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Journal 6: Knowledge & Circulation

 

Circulation of any kind deals with movement.  The word circulation contains “circle” which is cyclical, making this concept a part of an ongoing movement.  When applied in a literary context, rhetorical circulation involves the transferring and transformation of ideas and “text”.

 

The Wikipedia entry mentions how a public or concrete audience has been created due to the vast circulation of different types of texts.  Because of how things circulate and are transferred, everything is constantly in “flux”.  Nothing is very consistent and all the major components involved in writing change as a result.  

 

This is super interesting because in the “Everything is Remix” video, it was presented that everything we see/know came from something else.  Someone took an idea or concept, altered it in some way, and represented in a completely new (and sometimes still recognizable) form.  This relates to how things circulate.  Ideas move around and change as more people give and take to the concept.

 

The process of circulating and remixing something is a form of knowledge.  With true knowledge, it isn’t about what you know, it’s about how you use what you know.  Circulation would fall under the category of execution.

 

Reid’s piece about writing rules relates to knowledge in circulation.  She advocates writing about things that are of interest and inspiring.  Basically, whatever is your motivation behind writing, she encourage you to pursue it.  When it comes to remixing and making something new, knowledge is incorporated because there is already the process executing something.  Then, circulation plays a role by acting as a transfer of ideas.  When ideas are taken by a writer and then used in a way that propels writing or the creation of other media, “new"things are being created.  Text is certainly created.

 

Because circulation and remix is closely related to (new) author reinterpretation, people tend to be doing what they know, something Reid thinks is essential when it comes to writing.  The greatest impact can be made when someone is writing about what they know in an interesting way.  Passion can be a great driving force.

 

Reid encourages people to not be afraid of text and simply pursue what their inner heart wants along with implementing a higher brain way of thinking.  Writing doesn’t have to master you, you can master it.  When you stop looking at writing as a daunting, impossible task, you can begin to find something to be passionate about when you write and pursue that.  Using the ideas that are already out in the world, taking them, and running with them to create something all your own so that someone else can do the same.  Rinse and repeat.