Chit Chat 2023

[Coryn]

The chit chat topic is dead. Long live the chit chat topic.

[Suuper-san]

aight let's get this one rolling

any new years resolutions anyone?

Mine aren't particularly resolutions but more wishes :P
Artwise I'm thinking I'd like to improve my online presence with the goal of getting more commissions, I'd also like to start posting a serial manga online on the popular sites as well although I think I'd like to practice some more first.
Casually though I'd like to do a serial of any level to practice my writing, not sure what form it'll take but I really want to write quite a bit without worrying about the art side so I can level up the writing on its own.
Life wise I've got decorating and gardening jobs to get the home in order, this might be the year we finally get some big tasks done like replacing the staircase. We've made good progress the last few years so we have good reason to be hopeful of progress.

One vague resolution I've had in mind is learning another language, I've sort of got Japanese under my belt so I figured I'd try something more normal like French.

[NO1SY]

My resolution is to learn piano.



For the 5th year in a row…..

[Operative13]

This year, I've completely cut down on all my projects to focus on the one project I am now running: Serendetia.

The aim is to (hopefully) complete the story by Week 52...ish, but that will depend both on the feedback I get and how active the audience is. I do spend a good deal of time and effort, so having that engagement is a good indicator whether I should keep going or not. So if you're supportive of the project, be sure you get your votes in each week! 

[Suuper-san]

@NO1SEY this is the year!!!! I believe in you!!!
my best advice is try and learn tunes that you like, which will keep you more focused long term. It's not always easy to focus on grinding skills doing scales all the time, although they are pretty useful. Same with art or writing if you have a specific goal for why you want to learn it, that'll make it easier to stay on track.

@Operative having a weekly project will definitely put your organization to the test as you face various circumstances through the year. Cutting down on the other projects is definitely a good idea as too many can make you lose your focus on all of them. I would say try and keep going regardless of engagement, although hopefully you'll always have some people interested if not more. You can always roll the dice to give you an element of variation in the choices if no-one votes :P

[Echo_River]

Happy New Year MR!!

My three main goals this year are actually not drawing and writing related for once wooo \o/ I'd like to start taking vocal lessons, study languages like Japanese and Mandarin more seriously, and the third - which I've already started by learning to play Pickleball - is trying to do more activities outside of the house.

@NO1SEY Go for it!! This piano teacher is rooting for you!!
I agree with Suuper's advice there on musical goals. My two cents would be... learning by note and by ear. Note reading will expand the number of pieces you can play, while playing by ear will help you learn songs faster, especially if you know the tune already.

[NO1SY]

Lovely to hear from you all :)

I just need to put in the time to practice, and not get too tempted by my drum kit that is right next to the piano. Also, I don’t listen to a lot of piano-style music, and the stuff I do like with piano in it is super complex and too much for a beginner like me. I was making progress learning stairway to heaven though! Anyways, with your support, I’ll try to make sure that this will be the year!

How was everyone’s NYE? I was very lucky and have been staying in a 17th century tower house (although it’s named as a castle) in Scotland with my family over this break. So NYE was spent drinking Scotch in front of a roaring fireplace and singing along to throwback songs on Jools Holland!

[Coryn]

Resolutions for this year should be a little easier since I don't have to use up all my time and energy for 6 months getting married 

In no particular order:

- Get my orange belt in aikido.
- Finish War Arc
- Dry January (so far so good, despite having spent 2 od 4 days so far at sporting events)
- Clean out the house of everything we don’t need anymore and donate or trash it as able (read: convince my wife to take a hard look at her stuff, lol)
- Start and run a successful Dune: Adventures in the Imperium campaign.


NYE was good at our place. Had a tiki party with a few friends. Nice and chill, and with good drinks before my period of abstinence.

[Suuper-san]

@echo all the best for learning Japanese! I found the easiest way was just spamming tons of anime lol. As long as you listen actively you can pick up a fair amount of vocab and phrases. Even replaying bits to hear what they're saying helps. Second to that, music such as Jpop is great for casual listening to help immerse yourself.

@No1SEY same the piano pieces I want to play are too advanced for me and all the others I dont like!!! That's quite a hurdle to push past to practice tunes you dont like to gain skill, it's one of the things that put me off piano lessons.

@Coryn a nice bunch of goals, all the best

[Manimal]

Wow, my first post since April.

Resolutions

- Record atleast two new albums this year (I only put out one last year)
- Continue to find a lot of new to me music and listen to lots of brand new stuff
- Finish an Anime (I haven't done so since November 2021) 

I really don't go ambitious with resolutions, I'm just living life at this point. Still in school, with another year to go after this but hopefully the course I'm taking is finally the one. At this point, I just want to be done and move on to finally having an actual career. Like I'm going to be 27 in July I feel like I should be set already. But, this is how things have unfolded for me.

2022 was half bad and half good for me. The year started with my '95 Caprice (my first car that I'd driven for 9 years) giving out, leaving me without a car for three months which put me in a bad place. Thus began the depression spending. I was using Discogs carelessly, while also selling stuff on eBay to perpetuate some kind of sick game ("I'm not buying these records, I'm actually just trading these other things for them"). I mean, I sold a lot of stuff I don't care for anymore. All my comics, lots of my figures and video games. Just to fuel my record collection. Safe to say my priorities were not in order for half of the year. 

But once I got my '92 Roadmaster in May everything went into turbo mode. The year went by so fast after that, I don't even know what happened. Going on drives with a car that actually has functioning suspension, the ability to go over 100km without a death rattle and all was the most joy I've had in a while. That was what my year was all about, going around all the nice backroads and listening to my cassette tapes. The definition of pure joy to me. The best part of my year was going on a cruise with 10-12 other people. It was amazing and I want to do it again and again and again! 

Also being at the college instead of the awful online class was a big up. The year started with online classes, which were awful but going back to the college and making friends with my classmates was a big highlight for me. I was so happy to just be around people in that environment again. So after a rough start things lightened up a lot for the rest of the year.

So 2023, I don't know. Just another year, it'll be what it is.   

[Coryn]

I must say too, that given the last year of turmoil for myself (both good and bad), my biggest goal of all this year is to concentrate more on the moment and my own fulfillment with life.

It's funny, because despite the chaos that was 2020, I found the extra time to myself afforded me the chance to get more in touch with myself. 2021 and 2022, despite being more "normal" meant moving away from that headspace. I aim to reclaim that momentum and use it for achieving my goals. Less sitting around consuming, more movement, refinement, and creation.

[Suuper-san]

you know Coryn that's exactly the issue I think I'm facing. When I didn't have to go into work in 2020 I had the time I needed for myself and could get full momentum going, but with work and other commitments now that covid is "over" and everything resumed, that time falls drastically short once again. But the shock of losing that stability I think caused more emotional damage than if I had never had it to begin with.

Less sitting around consuming, more movement, refinement, and creation.

amen brother let's do this!!!!

[Coryn]

[Suuper-san]

I've been reading way too much manga lately...I keep telling myself it's art research but that excuse is starting to wear thin....

[Coryn]

Gotta keep that balance between 'research' and 'slacking off', lol

As a seed to move the PC convo over, I would like to present the 3rd way, which may or may not be available in your area: Going to the computer/tech store of choice and getting someone there to build it for you.

My rig is custom built, but I just worked through what I wanted with the guy at the local Micro Center and they did the hard work of actually putting it together for me. At the end I had about the best I could using pre-pandemic tech (keep in mind I built mine last spring).

Gave me all the benefit of a custom PC, but with non of the hassle. I do recommend if you have the option, since the actual fee to build the thing was only $150, which next to the total cost of the PC is nothing. I had just had enough of cheap laptops going kaput in two years.