art. They are geometric patterns that are identical or almost identical at different scales, so if you zoom in to a part of a fractal you will see the same pattern. They are actually everywhere in nature, romanesco broccoli and snowflakes are classic examples.
I was amazed by some of the fractal designs people were selling on Zazzle, and imagined that creating them was beyond the skills of a mere mortal. However, they were obviously generated by computers and I do like figuring out complicated software, so eventually I decided to investigate.
The problem with fractal art is that it is an enormous time sink. I love exploring the programs, trying out different things, or getting some parameters that other people post, and figuring out how they created the image. It is actually better than playing computer games (which were my major time-wasting activity before).
I try to sell my designs on Zazzle and CafePress. I’m not sure if that could be considered “professional”?
What is something people might find surprising about you?
As a child the first language I learnt to read in was Polish, but the first language I wrote in was Arabic. I have, however, pretty much lost that language by now.
What are some of your favorite topics to write about?
There are so many! I really enjoy writing about the geckos and frogs that I keep. There is basically no research involved, and I have the photos ready. I love showing off my pets. Then there are the “how to fractal” Hubs, again I love showing off the pictures.
I also really like writing “facts” about various types of animals. I wish I could successfully write more “science” Hubs. There are so many obscure things in biology that I am sure many people would find interesting. How restriction enzymes made molecular biology possible, how an “embryo” knows that it should grow a head at one end and a tail at another, etc. etc.
However, I can’t figure out how to write this so the hubs would get organic traffic. My one attempt about fruit fly genetics is not particularly successful.
What Hub did you find the most challenging to write and why?
I have to say that my guides to buying computer hardware are hard work. This is despite the fact that I am a keen PC gamer and have put together my own gaming computers for years. The technology is moving forward at such a fast pace that, even being familiar with the topic, those Hubs involve doing a lot of research.
What are your tips for writing successful Hubs?
I’m not sure I’m the right person to ask; to me it all seems very hit and miss.
I think people should try to write about something they do, or know about, or at least are interested in. Picking a topic that somebody else was successful with and paraphrasing other websites is not going to work today.
I think it is important to realize that most of what we publish is probably not going to get decent traffic. Don't waste time agonizing about why a Hub failed, or became un-Featured. Think of Edison: "I didn't fail, I succeeded in finding 100 ways that don't work." If you write a lot of Hubs, it is likely that a few of them will be successful, study them and try to emulate them.
At least that is the theory. I have to say that looking at my successes and failures, it is difficult to see a pattern. Google works in mysterious ways!
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