Archive for the ‘random’ Category

Personal Metadata

It started with a simple idea.  Doesn’t it always.  In order to carry out this simple idea I needed to review 20 years worth of images which were organized neatly in folders by year/month/event but even digitally that’s a lot of folders.  In that moment I decided that since I had finally developed a Lightroom workflow which included tagging all current images, now was time to tag every image I had.  Great they’re finally tagged!  (No more phone calls, do you remember the name of the person who blah blah blah.)

Of course, like all projects I devise that involve a certain amount of OCD invariably there was scope creep. Boy is it annoying that when I call up all images tagged X they don’t sort nicely, let’s go rename all those old images properly yyyymmdd_xxx_desc.  And then finally, the inevitable, am I sure I scanned everything I would want scanned? Better make sure, so I hooked up the scanner and flipped through the old analog albums. Turns out quite a few new scans were made (I’m not totally insane, I’m not going to worry about dust marks until I want to use the image for something.)

I love this project now that it is complete.
Lightroom Keyword/Label

So it should have come as no surprise to me to find myself reviewing the iTunes database.  My phone upgrade date is less than two weeks away, and all those songs I ripped from CDs without thinking about the cover art are not going to look pretty on the retina display, are they?  I didn’t think so.  If you need me, I’ll be here cleaning up music.

 

Resume Word Cloud

I’ve been thinking about ways to make my resume stand out in a crowd, and I started thinking about infographics… and I’m still thinking about how to create a relevant infographic for my resume. But as I tinker with that I thought I share my word cloud starting point, which I created using Wordle  (Admittedly this is very 2010.)

Resume Word Cloud

4 Lesssons and Resolutions

360 Screen Clock

Back in May 2010, after a solid 5 months of job search, I decided that looking for a new job made me feel like Goldilocks (under qualified, over qualified, and waiting for just right.) Not to mention that the arduous process of researching and writing cover letters brought to mind Einstein defining insanity as doing something over and over again and expecting a different result.

7.5 months later I have landed and I find myself reflecting on what I’ve learned and how I can apply these lessons to my life in general.

1) A Zen attitude about Patience.  Okay, I’m still working on this, it really doesn’t come naturally to me.  I don’t have an easy time sitting around waiting for something to happen and while I wait I tend to make up elaborate schemes about what is going to happen – it passes the time but its hardly productive.  I hereby resolve to try to wait patiently for things to happen once I’ve done everything in my power to set something in motion.

2)  Rejection – I can handle it. In fact I’d much rather be rejected than left in the dark.   No answer is not an answer.   I resolve to never leave someone hanging for an answer or an update.

3)  Optimism Wins. Generally speaking I’m an optimist and confident in my ability to realize a dream.  The past 12 months had its ups and downs and I’d be lying if I said my giddy optimism wasn’t upon occasion replaced by “snarky cynicism” or the less amusing “pits of despair.”  I resolve to keep a light shining brightly on believing in the future (even if I’m also being snarky.)

4) Be like the people I’ve admired.  The best part of this whole journey has been the people I’ve gotten to know or know better on the trip.  I’m so grateful for the myriad things I’ve learned from the many people (too many to list and you know who you are) who have been there for me with words of encouragement, advise, leads, or a drink.  I resolve to be like the people I describe as people who rock.

weekend

It’s been a good weekend.

First, the new bed arrived: new bed I LOVE IT. Love. I’ve taken naps all weekend just because its so comfortable. I got a simple, super firm, mattress and picked up memory foam topper separately. The end result is just like Goldilocks’ just right.

Also on deck this weekend was watching the The World Cup. I wish we hadn’t lost to Ghana but it was a good game and their defense was on. On the bright side, I’m glad there’s an African team progressing. I also spent some time in my local bar/restaurant with good friends and I productively crossed things off the (never ending) To-Do list.

Oh, and this rocks, Edge + Muse doing Where The Streets Have No Name. Wow.

been a while

Hello Blog. It’s been a while since I’ve fed and watered you – it’s not that I don’t have good intentions. Seriously, I’ve got great intentions – I even hatched a vague plan to try and focus myself. Something along the lines of a topic schedule pencil i.e. “Social Media Mondays” and “Publishing Tuesdays” or something like that. I must sharpen that plan (and a pencil) and get on it.

In my (feeble) defense I have not been lazing around. I’ve been busy with tectonic shifts in summer plans, photo shoots, and consulting for a self publisher on digital, marketing, setting up databases and metadata. It’s exciting stuff.

I’ve traded in my “stuupid” phone for a berry and I really couldn’t imagine going back. Maybe more on that topic later (Technology Wednesdays?)

Also, I’m very much in the market for a new mattress – the lumps, bumps, and sinkhole in mine have become too much to bear. If you have an opinion of Serta or Sealy please let me know your thoughts.

Happy 50th Bono

As a U2 fan, and a pretty big U2 fan at that, I want to take a moment to wish Bono a very Happy Birthday.

In honor of his birthday I’m going to post my favorite picture, that I took, of Bono from the past tour. I was honored to donate a print of this image in the African Well Fund’s “Build A Well For Bono’s Birthday” auction.

Bono Knees Boston2 09

And many more!

I know that I am super excited about seeing/hearing more of U2 in 2010.

yay!

I had the opportunity to try and do something silly, that when successful, never fails to make me happy. And by happy, I mean an ephemeral giddy schoolgirl sort of happy. I nearly skipped this fleeting chance but after consultation with friends, who share in these silly adventures, I was in the game.

A day later, the smile still on my face, I am so glad I listened to my friends.

As a master of rationalization I am now reflecting upon what meaningful lessons I can extrapolate to my current career transition. It’s not too much of a stretch for me to focus upon the following:

*You’ve got to be in it to win it. Nothing can happen if you don’t try.
*You make your own luck, your strategy counts.
*Confidence. You’ve got to believe in both yourself and in the opportunity.
*Ask questions, don’t speculate wildly.
*Smile.

Einstein and Goldilocks

einsteingoldilocks
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. -Albert Einstein

I’ve been thinking about that statement a lot these days and I’ve decided that I am having a disagreement with Mr. Einstein. I will keep applying to jobs, and I will keep getting excited as I go through the subsequent processes because I am genuinely excited about each opportunity I seek out. And I do expect that I will get an offer from one (or more) of these opportunities.

At heart I have always been optimistic, it’s who I am. I am also pragmatic. And if I can be funny about it, I may even sound out some pessimism.

I believe I am going to intersect with the right thing and it’s going to be great for both me and the organization whose offer I accept.

The Goldilocks connection should be obvious. In the story, for Goldilocks at first it was “too hot,” then it was “too cold,” and in the end something turns out to be “just right!”

Patience

Waiting for it to ring. Patience is a virtue. Working on being virtuous.

phone

“…It’ll work itself out fine
All we need is just a little patience..”

-Guns N’ Roses

Sing Yourself On Down The Street….

I’ve been in a great mood this week. Sure, maybe its the weather – thank goodness the rain has gone away. On the other hand, maybe its the belief that it is all going to work out and I’m not sure I can’t attribute that feeling to sunshine. (Cue up BEP, I Got A Feeling…)

I will attribute the glorious appearance of sunshine to the recent uptick in my listening to The Grateful Dead. I always want to listen to The Dead in Spring, must have something to do with long ago parties at Gilbert Lake.

My favorite happy music this week came on the radio the other day and I turned it up to eleven. The song, City of Blinding Lights. My God, I love that song. Love. I especially love the opening notes. It’s just such a happy piece of music and brings me to my happy place. I wish I could draw it or paint it or something. It’s playing in my head right now and I’ve got a smile on my face.