that rosebud girl

Let the insanity begin!

Somehow, I thought taking three classes this semester at Sac City was going to be a good idea. Like I wasn’t doing anything else. Pshaw. But I’d taken a semester off and was feeling the itch to learn new things. And to think creatively in another way. Etc., etc., etc.

I’m really excited though about all my classes. I had to add everything at the last minute, so I’m glad I also got into those classes. (Well, knowing the teachers probably helped. Not to mention being able to tote around my own computer with all the software). I’m doing the student-run graphic design studio class (kickass projects), learning After Effects (yay to animation and motion graphicky stuff) and finally taking a photography class.

I don’t think I’ve taken this many units at City in a few years. The workload will be pretty insane. But I do like the idea of being able to do some new things. The studio class is working on a few high-profile projects and some multimedia stuff, plus I get to go back to my print roots and produce a nice piece for a show later in the year.

Photography has me especially excited since I own a dSLR now and I’ve been wanting to take a serious photography class for years. The assignments should be a lot of fun (and take a long time). Looking at previous students’ portfolios absolutely blew my mind! And I’ve got some fun travel plans, like going to Guam and Japan, and really hope to take some awesome photos there.

I might be regretting the time crunch come March, but well, insanity is the only way I know, right?

Aboard the fitness wagon

It’s the start of the year and of course, I had a few fitness and weight related goals for the year. I’ve gone up and down both the weight and fitness roller coasters more times than I can count, and I know how hard it can be to stick to something. You need changes you can live with.

As the old adage says, you have to walk before you run.

Inspired by that, and several friends who have written about their weightloss journeys and writing about their not-so-scary daily routines, I’ve decided I would do a daily walk. Varying distance, but at least a couple of miles.

Every day.

It’s quite a commitment but one I think I can live with. I like walking. I live in a neighborhood where it’s easy to walk and change the route regularly. I plan to walk when I wake up, no matter the time.

I see it as a Zen moment. It gives me time to think, time to solve problems in my head, time to think about the day’s tasks. I’m a brisk walker, so it’s not like I’m not getting some kind of benefit. But I tend to work better later in the day, so it’s not like I’m going to have a time crunch.

It’s a change I think I can live with.

Of course, I’ll throw in more exercise down the road. Like jumping back into Couch to 5K (I’ll probably start back at week 4 or something) and biking when it’s not as cold.

But I’m walking before I run.

The 2010 to-do list

Normally, I don’t really care about resolutions and crap like that. But I like lists. I really like to-do lists. They’ve really helped me keep my life straight (especially since I jumped ship and went freelance). So, here’s the list of stuff I’d like to accomplish in 2010. Some things may be near impossible, some much easier, but there’s something about seeing them on paper (yes, I have a paper version) that makes them seem more real.

Here it is (in no particular order, really):

• Learn how to sew.
• Run a 5K in under 30 minutes.
• Lose 30 pounds by August so that my knees don’t cry when I do ballet (or run, for that matter). Do you know how hard it is to lift all my current weight on five toes?!
• Return to the dance studio in August (it’s been way too long).
• Learn how to silkscreen/screenprint.
• Take up painting.
• Double the money I made in freelance.
• Do Eppie’s Great Race as part of a relay team (I can kayak, anyone want to run and bike with me?).
• Redesign my design portfolio site.
• Redesign my personal website (it’s like, 10 years out of date).
• Have an actual, fancy, hard-bound design portfolio before the HOW Conference in June.
• Dye my first batch of yarn.
• Make something with the weaving loom that’s been sitting in my closet for the last three years.
• Finally use the needlefelting kit I bought in 2005.
• Repeat this year’s success at craft shows and maybe even double that monetary output.
• Keep my billion blogs up-to-date.
• Actually market and pay attention to my craft shops.
• Actually market and get more freelance clients.
• Take a photography class.
• Kick ass in general.

Just for fun, I think I might blog about this list every month in 2010 and monitor my progress. Again, some of this stuff is harder than others. Some of it may not be accomplished, but I put it out there to push me and well, miracles might happen.