#Reverb10 Day 15: 5 Minutes

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Note: This is the fifteenth in a month-long exercise called Reverb10, where bloggers reflect on the year before and think towards the year ahead. The idea is to post daily, based on the day’s prompts; let’s see how well I do.

Prompt: 5 minutes. Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2010 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2010.

My wedding. My wedding. My wedding.

That’s it, really. There are other parts of the year that I remember, some with fondness, some with a bit of sadness, but the main thing that I want to crystallize in my mind about 2010 is that it was the year that I married the man I’ve loved for years, the year I learned what true partnership was, and the year that I decided, once again, that the solution to not getting the work that I want was to go out and make it for myself.

Which reminds me… I’m launching another business! The notebook project that I’ve been hinting about on Twitter and Facebook (and occasionally on this blog) is going to be up and running within a few days… just in time for me to land a full time gig! Things are going to be exciting.

#Reverb10 Day 14: Appreciate

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Note: This is the fourteenth in a month-long exercise called Reverb10, where bloggers reflect on the year before and think towards the year ahead. The idea is to post daily, based on the day’s prompts; let’s see how well I do.

Prompt: Appreciate. What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it?

This year being one of great transition for me, the biggest thing that I’ve come to appreciate is the vast support system I’ve developed over the years, both personally and professionally. My husband is the best partner I ever could have hoped for, and I’m blessed to have a couple of close friendships that have spanned over a decade now – something I never would have thought I’d have in my 20s. I also have a network of professional colleagues who have helped me grow in ways I can’t begin to describe – from solving sticky Drupal problems, to talking through a tough business situation.

Without turning this into an awards ceremony speech, a couple of folks have been particularly helpful this year:

  • Ben Buckman – Drupal developer of awesomeness, who generally donates his brain to help me figure out sticky Drupal messes;
  • Claudio Vera – who listens to me vent about all sorts of business and life issues;
  • Tricia Okin and Matt Reed – who came to the rescue during our wedding, and always give me a friendly couch when I’m in Brooklyn;
  • The ladies of New Leaf Legal, who have seen me laugh and cry more than most people in my professional life, and don’t think any less of me for it. I think.

I appreciate these folks more than I can say, and I can only hope that I can repay their generosity in kind.

#Reverb10 Day 13: Action.

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Note: This is the thirteenth in a month-long exercise called Reverb10, where bloggers reflect on the year before and think towards the year ahead. The idea is to post daily, based on the day’s prompts; let’s see how well I do.

Prompt: Action. When it comes to aspirations, its not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step?

Some days, I feel my life is all about action. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a doer – especially when someone dares to tell me I can’t do something, for whatever reason.

That said, I’ve also found that, like many creatives, I have more ideas than I have time to take action on them. So my challenge the last few years has been prioritizing, and in finding the ideas that have solid potential and fleshing them out.

Currently, my priorities are:

  • A new business venture I’m launching (which will be launched officially after the new year);
  • Getting ready to go back to school in January;
  • Finding a full time (or freelance) job that will give me the balance, creative freedom and intellectual challenge I need to not go crazy;
  • Taking care of my current clients (and possibly, going after new clients, depending on how long this job search takes).

It’s all a lot to balance, but I have Action Steps plotted out, my calendar marked up so I can fit everything in, and there’s two weeks left to the year. I call that a victory.

Next step: launching the new business venture, and getting my books for school. Then, following up with job leads, and switching a client’s Drupal site to a new hosting company. Fun times.

#Reverb10 Day 12: Body Integration.

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Note: This is the twelfth in a month-long exercise called Reverb10, where bloggers reflect on the year before and think towards the year ahead. The idea is to post daily, based on the day’s prompts; let’s see how well I do.

Prompt: Body integration. This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn’t mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present?

Further note: I hate hate HATE prompts like this. There’s some weird emotional block I have with phrases like “integrated with the body” and “living in the now.” But still, I press on.

Doing yoga. Dancing at my wedding. Dancing in general. Snuggling with my husband. Making a really good meal for friends. Creating something that’s both beautiful and actually useful.

Most importantly, when I’m *not* on a diet.

#Reverb10 day 11: Things.

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Note: This is the tenth in a month-long exercise called Reverb10, where bloggers reflect on the year before and think towards the year ahead. The idea is to post daily, based on the day’s prompts; let’s see how well I do.

Prompt: 11 Things. What are 11 things your life doesn’t need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life?

These are always the hardest posts to write. As someone who has an unfortunate tendency to dwell (even temporarily) on negative things and self-criticism, I often challenge myself to avoid putting things in an “I want to get rid of this” context. I usually end up equating these types of lists with New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, eat healthy, etc. – which rarely get me anywhere.

But, I made a commitment to this Reverb thing, for better or worse, so if I had to choose 11 things, I’d choose these:

1. Overspending. I don’t consider myself a “big spender,” really; however, I often convince myself to buy small things that I don’t need – especially when I’m in the middle of a project, or there’s a new thing that I feel the urgent need to learn. While I’ve grown to love the ever-growing pile of books that I haven’t had time to read yet, and the drawers full of paper that I bought for a specific project and never used, it’s time to put more careful thought into what I buy. I’d estimate that about a third of things that I buy today, I could avoid buying if I just sketched out the idea in a notebook instead of buying a physical thing. Better for my checkbook, and better for the planet.

Which brings me to the next thing:

2. Clutter. All this inspiration to buy has resulted in a bunch of things that I don’t need, don’t use, and don’t particularly want. In also, though, have a bunch of things that I *do* use and want, but without a clear way to organize them. Especially now that I’m starting to get into bookbinding, and have many large sheets of paper and bookcloth to contend with. So, organization is in order. Again.

And, to save everyone the torture of a long list of my various neuroses, items 3-11 that I’d like to lose in 2011, which are fairly self-explanatory:

3. Being “too busy” to… eat well, exercise, sleep, etc.
4. Saying “yes” to too many things at once.
5. Watching TV past 10pm (see “too busy” to sleep).
6. Doubting myself.
7. Not making time to read.
8. Not making time to draw.
9. Listening to well-meaning naysayers.
10. Eating meat more than three times a week. This is more a personal thing than anything else; I’m just not a huge fan of it, and I don’t feel good if I eat it every day – which my week and a half on South Beach brought into sharp relief.

… and finally, I’m going to make #11 something that I’d really like to *add* to 2011:

More time for creativity. It seems odd, being a professional creative, that I’d feel like I need more time for it. But the last couple of years in particular, I’ve felt so wrapped up in technology and business development that my creative side has felt lacking. I still do good work, still help clients and prospects alike solve important problems of positioning and branding. But sometimes, a girl just needs to get her hands dirty, and remember what it’s like to just *make* something.

Which reminds me – I signed up for my Etsy store this week. Still have to take pictures to put things in the store, but I’m very excited about it as a thing-to-do-after-work.