*** Signals are attempts to be a bit more open with my thoughts, the things I find interesting, and the stuff I am making. This is the first post in the series and I plan on releasing once a month.

January 2024

2024 is starting pretty solid. I started 2023 with a bit of uncertainty, trying to figure out the next chapter in my career after taking a bit of a sabbatical. I had picked up a solid amount of freelance but I was having to carry too many projects at the same time to make it work financially and have some sort of work-life balance. I mean, that was the whole reason I took a break from work in the middle of 2022. In May, I started a new gig with an agency here in Houston and it has been great so far. Work-life balance is in a good spot and the bills are getting paid. All good things.

Back to running

Towards the end of last year, I started running again and ran my first 5K since my compartment syndrome surgery at the end of 2021. I am nowhere near as fast as I used to be, not that I was ever really fast, but it felt like I was starting from scratch. I incorporated some new warm-up drills before every run that I learned during my time in physical therapy and they have made a huge difference. I wanted to start running again in 2023 but had a lot of anxiety about getting on the road again and hurting myself. I finally pushed through the mental block, felt good. It should be noted, that while I am back to running regularly, it was a bit lacking in January. I wanted to take some time off after running the 5K on 1/6 and then the day job got super busy.

The art front

Just like in 2023, I started the year off with Genuary. I had done some prep work over the Christmas break but I never really got into the swing of it. I got through 24 days, but the day job got busy and I never found my way back. The completionist in me was kind of stressed about it, but I am trying to be a bit more forgiving with myself this year. You can see the prompts I got through here. I may finish out the prompts later in the year but for now, I am going to move on.

Outside of Genuary, I started exploring some of the paper cut pieces again. I can’t afford to get a laser for the house so I landed on using a paper cutter. I borrowed a friend’s Cricut Explore 2 and another friend’s Silhouette Cameo 3 to test out. They both handled the work well but landed on the Cameo since it has a much better software package. I am excited to explore this medium again.

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Other Stuff

Music

I recently stumbled upon two older releases I have been enjoying a lot. The first is by a band that sadly broke up in 2021, Ought. I heard their track “Habit” on SiriusXM one day and have been enjoying it ever since. This is a great performance from a Blogothèque Take Away Show from about 9 years ago.

A friend of mine, Jonathan Thompson of Oppressed by the Line, introduced me to the artist Yppah. This is the moniker for California native, Joe Corrales Jr. I really loved his sound and really enjoyed this performance from a KEXP session back in 2021.

Lastly, I have been listening to a bit of They Might Be Giants lately. “Don’t Let’s Start” will always be a favorite of mine.

Art

I’ve been enjoying the work of Dan Catt lately. He does a great job of sharing his process and is a fantastic artist, focusing a lot of his efforts on pen plotters. I highly recommend his YouTube channel, he posts very consistently.

Reading

I am trying to read more, specifically I am trying to read more poetry. It has been on the to-do list for a long time and I want to familiarize myself with the art form this year. I have started reading “Four Quartets” by T.S. Elliot. This passage from “Burnt Notion” really stuck out to me. I don’t understand it to be honest, but I love the paradoxical nature of the verses.

At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;
Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,
But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,
Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards,
Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,
There would be no dance, and there is only the dance.
I can only say, there we have been: but I cannot say where.
And I cannot say, how long, for that is to place it in time.

— Eliot, T. S. - Four Quartets

Closing Thoughts

I have been a fan of Bob Clagett for a long time. He was a web developer for many years and pivoted to “making” about 10 years ago. He recently changed his videos from being purely project-based to a bit more conversational. His last video discusses the importance of having passion projects along with functional projects and just the joy of making things because you can. It’s a really good video about where you are investing your time, something I have been focused on since I quit my previous job back in 2022. It’s worth a watch.

*** Yes I know it was released in February and this post is about stuff in January but deal with it, it’s my blog.