I always make New Years resolutions, mainly just to encourage myself and kind of create a positive trajectory. I look at it as a boost just to make it out of the darker days of winter. I know, I know, I shouldn’t complain about winter as a Chicago to California transplant. But hey, we moved here at the beginning of a 6 year drought. So it was deceptively sunny all year—for 6 years! It changed dramatically last year and the downpours lasted for months.
Rains be damned, I have so many plans and goals for 2020! I do have a tendency to overwork myself, so I’m trying to strike a balance in the new year. The bottom line: I want to carve some time for growth and better self care. I cannot just work all the time (as much as I honestly love, love, love to!).
Without further ado, here are my inspirational plans for this brand new decade:
meditation — I’ve already started trying to integrate it into my morning routine and hey today is a week.
exercise — don’t care what, not holding out for my glorious bicycling jaunts because it just doesn’t work with my schedule during the winter days. I’m going to have to take a page from Michelle Obama’s book and just force myself to make time for it!
data visualizations — I want to expand my toolset in graphic design after a great day at the Edward Tufte workshop. Now I’m armed with a ton of books that I am thoroughly enjoying. I love graphic design, but I love learning more than anything and I’ve felt for a few years that I just want my designs to “mean more.” Data visualizations are the ticket. I want to create new ways to use them in mobile and video applications. Here’s some amazing inspirations that I cannot stop with!
Annnnnnnd, I cannot recommend the Visual Journalism book enough. Sooooooo so good. Like an awesome picture book when we were kids, but it’s intercut with visual artists thoughtful essays.
machine learning techniques — I’m also hoping to expand my toolset by using my extensive mathematics background for data chomping instead of engineering as I was trained! I started the google machine learning crash course. I have to say, it excitingly scratches that old math part of my brain. I don’t see myself jumping back into matrix algebra or fourier transformations anytime soon, but anything is possible I guess.
podcast — Complete & release 6 episodes! During this wonderful winter wonderland break, we have revisited our podcast in various aspects of production, other story ideas and where we want to take it. I cannot say that we have a clear map of the first 6 episodes yet, but I think we have a great new model to test and iterate. We also have 2 episodes nearly finished. By the way, Dolly Parton’s America is the best podcast I’ve heard yet. Everyone should listen.
drawing class — I want to finish the drawing course that M and I have been working on together. It’s been so fun and nothing makes me happier than just drawing. Here’s a weird photo of my fat foreshortened hand as part of the class. Mariela copied the same gesture causing some hilarious confusion, but that’s the jackass she is.
water — drink water besides La Croix. Serious.
It’s been a great TWO WEEK break. We’ve spent some time improving our lives and home and some time just being lazy and enjoying the sunshine and good company of a few friends. California is still a dream, worth chasing.
P.S. Here’s us painstakingly creating ugly items out of air clay and then crushing it! Apparently, this is an ASMR thing. I just like crafting, filming it, destroying it. The paint studio is completely back to normal and all memories are only digital. Weird.
Young Hines: Gimme My Change