- Creativity and imagination needs to be constantly fed.
- Reading is an anytime, anywhere pastime
- Slow down.
- Excuses delay the inevitable.
- Make time for good conversation.
- Apply what you know.
- Chase the knowledge.
- Organize your desk.
- Make yourself so good that they don’t want to let you go.
- You are only as good to them as your last quarter.
- Do or don’t.
- Try.
- Your best effort wants to come out. Give it a go.
- Essentialism > minimalism
- Personal development > formal education.
- Learning > formal education
- Moderation in all things (sugar, salt, social media, alcohol, spending)
- Let the tools do their job. Your brain can take care of the rest.
- Pen to paper > fingers to keyboard.
- What is your origin story? Document your progress.
- Change is good.
- Willingness to change is even better.
- Laughing is a habit-forming drug.
- No one told you because they didn’t know either.
- Asking is free.
- Doing > over-analyzing how to do it.
- Your thoughts are clouded and stuck in high fructose corn syrup.
- Youth is a feeling, not an age.
- Call your loved ones.
- Forgive yourself.
- Forgive them.
- Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness > whatever else you are doing instead.
Journal
FNC-46
I just received the latest Field Notes offering from the subscription and I like it. “Vignette” allows you to add a custom photo inside your journal cover. That plus the grid lines on the paper is a refreshing change from the ruled lines offered previously. Now I have to get writing to keep up with all of them.
Wrecked
So I purchased this book for my mother awhile back and it was just regifted. She felt guilty for damaging a book. This book was designed to take the abuse so I threw it down into the wet grass where she promptly stomped on it. That’s the spirit!
This Is For You
It is usual that the moment you write for publication—I mean one of course—one stiffens in exactly the same way one does when one is being photographed. The simplest way to overcome this is to write it to someone, like me. Write it as a letter aimed at one person. This removes the vague terror of addressing the large and faceless audience and it also, you will find, will give a sense of freedom and a lack of self-consciousness.
John Steinbeck
Own Your Name
Sure, I could choose a fancy name for the website (previously named MojoDenbow.com), but owning your name is even better. I could easily have my e-mail go through a “free” service, but who really wants “@gmail.com” at the end of it?
Not me.
Paper: A Good Storage Format?
I waffle a lot between digital and analog. I enjoy paper books for the tactile aesthetics, but love the convenience of a digital book (thousands in a pocket-sized device!) Paper books have been around for eons, still available, and we have seen how durable paper can be. No one knows how long a digital medium will last. The Classics have been reprinted and stored in multiple locations, but digital information is tied to proprietary formats. I just bought a fifty-year-old typewriter. Can my MacBook last that long? Will my website survive another 20 years? Forty years? Sure, I can convert the entirety of my Archives to a PDF format and print it out, but who would want to read it?
I try to use open standards and future-proof my writing, mostly in a non-proprietary .txt format, but sometimes that isn’t enough. I’ve lost the early years (2001-2011) because I didn’t know enough to back them up when swapping laptops, hard drives, etc. Such as buying a computer that did not have a floppy disk or CD drive, and then have that information stuck on formats I could no longer access. Or, they were erroneously deleted when doing a cleanse. Oops.
The stuff I printed years ago is still okay. My parents possess old family photo prints which have existed for over fifty years. Paper can be a perpetual format to store information. All digital storage formats using a tape will rot away over time. Hard drives will fail or become corrupted. We can, ourselves, accidentally delete precious memories or ransomeware can invade and encrypt your files, so back everything up. I have multiple hard drives for this plus cloud storage, but this all implies I back up regularly.
Paper is a simple medium that can store limited types of information. I can print text, write on it, print photos on it, etc. Paper can be stored in a binder, folder, metal cabinets that help organize and protect. Of course, it can be damaged, but that is every file format wether it is digital or analog.
So, my solution to the issue is to try to do both analog and digital where I can. Back up everything, everywhere I can. Make it consistent and redundant.
5-5 Waypoint Check-In
This is the 3rd stop of my 11th month [[journey]] to create life-long habits for myself. The full write up on this is now hosted in the Archives.
I’ll be taking this year-long trek up to December 12th (12/12) and will stop and reflect on my progress each month until then. These will be known as monthly waypoints. A waypoint is a reference point that helps us know where we are and where we’re going. Whether we are walking, driving, or navigating a journey to better yourself, waypoints help us find our way.
So how am I doing so far?
Nutrition & Training
Despite poor eating habits, I’ve managed to drop three pounds since last check-in. April had me working out just about every day and I am grateful for that but I am seeing very little gains, I wonder how to correct this.
Yoga & Meditation
Non existent this month. I need to find a thicker mat because these hardwood floors HURT. I tried stacking mats together but two thin mats equal…well, only a slightly thicker mat unfortunately . It is difficult to create a tiny zen temple in your own home when your home is inflexible, just like my body is becoming.
If it was not for the hourly reminder from my Apple Watch to meditate it probably would not get done. I need to sort out how to do this without a Siri prompt.
Photography & Writing
No change to either of these, again due to stresses. So, I will simply cut/paste from the previous month as it still applies:
Other than ”snappy hour” every day before sunset, I have not photographed anything I wanted to. Again, the extreme weather is not helping. That will change, even if I have to do tech stuff laying around the office and call it ”still life.” Regarding my two decades worth of unorganized images: progress. I will get the archives organized this year. Only then can I advance in what I really want to do with them. I intend to make memories by developing physical prints, books, and even zines. I’ve also switched up my genres to focus on landscape and urban photography. A lot to learn here this year.
Writing? I’ve made a decision to do more blogging/journaling both analog and digital this past month. Blogging was hampered while consolidating my websites and moving them to my own server. Also, I’ve been reading, a lot. Two books in about seven days. Writers are readers so they say.
One Last Thing:
I feel like I could cut and paste these posts from one month to the next. What is the point of creating habits for yourself, checking in with supposed accountability with little progress to show in your journey? However, now that spring time has arrived I plan on being outdoors more frequently and this makes me happy. More hiking, geocaching, photography, disc golf, and aero photos.
Time to get back on the trail because I have a long way to go. The next waypoint check in is on 6/6. Happy trails!
Server Issues
After an hour and a half with my server host, the connection issue to my Micro posts page was unresolved. I am trying to secure the web certificate so it reads as:
https://www.micro.chrisdenbow.comThe “S” in the domain name denotes a secure website. But the server hosts were useless and it took the site down completely. I finally restored it myself in the cPanel but not without frustration. Now I’ll just leave it alone.
Server Issues
After an hour and a half with my server host, the connection issue was unresolved. I am trying to secure the web certificate so it reads as:
https://www.micro.chrisdenbow.comThe “S” in the domain name denotes a secure website. But the server hosts were useless and it took the site down completely. I finally restored it myself in the cPanel but not without frustration. Now I’ll just leave it alone.
Ulysses Update
Ulysses 26 update looks great. Now with custom fonts and better support for accessing my web server (meaning I can connect to it again. Will I re-up or stick with iA Writer?
Unfortunately I run into an error where I cannot post to the Micro page from either Ulysses or iA Writer so now it comes down to use the pay and use or subscription based software?
Just Do It
“We learn by doing.”
This is the way you master your hobby, by getting on and doing it. Learn, practice, re-learn and practice some more. This goes for writing, sketching, photography, painting, or everything else. You don’t get good without practice, keep your head down and move onward.
There are no shortcuts to becoming a good photographer. Just go out and take photos. You don’t need a specific lens or a new camera because you cannot buy skill. It does not matter whether you share images to your website or Instagram because all the “likes” will not help you improve. If you want to take good photos, you have to take numerous photos first. The majority will be crap, and that’s okay. I’ve come back home with maybe 5 usable images and been happy.
With your writing, it does not matter what software application you use, what blogging platform or newsletter publisher or what type of personal computing device you do it on. If the goal is to become a better writer, then just write. A lot of it will be crap, and that’s okay too. I’ve cranked out possibly 5 good articles a month and been happy.
Consistency and constantly. If it isn’t worth the time and effort to put into it, then perhaps it isn’t relevant for you.
You cannot buy in and expect dramatic results with your new gear. The gear doesn’t make you better. Only you can make yourself look good by trusting the process. It’s time to go out there and get it.