Learning
09/21/2014 12:21
I have spent most to the weekend playing with Rapidweaver and trying to polish up my web page. I always have a level of frustration in learning a new activity, I want to go from no knowledge to master status with none of the work required to get to that level. Although I can intellectually understand the learning process and work involved, it only “sort-of” alleviates the feeling of impatience. I finally got to the point where I was able to get into the zone and things finally started to click. There is still a lot of work to be done but at least I don’t have that deer in headlights feeling anymore. I found a great manual, RapidWeaver 5 Beginner’s Guide by Joe Workman that has been able to give me a better sense of the basic functions of RapidWeaver and boost my confidence that I can gain a working knowledge of the applications.
I am trying to push myself out of my comfortable little rut and start stretching my creative muscles. I plan to start carrying my camera with me every day and take at least one picture a day. The goal is to capture textures and inanimate objects that provide a jumping off point for my designs. Will start to post some of them to the blog. The other task I’ve assigned myself is to draw at least one design a day. I had started producing a design a day but after a month I started to let things at my day job take over my spare time. I need to re-set the boundary between my day job and my creative outlets. My goal is really develop my design skills and also produce a backlog of jewelry designs that I can then produce.
Finished The Happiness of Pursuit, by Chris Guillebeau. I always find Chris’s take on life pretty inspiring and this book was no exception. The underlying premise of the book is “take control and make your life be about something”. Much easier said than done and like every goal I have ever reached for, there is a fair amount of blood, sweat and tears to reach the goal. Self-reflection is not one of my favorite activities but the book was able to nudge me into some self-reflection and got me thinking about what is more important in my life. I have always just sort of gone with the flow and now I see the need to start swimming against the tide to move into the direction that provides more fulfillment in my life.
What’s playing through the headphones: Weezer, Smashing Pumpkins and Andrew Jackson Jihad
I am trying to push myself out of my comfortable little rut and start stretching my creative muscles. I plan to start carrying my camera with me every day and take at least one picture a day. The goal is to capture textures and inanimate objects that provide a jumping off point for my designs. Will start to post some of them to the blog. The other task I’ve assigned myself is to draw at least one design a day. I had started producing a design a day but after a month I started to let things at my day job take over my spare time. I need to re-set the boundary between my day job and my creative outlets. My goal is really develop my design skills and also produce a backlog of jewelry designs that I can then produce.
Finished The Happiness of Pursuit, by Chris Guillebeau. I always find Chris’s take on life pretty inspiring and this book was no exception. The underlying premise of the book is “take control and make your life be about something”. Much easier said than done and like every goal I have ever reached for, there is a fair amount of blood, sweat and tears to reach the goal. Self-reflection is not one of my favorite activities but the book was able to nudge me into some self-reflection and got me thinking about what is more important in my life. I have always just sort of gone with the flow and now I see the need to start swimming against the tide to move into the direction that provides more fulfillment in my life.
What’s playing through the headphones: Weezer, Smashing Pumpkins and Andrew Jackson Jihad