Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Nothing special to add today, more just a follow up of my post last week.

Virtual D&D night was a huge success! While I, and my group, much prefer getting together in person (and it’s far easier to control the flow in person), this is a great option since we can’t do that. It’s also giving me the opportunity to use some of what I’m learning in the online classes I’m taking to help shore up our online system and workflow. My goal is to really streamline the process and make sure feedback and metrics are gathered. I’m hoping to get one, maybe two, additional posts about codifying and improving this process so keep an eye out for those when I finish writing them.

And for those wondering:

Online Classes I am taking during this time:

• The Science of Well-Being, through Yale via Coursea

• Miracles of Human Language: An Introduction to Linguistics, through Leiden University via Coursea

• Teaching Online Classes via General Assembly

I know it’s not much but it’s helpful to keep things interesting when I could be just sitting here spending the majority of my time rewatching Buffy the Vampire Slayer for the 5th time (and trust me, if it wouldn’t rot my brain I would). Plus I’ve always wanted to learn more about Linguistics, as its the basis for so many things including programming languages. Initially I was just going to dive in and buy Syntactic Structures from a local bookstore but then I thought hey, why not learn from some educators first? I’ve got the time.

I’ve also started gathering all of my pictures and notes on virtual map making, so I expect to have that post up by the end of the week, quarantine schedule willing. I did just get enough yarn to make a sweater and I’m nearly done with a cowl so we’ll see which of the three wins this duel for my attention.

In the meantime, did you know that there’s a man out there who’s just doing things in a primitive fashion in the woods of his backyard and filming it? Easily the most soothing videos on youtube tbh.

That said, I will stick to my classical and film scores playlist to get my relaxation on.

ttyl y’all.

<3,

Steph

New Year, Newer Me

Nearly finished reading Rebel without a Crew today, still about 100 pages to go, and I realized that keeping a journal is probably a good idea. Often when I’m sitting around doing other things, even at work, I’ll have ideas or try and remember what I did, or what I was doing when I’m trying to remember something and I draw a blank. Hopefully this combination of human failing and desire to create, even through stealing good ideas, will get me into a better habit. 

Plus, if nothing else, it’s an easy goal to do. 

I have this problem a lot, I won’t lie. I set a goal (and I’m really starting to get sick of the phrase ‘setting goals’— it’s only the start of January and the start of a half year project— kill me now) and then along the way, it takes too long and I move onto something else. Which, is sort of why I’m doing this. I finished my novel at the start of May in 2017 and haven’t touched it since. No ones waiting on it but I’d still like to have edited it. I’ve read that you write your novel four times before it’s done and the goal was to do just that. The only problem being that, like Monet, my head is constantly bursting with ideas. And this journal is a way to put off actually editing the novel. 

Plus there’s the art, my website, my movie ideas, work stuff, baking, vlogging— all the things I’ve had ideas for but haven’t gotten further than my last progress point. Maybe that should be my true goal of 2018, the year of finishing. Though, before I commit to that, I should probably write out this whole deal so that I’m not writing out 40 things and then being disappointed come Christmas 2018. 

Here’s a list of items, to ever be added to for 2018:

• Finish editing novel (4 times rule)
• Finish portfolio website
• Finish padding portfolio website
  • Artwork
  • Videos
  • Design
• Start writing weekly on blog
• Start sketching weekly
• Lose the last 15lbs!
• Exercise 4 times a week (3 on holiday weeks??)
• Implement new version of the Source
• 5’x7’ painting
• Write out scenes/plot for voluntary hospital movie (make sure it doesn’t exist first)

Obviously going to keep work stuff to a minimum here as that’s all kept together in short form in my bullet journal and true notebooks. Some of the personal stuff will fit in the bullet journal, just due to the fact that writing stuff out helps me keep it together, but I’m going to try and keep everything in one spot. 

Luckily, this journal idea should actually help with the blog goal. I can kill two birds with one stone and select sections of this for my weekly post and then just copy and paste. Word to the wise if you’re reading this: never doubt how lazy I can be. Who knows? I’ve been watching old episodes of the Big Fat Quiz Show and giggling like a loon. 

One day, I’ll have an easy January but that is not in 2018.