Alright, I'll start this off with a confession: I !@#$ed up.
I completely whiffed on publishing a Captain's Log at the end of February.
That's when I turned 33 years old. Not a terribly exciting number, but with every year I reflect more on what I want to be doing vs what I should be doing. Work, personal, where I spend my time with projects and hobbies. Everything can be assessed. The work never stops, it is endless. But at 33 I'm learning to say no to things and put additional focus on the things that are important.
I recently read a post from Pat Kay's Creative&Process newsletter that spoke to me and some of the burnout I've been feeling. At 33 I'm finally allowing myself to rest and "come up for air," as he says:
I wanted to make this post this week to serve as a reminder that it's important to come up for air every now and then. If you're anything like me, I can go on working forever, especially because I love what I do, but it's dangerous. When the quality of your work and the quality of your life and the quality of your relationships start dipping, it's time to come up for a breath, enjoy the air, feel the satisfaction of what you just did, and then get ready to go back for another round.
Either way, at 33 I am very happy with where I am and what I've accomplished. I still have lot to learn, but I am happy.
Part of building this has been demonstrating some consistency, and hectic work travel made me miss a self-imposed deadline with the February Captain's Log. Work has continued to be a little crazy, but I've kept at it with the photography challenge content. I have a few articles in the works amongst the other topics this site covers which I am truly excited to write about.
One of the bright spots in starting MDNT has been interacting with you, the community. We're three months down in the 52-week challenge which is a great accomplishment. Participants have come and gone, but there have been many who have stuck with it. We've had conversations regarding the challenges and the growth experienced as photographers. Spring is right around the corner and I look forward to interacting with more of you in person.
Quick Hits
Gaming
Counter-Strike 2. That's it. It exists, and I can't wait to try it.
I played the Diablo IV Beta and I am really excited for the full game to come out in June. The game seems truly exciting and gave me a strong sense of nostalgia since I've spent a lot of time with the earlier entries of the franchise.
Both CS2 and Diablo IV come out in summer, which isn't ideal for logging some hours and enjoying summertime. I usually take a gaming hiatus to make sure I take full advantage of the nice weather.
Rethinking Personal Photography
My kit has evolved over these last few years as my shooting preferences have changed. I'm finding that I reach for my Leica Q2 more and more for my personal outings to just document life. Late last year I added a M6 to the mix to slow down my process, challenge how I shoot, and learn film. It has been frustrating at times, but ultimately enjoyable and rewarding when I get it right (see image above. I plan to write about this process in a longer post now that I've put a dozen rolls through the camera.
Fitness
In the last Captain's Log, I discussed a return to a fitness routine. I've stuck with it, hopping on the Peloton 3-4 times a week between volleyball and hockey. I am finding that it has helped my energy and mood overall. I'm not so caught up if I miss a day or two, but I've made a rule that I don't miss more than two days if I can truly avoid it. Work travel, of course, threw some wrenches into that rule, but I've been able to get back on track after a trip which is most important.
Otherness
I have the itch to make some videos soon. As spring is finally starting to show its face I feel motivated to make some short little videos. Mike and I have also talked about a potential Podcast setup. What's the topic? Who knows, but we can wander through various topics as we've shown in the past.
Have some ideas? Let me hear them via email or Twitter.
Take care of yourselves, and thanks for the continued support.
— Nick
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