The creative Phillip Rhoades: Chief Programmer and Internet artist

Phillip Rhoades is called the Chief Programmer at Abraham Harrison, but that title is his biggest disguise.  He does so many different things for the company that even he cannot nail down his job description.

Being a part of AH from its beginning, Phillip has always been the one behind-the-scenes that makes everything run smoothly and more efficiently.  He gets raw ideas thrown at him, works his magic and then throws them back in the form of a developed concept or well-functioning program.

“It’s the best job I’ve had.  I love being able to do 10 million different things,” he said. “And I enjoy not having to drive.  It’s like owning a Prius.”

Phillip essentially programs scripts, in addition to being in charge of streamlining systems and discovering new technology important to operations. He has even worked on some promotional videos.  To help put this into perspective, he is currently working on how to gather better statistics on the viewers and rankings of blogs so we can streamline reports on posts. This is extremely helpful to AH clients because it will show which blogs are mentioning their products.

So I think when he says, “I am the type of person that can’t do one thing. I’d go insane,” he means it.  What is even more interesting than his indefinite professional task list is what he does outside of his work.

As an amateur photographer, blogger, writer, puppeteer, poet and philosopher, Phillip is no stranger to creativity.   He also enjoys studying languages (presently Mandarin Chinese and Japanese) and has been Adjunct Instructor of Linux at Kalamazoo Community College, in his hometown.  Now for those of you who are like me and had never heard of Linux, it is a free operating system with little crashing.  Phillip says that he likes “Getting a taste of different languages gives the poetry I write more texture, because each language brings new ideas and different world views.”

In fact, Phillip keeps so busy that he had to declare a “year of finishing things” in honor of his 30^th birthday.  He plans to complete projects like his comic the Burgundy Wolf, a Science Fiction archive, various unfinished videos and he even hopes to finish building 2 puppets he uses in puppeteering.

Fish around on Phillip’s site Ungab.com and read some of his work. Maybe you’ll discover why he thinks that “brevity is the core of poetry.”  You can also check out his several other ongoing online projects.

Phillip spent one year with brief poetry, when he wrote nothing but Senry?.  This type of poetry has the same 5-7-5 syllable form as the more familiar Haiku, but it does not have to be about nature—I’m sure you’re learning a lot more than you expected from an article about a Chief Programmer.

Phillip’s pursuits outside AH are what make him such a crucial part to the team.  He uses all of his experience and unique knowledge to find the best ways to make the company function much more efficiently.  He created Lost in the Outreaches, which is a collaborative SciFi fiction universe that allows anyone to join, create and contribute.  He saw the success of Wonderflonium and decided to begin yet another Web project.  “People got excited when they were making their own content. What if I created something that was all “fan fiction” and user-created content?”

This collaborative concept is the center of digital marketing.  Phillip utilizes Internet conversation and communication while working with the AH team and in his many hobbies, which really establishes his credibility as a member of the online community.

“Every company has that kookie, odd guy.  Every so often that kookie guy will come up with that golden idea, and I think I’m that guy.”

We’re happy to have this kookie guy at our company, and we are always excited to see what he comes up with next.

Enjoy a few of Phillip’s poems:

The bird leaves the cliff
It’s wings two swords in the sky
Slipping I fall down

“Not Me, Not You”

I am not me
I am a story
that you tell yourself
while you speak
to me
You are not you
You are a lie
that comforts
my aching
dreams

“Nightingale”

My nightingale
even in your silence
I hear your song
Sweet with mournful pride
It echoes on the hills
As your eyes do in dreams
to linger though
the day
and inspire dreams again
Sing out sweet bird
let your voice
drown out shadows
of reflected past
Rise high
With wings spread
Rise higher
Than the sorrow
of your song
Soar
and let your plumage
become stars radiant
for ages all
to marvel
My Nightingale
Let your song
end silence
Let your flight
awaken dawn

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Tagged as: Arts, Fan fiction, Fiction, Literature, Online Writing, Poetry, Science Fiction