SA 2010: A Year in Review

Tuesday 12/28/10 excerpt ~ I sit at one of my favorite coffee shops, staring out the window into the darkness.  I reflect on the past year and all that it has brought me, all that I have done.  I. am. exhausted.  I am also elated.  It's hard to put into words the sense one feels from so much hard work and accomplishment.  It would be easy to dwell on the fact that there was so much I had hoped to finish this year and just didn't for one reason or another...and that list is long.  But I think that's a stingy attitude.  Looking back at this list, I know I achieved more in a few months than others did all year.  That's not me trying to one-up anybody, just noting that in the grand scheme and given all I've had to do, I'm doing pretty good.  

And I decided to share that.  

So I welcome you to the SA 2010 Year in Review MegaPost!

Some major (and minor) achievements include:

Website:

• a new template design and more streamlined look
• addition of numerous links & lists
• stats counter and subscription options
• addition of About SA and other informational pages
• discovering the voice of this site as it reveals itself to me
• re-arranging, re-arranging, and more re-arranging of the different elements

I will be adding more to the site in the new year, so look for more changes to the style and organization.  The website, like my processes and self, will continue to evolve and grow.

Writing:

• Getting my novel started.  I participated in National Novel Writing Month and managed to make it to 31,000 words.  I will continue work on the manuscript in the new year, and will post more on NaNoWriMo soon.
• A somewhat regular writing practice.  I used to write every day, but over time that had dwindled.  While I am not back up to my original output, I am writing more and more regularly and it feels wonderful.

Acting/Modeling:

• The first real return to my acting career.  I started with the modeling scene, where I have been getting myself back in the groove of preparing for gigs, getting in front of the camera, being aware of what my body does to find the best lines and, of course, bringing that all-important energy & emotion out for the camera.  I find I really enjoy it.  Creating images is a collaborative process involving not just the photographer, or model, or environment, but all three, and I love being a part of that process.  I hope to continue modeling at least part-time throughout my life.
• Head shots, resume & decent portfolio.  You can see much of my work & experience here and here.
• Researching one's craft is vital if you want to keep progressing.  This year, I've spent some more time checking out different movies and TV shows, studying and enjoying the nuances of the actors and the stories they help tell.  In particular, I've been checking out a lot of old movies, and recently watched the TCM documentary series "Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood".  I love this business, and the history of it fascinates me.  Movie-making has truly come to be the American art form, one through which you can easily see the pioneering, innovative, dreamer quality for which this country is so famous.

Photography:

• This year, with the help of my very Photoshop-capable brother, I designed & created the Tricky Fish Photography logo and began the process of sorting through my immense archive of photos for quality shots to post.  Look for many more Tricky Fish photos (and logos) in the year ahead.
• I made my first foray into model/fashion photography.  Up until now, I have gone only for landscape/nature photography and travel & wedding photojournalism, using mostly natural light and generally choosing not to shoot people.  I will be delving farther into the fashion/portrait genre in the future.

Design:

• I sold my very first piece of jewelry this year!:

This really got me revved up, and I'm eager to get my shop up and running for the new year.

• Better & more unique designs.  Inspiration really hit this year, and I have been coming up with some really excellent pieces.
• Dipping my toes into more complicated accessory and clothing design.  Though I have a costuming and sewing background, I've had neither the tools nor the time to really dive into clothing design.  I hope to change this in the new year.

Image Consultation:

• I put Phoenix Image Consulting on hold most of this year, though I did work on various projects, generally helping friends and putting together wardrobes for shoots.
• I'm currently working on a new (I think) organization model for dreams & goals.  More on that in the new year.

Administrative:

• I honed my skills as an Administrative & Personal Assistant this year.  I am now ready to go virtual Admin Ninja for anyone who needs some work done.
• On the home front, I got a lot of things done and a lot more organized for "next action" status.
• Eliminated half my debt.  I'm hoping to kill the rest in the new year.  

Linguistics:

• I spent some time getting into Russian this year, and while I had to take a break over the last couple of months in order to get other things done, I look forward to returning to it.
• Study of dialects from various eras and locations, especially the differing styles of classic movies.

Body:

• I've been working out slowly over the past couple of years, doing my best to repair the damage done by ignorance of various afflictions and unhealthy eating habits.  I'm happy to say that I'm in better shape than I've probably ever been.
• I've gotten back into Martial Arts!  Woot!  I have always loved Kung Fu, and I am back on the path to achieving one of my most important life goals: Master.  The process is slow, but I will achieve this goal.
• This year I have cultivated a real enjoyment of mushrooms.  It started over a decade ago with the discovery of the wondrous culinary uses for portobello and shiitake mushrooms while working at the French Cafe in Omaha, NE.

Personal/Spiritual:

• This year, I said good-bye to someone with whom I could no longer maintain a healthy relationship.  It's hard for me to let someone I love pass out of my life, but sometimes it is kinder (to both parties) than holding on.  I wish this person well in their pursuits for the future.
• I felt a greater sense of my own strength, calm & resolution grow within me this year.  It's been a rough couple of years for many, and I think that those of us who can find that inner self-possession will better be able to weather the ups and downs that are sure to visit us in the years to come.  I intend to keep cultivating that awareness in myself in the new year.

So what's on the agenda for the new year?  Well, the list is massive, so I won't go into the maddening details, but I will endeavor, just like this year, to get as much done as I can without putting myself in the ground.  Make no mistake, this project/life path of mine is no easy task, but it makes me happy, so I'll keep working at it.  I love this quote from Paulo Coelho: Never give up. When your heart becomes tired, just walk with your legs - but move on.

2010 Favorites

This year had me so busy, that I scarcely had time & resources for some of my favorite pastimes.  I often see nearly every movie that comes out, and read a great deal, but not this year.  Still, I did see a few movies this year, and here are a few of my favorites, along with some other things that gave me pleasure in 2010.

• Movies: The Winter's Bone; The A-Team; Toy Story 3; Inception; Eat, Pray, Love; Machete; The Black Swan; True Grit
• TV Shows: The Walking Dead, Glee, Castle, Community
• Reading: Invincible (comic book series)
• Social Networking: Paulo Coelho's twitter feed & blog: Daily inspirations and encouragement for dreamers and sensitive souls like myself.
• Politics & Commentary: Repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell; Zadroga Bill; Jon Stewart
• Quotes: "Release the bees!!" ~ Stephen Colbert at Jon Stewart & Stephen Colbert's Rally to Restore Sanity/Keep Fear Alive

This year was good, but I think the new year will be better.  I'd love to hear everyone's stories of triumph, and their plans for the new year.  I'd also like to send a major shout of thanks out to my friends & family for their support as they made the process of this last year so much easier.

Best wishes to everyone in the new year.  See you on the other side of the clock.

© Content property of Andromeda Ross, all rights reserved.

Find: BYKI

If you're into language study and can't afford Rosetta Stone or other similar language learning software, I have an alternative solution: try BYKI.  BYKI, or Before You Know It, has a lot of great stuff to help with language.

HOW TO GET IT:
You can go to http://www.byki.com/. There you have two options.

• FREE DOWNLOAD:  That's right.  FREE.  There are only about 12 lists to study, but it's not a trial that goes away or asks you to buy in 30 days.  You can use them over and over again whenever you want.  It's a great taste of a language and a nice basic reference.
• DELUXE EDITION:  You can get the deluxe edition for something like $70 .  I did not purchase this, and have only used some basic functions on Rosetta Stone, so I could not say which one, cost to benefit ratio, is the better value.  Still, any time I can save cash and achieve at least part of my goals makes me happy.

I recommend trying the free download first, and see what you think.  If you like it, try the Deluxe Edition, and then please post your final verdict on the software in a comment on this post.  It seems that you can download as many as you want.  You just input your email (I always recommend using a junk email account for any new site you sign onto), check or uncheck the options, and then click on the permissions from that email.  The first language you download installs the software in general.  Each language you download after only installs that language's set of lists, which is nice, because really, who wants a hundred sets of the same software?  To date, I have added lists for Russian, Spanish, Italian, French German (the main languages I study), as well as Japanese and Irish (which I want to start studying next).

 FEATURES: 

• No Spam: As a novice computer nerd, I know a lot more about how to take care of my computer than most, but I'm no genius.  So I always try to be careful when downloading anything from the net.  I checked out some reviews on BYKI off-site, and the general consensus at this point seems to be no spamming or corruptions of any kind.  If anyone hears different, or encounters something icky as a result of downloading it, I would very much like to know.
• PRACTICE & REVIEW/TESTING SECTIONS: The software has steps, first having you practice the lists and then testing you on them.  The software notes where you have trouble with specific phrases and keeps throwing them at you until you get them down.
• ORAL/AURAL: The great thing about most software as opposed to books (even those that include a limited CD) is that you get to hear the language, a vital aspect to learning it.  How can you speak it if you don't know what it sounds like? 'Nough said.
• WRITTEN:  So they show you the word or phrase written out, including special punctuation and pronunciation accents.  When you have to do the answers in written form, there is a keyboard so that you can get used to writing with accents and in different alphabets (like Cyrillic).
• COMMUNITY: It seems you can get an account on BYKI in order to take part in the online community and create your own lists.  I just now discovered this as I was getting more information from the site to write this post, but I intend to check it out more fully when I get time.  I imagine that part of this community will include discussion boards and possibly finding like people to meet up with in your areas.

This is a sort of preliminary review, but overall, I like what I see from this software.  I will more than likely post again in a few months when I have a bit more experience with it.  For now, I will say that, overall, this software is pretty awesome.  I'd love to hear any other thoughts on this software: experiences, likes, dislikes, etc.

Best of luck!


© Content property of Andromeda Ross, all rights reserved.