< like a fish in an aquarium >

[rayheinrich]

We start with white space -- or unformed chaos, where all is possible. We draw/type on it with these little black lines that cauterise certain threads of meaning, making it impossible for them to become anything more than what is contained within the lines. The more lines, the less chaos, the fewer possibilities. Words don't create meaning, they reject it. We follow the lines, because we can't read the space.

You can actually do it two ways. Start with everything (like above) and throw stuff out;
or start with nothing and put stuff in.

Method 1: Start with everything:
Write the word "apple" and everything else in the universe gets kicked out leaving just "apple".

Method 2: Start with nothing:
Write the word "apple" and it gets added to nothing so now there's "apple".

Now lets say I want an "orange" as well.

Method 1: Put everything back in and then write "apple" and "orange" or cheat and switch
to method 2 and just write "orange".

Method 2: Write "orange" right after the "apple" you've already written.

Either way you end up with the same "apple" and "orange". And, either way, there is no way
to tell from examining the final product which method was used.

Ray

P.S. The lines/space thing is a false dichotomy as either one necessarily defines the other.


P.P.S. "When it gets right down to it: There's nothing as metaphorical as a literal interpretation."
- Robert Johnson