Keep On Keeping On

こんばんは。How’s it going?

It’s the end of the year and as usual, many bloggers and vloggers are re-evaluating their blogs and channels. I’ve seen a few decide that what they are writing about is not adding value, or they feel like they don’t have anything new to write about. Others have found that they’ve reached a plateau in their number of followers and are frustrated that the growth has stopped.

And many of these bloggers/vloggers have decided to pause their activities during the holiday break while they decide if they will continue, re-focus, or quit. I can understand where they are coming from, and I think it’s fine to stop blogging of vlogging if it has become a burden, especially if it’s not your source of income. You shouldn’t feel guilty about losing the motivation or passion that once drove you to create content. People change, and if you force yourself to keep doing the same thing, you won’t grow and you’ll get frustrated.

I’ve actually never done the end-of-year evaluation. I’ve been blogging off-and-on since 2000, and I’ve been posting daily for a couple years now. I suppose the reason why this blog has been going for so long is that I don’t have any long-term goals for it, other than to document my daily life. And my daily life isn’t filled with profound realizations, amazing tips & tricks, or other marketable lifehacks. I just write about anything that strikes my fancy. Sometimes it’s helpful to others, but most of the time, it’s of limited value. I know I won’t make any significant money blogging this way, but I have fun writing, learning about WordPress, affiliate ads, and SEO. And what’s nice is that it takes almost no special effort to do so. That’s because it’s become a habit every night. I never find myself forcing myself to blog… it just happens. And sometimes if I don’t get around to writing that night, I’ll just write two the next day, or simply post a photo. It’s really not worth stressing over.

I said I don’t have any long-term goals for this blog, and it’s true. I blog without trying to gain followers, improve SEO, or make money. Or if I do, it’s just for entertainment. But I do achieve my short-term goal each day, which is to write a little bit and post a photo, which keeps my brain sharp. Those small achievements add up, I believe, and create a sense of wellbeing and a healthy mind.

But for those bloggers who have more invested in their blogs, and perhaps a financial interest in having a profitable blog/channel, you have my respect and support! And I hope you all have a successful 2019!

In the spirit of including a photo in my daily post, here’s a random pic of items on my desk.

"Desk Items" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/100 sec, ISO1000
“Desk Items” Cedar Park, 2018

I hope you had a nice Friday!

またね~

Snapshots from Today

こんばんは。How’s it going? Today’s post is simply a few photos from the day.

This morning started out with a neighborhood cat coming over to say hi to Yuzu.

"Inside vs Outside" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/9 sec, ISO3200
“Inside vs Outside” Cedar Park, 2018

When I arrived at work, the light looked beautiful shining through the leaves in the tree.

"Morning Light" Austin, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/220 sec, ISO200
“Morning Light” Austin, 2018
"Morning Light" Austin, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec, ISO320
“Morning Light” Austin, 2018

Tonight we had shredded beef and cole-slaw sliders for dinner. I took the standard food photo, but also a “behind the scenes” shot.

"Behind the Scenes" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/18 sec, ISO3200
“Behind the Scenes” Cedar Park, 2018
"Shredded Beef and Cole Slaw" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/50 sec, ISO3200
“Shredded Beef and Cole Slaw” Cedar Park, 2018

I hope you had a nice day!

またね~

Ink Version

"Ink Portrait" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/100 sec, ISO1000
“Ink Portrait” Cedar Park, 2018

こなばんは。How’s it going?

For today’s drawing, I wanted to work on another version of the previous sketch, but instead of just pencil or watercolor, I wanted to go black and white. I have a container of Kuretake Zig Cartoonist Ink and an Ohuhu water brush and it was fun to use them together. I am pleased with how this version turned out! I had previously used the ink with a cheap brush on regular sketch paper, but using the ink with the firm water brush on watercolor paper makes a HUGE difference! It’s a combination I can see myself enjoying often in the future.

"Watercolor Portrait" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/100 sec, ISO1250
“Watercolor Portrait” Cedar Park, 2018
"2017.12.05 Sketch" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/125 sec, ISO4000
“2017.12.05 Sketch” Cedar Park, 2018

So, it’s been a couple weeks since I started my Daily Drawing habit, and it’s been going well. I’ve only missed one day where I didn’t do something in my sketchbook (traveling and didn’t get to the hotel until 1:30 am!) which is a nice accomplishment. So I’m pretty proud of that. 😊

I hope you had a good day!

またね~

Watercolor Portrait

"Watercolor Portrait" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/100 sec, ISO1250
“Watercolor Portrait” Cedar Park, 2018

こんばんは。

Tonight I did a watercolor version of a sketch I did a few days ago. It’s so much fun to play with color! I used my Prima “The Classics” watercolors, plus a couple other Windsor & Newton colors that Bay got me for my birthday.

"2017.12.05 Sketch" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/125 sec, ISO4000
“2017.12.05 Sketch” Cedar Park, 2018

To see all the sketches I’ve been working on, you can check out the Flickr album “My Sketching Journey”, or my Instagram account barron.sketches which I created just for posting sketches, watercolors, and stationery items.

I hope you had a good day!

またね~

Haircut

"In the Chair" Austin, 2018
Photo info: motorola moto g(6), 3.95mm, f/1.8, 1/30 sec, ISO246
“In the Chair” Austin, 2018

こなばんは。How’s it going?

Today I went for a haircut (to get cleaned up for the holidays) and I was thinking about how little thought I put into my hair and how rarely I get it cut… I probably wait 2-3 months between cuts which is way too long. I mean, my sideburns start getting weird and unruly and then I still put off going for a haircut for 2 more weeks.

But I really should go more often especially because I found a great hairstylist who is close by and it is very convenient to reserve time online. In fact, it’s probably the easiest now than it’s ever been in my life, so why shouldn’t I go more often?

As I was thinking about this, I tried to recall where I used to get my haircut during the different phases of my life, and there are some huge gaps where I just can’t remember what I used to do. For instance, I lived in Japan for almost 3 years but I only remember getting my haircut once… And where did I get my haircuts when I was in college? When I lived in West Los Angeles, I can only remember a single time when I got a haircut. Very strange.

"New Cut" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: motorola moto g(6), 3.95mm, f/1.8, 1/15 sec, ISO1312
“New Cut” Cedar Park, 2018

I hope you had a nice Sunday!

またね~

San Jacinto Museum of History and Battleship Texas

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