If you've been following along, it's been a hell of a year, filled with projects galore. I just finished up the third quarter review post earlier this month. In case you missed it, you can check out the Quarterly Review here. The big news from this quarter was the creation of my Patreon page, though, and that's what this post is mostly about.
Patreon
Patreon connects creatives with the audience that loves them. It allows them to engage more with each other through exclusive content on a membership-based platform for as little as $1/month. I love it. It means I get to keep creating, and you get to keep getting the benefitof that which I create. Note the orange button up on the right-hand side? Go check out my page, see what you think, and if you like what you see, if you like what I do here, I encourage you to become a patron. Remember, patrons will not only keep getting posts here, but they will also get exclusive and advanced content that is only on Patreon!
What's Next...
This is my last post through the end of the year. I'm continuing to focus on some other projects for now. Freedom Fridays will return, but only periodically. When it comes back, there will be a mix of things: tips, motivational quotes, recommendations, and, of course, updates on all my projects. That said, you should definitely check out my Patreon page for the most up-to-date news, and exclusive content. I will mostly be posting there from now on.
The second half of this summer has been a crazy one, to say the least. I spent the majority of this year preparing for the launch of a number of projects, and my goodness, it's been an all-consuming kind of time, the kind where people wonder where you've gone, and if you took your sanity with you. (I'm sure it's around here somewhere.)
The Biz
The big news to come out of this period of intense work comes in two parts: Patreon & the new Tricky Fish Photography site. I'll talk about the TFP - which officially launches today!!! - below, but first...
Patreon
Okay, if you've been watching my social media feeds, you've undoubtedly seen the posts introducing my new Patreon page. I'm very excited about it, and already have gained some patrons. You can access it in this post, or click on the badge in the left hand column. I'll do a post on this in a week or two to explain more about it. In the meantime, check out the intro video for it:
Marketing & Social Media
I've had a definite dive in social media presence while preparing for this launch. I barely even looked at Facebook. I like to think of it like being a musician in the studio before they drop a new album and start touring. Moving forward, however, there will be a lot more social media. Check out the "Orbits" page on my main website to know which to follow. And, as always, subscribe or follow me here!
As for other marketing, I've been doing some re-design. Don't worry. No fundamental design changes. I've just been polishing up my logos, and creating some designs for things like stickers and bookmarks. I've also re-designed my business cards, and I can't wait to see how they look when they arrive. Here's a taste what's on the way:
Life Coaching
I'm brainstorming ideas for future webinars and presentations, and with the launch of Patreon, I'll be able to open up membership-based benefits to help others trying to achieve their dreams. I hope to get that moving along in 2019.
Life
There's been a great deal of reflection this year and, while it's been rough, it's a good thing. I've been confronting a lot of difficult stuff from my past, and focusing a lot on my overall health. You can read some of my revelations on my Changeling blog.
Health
Since April, I've been going to the gym, and about a month ago, I signed up for the YMCA five minutes from my house. The makes it easier to get over there, as I've shaved about 40-50 min off my drive time, and it has some really cool features. I'm going to have to do a post about this Y and other Y's in general.
As far as my other health has been concerned, I have been suffering from some chronic health problems in the last couple years or so, and it makes life a bit more of a challenge than I'd really like...which is to say, it makes me miserable more often than not. That said, I'm taking steps to heal, and trying to listen to my body more, when it tells me something is wrong, or that it's time to take a rest.
Advocacy
Action in this area has taken a bit of a backseat as I gather information. SCOTUS has been a big issue and I'm carefully reviewing Kavanaugh in regards to his reviews and actions toward people with disability. The Autism Self-Advocacy Network does a lot of research into this, and if you're interested, I highly recommend following their Twitter feed. As for the Changeling blog, I will get back to it eventually. I am still processing a lot from this year, and my other projects make it difficult to fully articulate some of my experiences and feelings on this matter.
Tiny House
This project is also on the backburner as I initiate some important endeavors. I look to be going full gear on this come 2019, especially once spring hits, when I can maybe start building. I can hardly wait.
Travels
Sometime in early summer, I discovered that I would not be able to make it to Burning Man this year. That was a hard one to wrap my head around. It isn't that I haven't missed years; it's that, ostensibly, I won't be going for the next couple years, and so this was to be my last one for a bit. That said, the Playa always seems to find a way to suck me back out to its dusty goodness, and Playa Magic is real, y'all. Anything is possible. Still, I was not completely starved of travel opportunities.
Local
I've learned a lot of cool stuff about how Council Bluffs is changing for the better, and it if it keeps on its current trajectory, will eclipse Omaha for an art/cultural center in the next few years. No joke. Keep up the good work, CB, and stay tuned to Ransomed Roads for a new type of post coming soon (November-ish, in fact).
Vegas, Baby
I have never thought of myself as a Las Vegas fan. It already has two strikes against it, being in a desert and being hot most of the year. When you add in that it's mostly about gambling, sporting events, and shopping, I pretty much yawn. So color me surprised to find myself enjoying the hell out of my family trip to Sin City. Stay tuned to Ransomed Roads this fall as I recount a little of that trip.
Speaking of....
Ransomed Roads
I'm working on new stuff for Ransomed Roads. I hope to start a new series of posts on cool local stuff called "Compass Culture". There's also the Vegas project this fall, and finishing up with the Summer of Color, which is, sadly, slated for next year. It's just been too busy, and I suddenly found myself in the wrong headspace to talk about that move. Also for next year, I hope to do more tips & tricks to correspond with early release info for my Patreon page.
There has been so very much writing this year. I did the math one day a couple weeks ago, and if I average out the amount of time I've spent writing over my lifetime, then I have far surpassed the oft extolled 10,000 hours required to become a master at something. Of course, that theory has been debunked, and I would hardly call myself a "master" of writing. I would say I've gotten pretty proficient, and that took a lot of time (plus that theory has pretty much been debunked). Anyhoo...
I've had to take a break from writing nonetheless, as I also do it for my work, and have also been concentrating so hard on my other projects (which also require writing, e.g. web copy), that thinking about writing just wore me out. Once the launches for the fall/winter season are complete, I should be able to get back to work on them in November, so bear with me.
The Lost Title Cards
This summer, I started a new series on my movie blog called "Behind the Scene". It's fairly short posts that focus on a little tidbit of movie trivia that you might now know. It's pretty fun, and I look forward to getting back to them.
Changeling Ashes
Percolating....
Professional Writing
Moving to the next level with freelance blog-writing. My time with Comnio, alas, ended when the owner decided to dissolve the company. I had a great time working with all those folks, and wish them all the best. In the meantime, I am working on getting some more freelance blog-writing gigs. I even have a writer's portfolio, focusing mostly on blog-writing, up online:
I couldn't be more excited about this. I have been longing for this website for well over a decade, and I've been working on it for most of this year. As I was building it myself through Adobe's portfolio site editor, there were a lot of elements that had to come together, and I needed to get pics together and edited for some initial galleries. So much easier said than done. But I prevailed, and the results are pretty stellar, if I do say so myself.
Shops
My shops on Redbubble, Zazzle, and Society6 are technically live, but I don't have projects up yet. Stay tuned for that one as the month wears on.
Projects
I've been focusing on a few different projects this quarter. I got to go to the Lauritzen Gardens, and have spent some time getting horizon shots from Council Bluffs's many vantage points.
Omaha Comic Con (OCon) & Film-making
The big project here is that I actually dressed up for OCon:
Me as Domino from Deadpool 2
...and that my brother and I put together another OCon video this year. Actually, it was two videos. My brother conceived the idea, and he and his friend built their costumes and props themselves. I wrote scripts, built scenery, and consulted on costumes for the second half of the piece, was Director of Photography, and helped direct them in their individual scenes, recorded sound and effects....all on my smartphone (Samsung Galaxy S8). Here's the finished product:
We're thinking about starting our own film production company.
There's been hardly any movement on this, as I decided to take time off to work on other projects. To be honest, my passion for this project had waned somewhat, and I was beginning to wonder if I wanted to do it anymore. Fortunately, it seemed mostly due to my need to / interest in finishing up some of the aforementioned projects above that had me feeling frustrated. I just didn't have time to give it the proper attention. Now, I'm committed for the holiday season, and feeling a lot more excited about it, so, as always, stay tuned.
New Products/Lines
I'm currently working on getting my new inventory prepared to post to the new site. In the meantime, you can still check out the Etsy shop
The Darndest Things
The Darndest Things has been on Instagram and Pinterest a lot lately. In fact, she's a Pinterest queen!!! Check her out.
Arts & Crafts
Painting
The Totems Show was in August. I love painting, and loved connecting with my spirit in the creation process. One of the funnest parts of that was getting to do a talk on what Totems and the art process does for me. If I can get my hands on it, I'll post the video here some time.
That's pretty much it for now. I'm excited to see what Q4 brings, and I hope everyone has a lovely holiday season!
______
Plots & Schemes for Q4 2018:
Writing
More more more...There will be more focus on blogs as I get deeper into autumn....I think. We'll see how this month goes.
Tricky Fish Photography
More galleries, prints of my work, and more.
Arcadian Gypsy
New products, new lines.
Performance
Working on body movement in prep to get back in front of the camera.
Advocacy
Alternative (question what is normal) and innovative thinking for disability (like how tiny houses can help people who have disability); looking at the arts & alternative lifestyles.
Language
Currently too busy, but want to get back to ASL, and become more fluent.
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safer harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
~Mark Twain
What do you think?
Still exploring the galaxy?
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I've been a little lax the last couple weeks on Freedom Friday posts, and there's been a reason. Several, actually. However, the three main reasons are what I'm writing about this week.
Why We Do What We Do
I'm in the middle of two major projects right now and, in addition to my regular work, they are consuming every last bit of my free time. That's okay, though, because these are the kinds of projects you want to do, the things that you do "the job" for, the projects you hope you get paid for instead of relegating them to hobbies. In other words, these projects are the answer to that popular question: "Why do you do what you do?"
Omaha Comic Con - O-Con
I love movies...watching them, making them...they're one of my top passions. What better way to celebrate them than to go to Comic Con, right? It starts today here in the Omaha Metro area, and I've been working on a couple different projects related to it.
Domino from Deadpool 2
If you haven't been to see this movie, I definitely recommend it. It's a bit different than the first movie: darker, somewhat more serious, and in some ways far sillier, but it doesn't disappoint. Better than that, it gave me inspiration for my Comic Con costume for this year: Domino. I wanted something that would be fairly simple to put together, mostly from my own store of costuming and Burner supplies.
Of course, it's never as simple as you think it will be. I still love the process, even when it vexes me beyond measure. ...oh, yes, I mean vex. One of the pitfalls of trying to do things on the cheap is that it invariably takes longer and creates more frustration. The upside is the weird new techniques you learn when you are trying to figure out how to create with fewer resources. It's something I sometimes fear we're losing in our culture...but then I go somewhere like Burning Man, or work on an indie film, and my faith is restored. Which pretty much brings me to...
Filmmaking 101 - It'll definitely go wrong
The old adage is correct: if anything can go wrong, it will, and at the worst possible time. It might also be the motto for filmmakers. "Hurry up & Wait" is the current motto, and conveys the same basic insight, but is less of a mouthful.
So it was as my brother, Kaleb, and I worked on a short film to play before O-Con. He'd had some cool ideas for a little back and forth with he and his best friend, and we set out on Saturday to make it happen. And everything went wrong.
In case you didn't know, Iowa has chiggers...and if you don't know what those are, you don't really want to. Nasty little red mite bugs that leave nasty red welts wherever they go. So, we prepared for chiggers with this chigger repellent that is marketed toward soldiers. It worked; no chigger bites. What we didn't do was prepare for mosquitoes, which, as it turned out were all over our film location. We're talking plague levels. I was worried we'd actually catch the whine of mosquito flight in our audio. We didn't, but I have at least twenty new bites to show for it. I think I took about that many out along the way, so I'll have to be satisfied with that.
In between fighting bugs, we had heat, prop, and costume troubles to deal with, which is standard fare when filming. Alas, we had to cut it short. Thankfully, we got enough good footage to make a teaser, and hope to do more at a later point. It's not posted yet, but here's a sneak peak of the commercial (inspired by the video game "Fallout") we shot last week that goes with the short:
Totems Group Art Show
In addition to the costume and filmmaking, I've spent the last few weeks working on some paintings to enter in an upcoming art show. Painting is something I'm something of a novice at, despite having learned painting techniques decades ago. As an artistic outlet, it is definitely more hobby than professional endeavor. I still enjoy it, and like to take opportunities which inspire something personal in me as they arise. So, "Totems"? I say, hell yes. If you're interested in more info, check out the Facebook page for the event. Here's the flyer:
How We Do What We Do
Being an artist in this day and age is...difficult. We live in a world that wants us to pay our bills as we create, but seldom pays us the respect of offering fair value for our creations. Everyone wants something free, and with the access we have to technology highlighting the plethora of talent out there, people rarely understand the true worth of what they're asking. So finding a way to survive as an artist takes some creativity in and of itself.
Enter Patreon.
I discovered Patreon through my brother, Kan Lamat. The site helps artists to get their work out and survive by connecting them with people in a similar way to how artists once worked (and sometimes still do) with patrons. A potential patron can contribute to the artist, and the artist gives them exclusives on upcoming projects, specific rewards, and news on their process. It's a cool system, and I've been working on my own for the last month or so. It's nearly ready, and I'll be launching soon, hopefully by the end of the month. So stay tuned if you're interested in a new way to keep up with my ventures.
I'll be back to Freedom Fridays by August. Keep a weather eye out!
What Inspires You
So, how do you find passion and the means to do what you do? That's the big question I am always looking to answer on here. I'd love to hear your stories, to hear what drives you, and helps you succeed. To be an artist is to be a revolutionary, one project at a time.
Had some cool passion projects lately? Feel free to share below!
"I don't want to hurry it. That itself is a poisonous twentieth-century attitude. When you want to hurry something, that means you no longer care about it and want to get on to other things." ~Robert Pirsig
What do you think?
Still exploring the galaxy?
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site (under construction!) - Facebook - Twitter - Pinterest
The second quarter of this year was intense. Lots of things in the works, lots of setbacks, and lots of healing. So, as we move into the second half of the year, you should be seeing things come to fruition that have been progressing over these last few months (and years). Here are just a few for my quarterly review:
The Biz
I'm taking a look at the direction I want System Andromeda to go in the next few years. There will be some shift in focus as I take on different projects. Changes to the website are coming as well. So keep your eyes open for various announcements.
Social Media
I love the different tools that have cropped up on the web in the last few years to help small businesses. There is very little you can't do nowadays to help boost your social media presence. I'm doing a series on the System Andromeda blog here that highlights some of these tools, so you should stay tuned for my "Freedom Fridays" posts. You can keep up with these by subscribing on the right.
In addition to these traditional subscription options, I hope to have email newsletters coming to you soon, making it more convenient to follow what is going on here at System Andromeda.
The big piece that is falling into place for social media is the acquisition of a Patreon account. If you've not heard of this, Patreon connects artists and their fans in a way that is reminiscent of historical patronage of the arts, without all the creepy prostitution vibes. Instead, artists can offer their patrons exclusive news & content, as well as rewards for contributing and encouraging them in their process. I should have mine up and running in early July (barring emergencies, of course), so stay tuned.
Life Coaching
As Life Coaching has become more of a peripheral calling, I've relegated it to a less active, more inspiration and motivation-centered sphere. I believe to achieve some of our dreams, we need someone who can be a sound board for ideas & troubleshooting, in addition to encouraging us to keep going when it gets tough. And, oh baby, I can attest to it getting tough.
Life
My mental health always takes a nosedive over the winter, and here in the Midwest, I have a particularly difficult time recovering. So if you can relate, know you are not alone.
Health
I've been learning about migraines. Did you know that there is more to migraines than the obvious headache portion? As migraines seem to be taking a more active role in my life (thank you, aging process), I've been doing as much as I can to prevent and treat them so I can be a functional human. Here are some things you may not know about migraines:
You may have advanced warning. This is called the Premonitory Stage, and it involves things like exhaustion, cravings, mood changes...if you're a woman, you might mistake this for pre-menstrual symptoms. Just a heads up.
Aura Stage: This stage affects a number of neurological aspects, such as vision and motor functions. Seeing spots, sparkles, experiencing weakness, dizziness, and speech & hearing symptoms are common. You can even have problems with memory, fainting and partial paralysis. What??
Headache Stage - the Main Attack: Ah, the main event. The headache is what migraines are most known for. There can be light and sound sensitivity. And, oh, the pain. They are so severe they crossover into debilitating...paralyzing, even. It's so bad, that people are known to vomit from the intensity of the pain. Here's the kicker, though: you can have a migraine without the headache. Go fig.
Resolution Stage: This is where the migraine starts to end. Often a slow fade, this process is sometimes sped up by sleep, a good crying jag, or even vomiting.
Postdrome: Oh, there's one more stage. This recovery period is often referred to as "migraine hangover", so you can guess the symptoms: exhausted, moody, appetite changes. They may mimic or mirror the first stage.
This aspect took a front and center role in April, as I began my first Autism blog in earnest: Changeling: The Ongoing Journey of an Aspie. I decided to make a big push to educate others during this month, as it is known as Autism Acceptance Month (more commonly known as Autism Awareness Month). I find myself feeling more and more able to share this part of myself, which had formerly been overshadowed by stigma and fear of ostracization. There is so much incorrect information out there on what it is like to be on the Spectrum. I wanted to spread the word as much as I could on what new research has uncovered about this misunderstood part of our evolution as a species. I hope you will take a look. You might find some enlightening tidbits.
Also on the radar here is connecting more with my fellow Autistics, including some online groups, and connecting to local services here in the Omaha Metro area.
Tiny House
I am shifting focus here toward actual planning for my tiny house on wheels (THOW). The big news here is that I'm about 99% on the type I want - a skoolie - and have created a preliminary floor plan. I have been doing research on what is needed, pitfalls to avoid, and what this baby is going to cost. I had originally planned to go to this year's Tiny Fest Midwest, but was only able to attend one day, due to unforeseen circumstances [see above, re: migraines]. Still, I have some insights, and should be posting on it on Ransomed Roads, where I will be recording the majority of the build process.
Travels
Travels are on hold while I get some other projects done, but I did take a visit out to Maryland to visit my dad, who was not well. He's much better now, and it was great to see him nonetheless.
Writing
In addition to being a professional blogger for a digital marketing company, I now have four blogs going! I have really stepped up my writing in the last few months, so check out some of the latest ideas I've been working on.
Ransomed Roads
I love quotes, and have added those to most of my blogs, including this one. If you are yearning for travel quotes, you should definitely subscribe to the Ransomed Roads blog. I've been going deep, so I've found ones I hadn't even seen before and am sharing them with all of you! If you want to find them on social media instead (as well as more Ransomed Roads posts), check out these options:
Look for some travel stories from last year on there as well, and stay tuned for the fall, when I will have some new tales to tell.
The Lost Title Cards
The big one here is my "Behind the Screen" series, highlighting some interesting tidbits about movies that most people don't know. It's already getting some great feedback, so stop by.
Changeling Ashes
I've begun to post Monthly Finds and Insights for all the things I come across while researching Autism. I want others interested in educating themselves to have another option for finding out about what it means to be Autistic, so feel free to check them out.
Tricky Fish Photography
I am currently working hard on Tricky Fish Photography. I've been spending a particularly large amount of time in Lightroom, a more recent addition to my photo editing arsenal. I can't say I like it more than Photoshop for the simple reason that Photoshop does more. However, that is pretty much what I like about it. Lightroom is basic photo editing with a few small tricks, and it's making my shots come out better and better in the post-processing phase. Don't worry; I'll be sharing soon.
Shops
Website and shop research is a big theme right now, and will be through Q3. I am excited to start offering prints of both my photography and paintings. More on that as it develops.
Projects
In the meantime, I've been doing a few small projects here and there, mostly for my brother, who had prom, graduation, and some other things going on. He makes a great test model, and I'm enjoying working with humans more.
I'm also working on creating prints of paintings for both my own work, and that of my best friend. I'll be posting more on that soon enough.
Arcadian Gypsy is essentially on hold until the fall. This is one of the many things that I am reevaluating for the coming years on System Andromeda.
Painting
There's an upcoming art show called "Totems". I am excited to be a part of it, and am working on a couple of pieces. Wish me luck.
Costuming
I am working on a cosplay piece for the upcoming O-Con, Omaha Metro Area's Comic Con. I went for the first time last year, and am looking forward to spending more time this year. I'm going (barring sartorial disaster) as Domino from Deadpool 2. Pictures will ensue, should I pull it off.
Moving Pictures & Performing Arts
I have wanted to start my own production company for years, so I'm doing a little brainstorming right now...nothing major, we'll see how that develops.
Voice-Over Work
I am doing some training and research to to my acting in a slightly different direction than I had previously. I want to get into voice-over work. I hesitate to share more than that at present, but rest assured, you will hear more about it.
Overall, this has been a wacky Q2. Great stuff, great challenges. Let's see what Q3 brings us.
______
Plots & Schemes for XXXX:
Writing
More blogging, and more writing gigs. I am currently taking on projects for proofreading, blogging, and other kinds of content.
Tricky Fish Photography
Websites and shops. More photos to be shared. Can't say it enough.
Share your comments below!
Still exploring the galaxy? Click on any of the following: site (under construction!) - Facebook - Twitter - Pinterest
I'm making this week's Freedom Friday quick and dirty, because TinyFest Midwest is this weekend, and I have been prepping for the last two weeks. If you're unfamiliar, this is one of three tiny house festivals linked across the U.S.: West Coast, East Coast, and - you guessed it - Midwest. I'm excited for this year's fest as I am currently making plans for my own tiny house, and I needed a place to organize and keep my research.* Enter Evernote.
I first discovered Evernote about 11 years ago, when I needed to find a better system of bookmarking. I had gone through several laptop switchovers, and I was tired of the backup/export/import method of keeping track of my bookmarks (this was before Google took over my life by linking literally everything I use in an efficient and, frankly, disturbing fashion). Half the time, I didn't actually need most of the bookmarks anymore, or couldn't find what I needed. It was a time drain, and that was becoming untenable as I got geared up to begin my work on System Andromeda.
I needed a research app. I needed to be able to do everything in it: compose, make lists, save basic files, and notate bookmarked webpages, all organized within folders with tags to link everything. I felt like I was looking for a miracle. Finally, I found an article that seemed it had been written for me. The guy was espousing the virtues of Evernote, and they were ticking off all my needs. Best yet, it was free...and you know how I love "free".
I first discovered TickTick a couple months ago, while trying to replace my then current task app. The developer had decided to discontinue the service without much in the way of warning, and I had well over 100 tasks that had been meticulously organized. I was distraught and reached out to my network for suggestions. I received quite a few, some I'd heard of, and others that were new. Some came close, but none quite hit the mark. The reason for this was simple: the individual.
On their own, most of these were awesome. They had cool options, some free, some for a fee. Yet I had some specific requirements that had to be met. For one, I am a visual person, but I tend to be more text and list-oriented, so Trello, the most recommended, was out for me, as it was set up in panels/boxes that I found mildly confusing.
Other requirements included:
A folder/project system that allowed me to categorize my undertakings.
A tagging system that allowed me to cross-organize for similar things, such as running errands, paying bills, or working on photos for multiple projects; this helps me to put similar types of work together for when I'm in that mindset, location, or time frame.
The ability to set deadlines with reminders for each task.
A priority system, so I don't get carried away with one task and miss something else that's important.
Available across platforms, specifically desktop and Android.
We throw the word around every day. We read about it in history books. We hear it used in politics and foreign policy. We debate and philosophize it until we're sick to death of it, and, more often than not, we can't tell what it really means. There doesn't seem to be one universal definition for the word. So, the question remains...
What does freedom mean to you?
I've been exploring this concept in-depth for literal decades, and I could do a treatise on it: semantics, symbolism, cultural origins, social implications, and what it says about us as an evolving species.
...but...
I'm not going to. Or, rather, I should say that I'm not going to do it all at once.
Over the next few weeks, months, even years, I will be sending out posts on Fridays that are dedicated to "Freedom". This will be anything from reviews of products & services that make life easier & more efficient in achieving our dreams to inspired sources: books, talks, stories, and more. I won't post every week, but I should manage most weeks.
In between, there'll be plenty of time to share what freedom means to you, me, and, yes, humanity. And I'm not doing it fully on my own. That's because I want to hear from you. I want to know what you think. Share your insights. Share your inspirations. Share your dreams and what achieving freedom in your life looks like....and what it means to you. I hope you'll join me.
Feel free (oy) to get the conversation started in the comments below. And have a great weekend! I hope it's inspiring.
This update was a bit later than I would have liked. This was both strategy and a complete brain fart. Enjoy.
The first three months of this year have been eye-opening. I believe that every move forward requires a degree of reflection, and winter is a traditionally reflection-laden time for me. It is when I am most often presented with personal challenges, with the things (inner & outer) that limit my forward progress.
The Biz
The Q1 phase was placed on hold in order to deal with health issues for both myself and my family. I look forward to resuming my work in the 2nd quarter, so stay tuned!
Life
This is the area that has seen the most movement, even when it was mostly internal. Coming home is possible, despite what Thomas Wolfe may say. The thing is, you pay for it dearly. I've spent a lot of time reviewing how I have grown in the last 20 years, how I still grow, and having shown to me daily that we can never stop working on our selves.
In addition, I've been assisting with family injuries, an experience for which I was frankly unprepared, and am not terribly comfortable speaking on. If you've been there, you get it.
It is a new year, and I'm beginning a new update system for all of my projects, beginning with the new year post I did at the beginning of this year. So here is January!
Life & The Biz
The big life event of January was a family emergency that resulted in a lot of my resources going elsewhere. My grandmother has been recuperating from a broken bone in the hip area, and I will be assisting my mother in her rehabilitation once she is home. Alongside fighting off the sinus infection that ushered me into the new year, I am experiencing migraines, etc. It will all mean taking a slower path with my projects. Basic business minutiae are currently on hiatus while I attend to family matters. There's been very little social media this month, due to the new job (see below). I'm prepping posts of all kinds for March, though, so, as always, stay tuned. I've begun my project book for my tiny house, and will be updating throughout the year, so I'm excited about that.
What is that quote about the universe laughing when you make plans? Well, let's just say that this post is coming out about ten days later than I'd like. That comes down to a number of reasons, but the big one was the worst, most raging sinus infection I've had in years. It obliterated me. I was actually rather impressed. Still, I soldier on. At the same time as my infection, I've taken on a new position (more on that below), so my other projects are moving a bit slower at present. I look forward to that changing soon. Add in a family emergency all in the last two weeks, and you get a recipe for late posting. So, without further ado...
2017: The Year in Review
Another year come and gone. Remarkable, isn't it? I remember this time last year when we were all wishing 2016 good riddance. There was a distinct unity to our discontent. Celebrity deaths took too many beloveds. The presidential election threw just about everyone. People were just...unhappy with life. When the wheel turned, more than a few lifted a middle finger to '16, myself included.
This year, it's a little different. Some people were ready to give 2017 the old boot. While I had my own concerns regarding this year (not the least of which being that sinus infection I mentioned above), I found that it was decidedly better than 2016. So I nod more fond farewells at this turn of the year than sour ones.
...And there were definite farewells. Did you know the Death card of the tarot doesn't actually mean "death"? It actually means change, that concept that when we shuffle off the mortal coil, we are actually just making a change of venue, of scenery (actually that's a very loose definition, but you get the idea). And this was such a year of change: upheavals to be sure, but what those sharp lurches created were moments of true inspiration, motivation, and focus. All things being equal, I view it like that card. Letting go of certain things so that other things could flourish.
