2015 in Review

Image thanks to 1funny.com

My new year’s resolution is to write my year in review earlier next time.

“Why the monkey on the sheep?” you ask? 2015 was the year of the sheep. 2016 is the monkey. I think that technically it is a goat, but hey the Chinese character for goat and sheep are the same.

2015 was a good year. I learned a lot. I did a lot. I had a lot to be thankful for.

Creative and Culture (a mixed bag) – 33 and 39 posts respectively

Problem is, these are general catch-all categories. So you might see one post that is about Shodo, that is also about Culture, and is also about Creativity.

Books (business, pleasure) – 20 posts, a few more read

I’ve always had a complicated relationship with reading. Lately, I let the world dictate that relationship. I let work interrupt my pleasure with books. I hadn’t read a book for pleasure in a decade. I changed that, reading a lot more, and a lot more broadly. Not just pleasure, not just work. Reading is cool – just like Fez’s 😉

Shodo (Japanese Calligraphy) – 15 posts

I ranked up from 10 to 8 in Kanji, and to 6 in Kana. My Pen is stubbornly stuck at rank beginner. Truth be told, I haven’t even submitted the last couple of times. I don’t beat myself up for it, though. I do this so I can be with my youngest daughter for a couple of hours on a Saturday. I also do it because I want to learn. And I also do it because… well it’s just so darned beautiful. Letters as art.

Photography (aerial and land based, video) – 13 in total

I bought a drone in 2014 and flew it a lot in 2015, actually made it into a couple of TV shows, youtube channels, and one (independent) feature film. This really gave me a lot of pleasure. It is not a business, not a income stream, but a genuine pleasure. My friend, Chris, introduced me. He would tell me it was all me, but I know that nothing is possible without friends.

I also took a bunch of land-based photos that were also a lot of fun, bought a new camera, and spent maybe a bit too much money. But I can shoot my kids’ spring concert in 4k video now, and how many people can say that?

Other (a bunch)

It was a great year, and I intend to keep on doing more of the same.