Now at the official end of 2009, I thought it best to provide an update on some of the things I’ve been working on and thinking about. Given my experiences over the past two years and the end of an analysis cycle that spanned a similar timeframe, I am moving forward with a new sense of who I am and what I need to do to make my life better.
First let’s review what was accomplished in 2009:
2009 Accomplishments
– Successful completion of Design Drawing I, Academy of Art University
– Further expansion and development of graphic design portfolio
– Further expansion of photography portfolio and related education
– One-year anniversary of Big Generator blog
– Creation of “Generator” publication (Big Generator – Year One) – to be released in late January
– Creation of “Hierarchy of Needs” project management publication
– Creation of “Microcosms” blog (fictional exploration)
– Concept development of new novels – “Five” and “Citadel 9”
– Completion of various personality, strengths and interpersonal / communication tests
– Closure of “Spark” Plane and creation of “Genesis” Plane (Planescape Advancement System)
– In-depth exploration of information design and the initial stages of starting a related business venture
– Relationship counseling and meetings with life / business coach
– Extensive BPD research
– Read nine books and made considerable progress on three others
2010 Plans
Branding: In a desire to formalize my personal brand, I am moving forward with the design of a self-entitled web site – www.adriandaniels.com – and should have the first version ready for release in the next several weeks. At this stage, the initial version of the site will be comprised of four main areas – “incubator” (concept exploration), “microcosms” (fiction), “pixeldust” (illustration) and “atomik” (sound). The site is intended to centralize projects and concepts that I am working on so that I can review my creative and intellectual development over time.
Books: I made a conscious decision in 2007 to read more books. Now having read approximately thirty-two books since that time, I feel that I have accomplished what I originally set out to do. As many of you have noticed, my current reading list has been rather lengthy. To increase focus in 2010, I have reduced the current reading list with approximately five books that I am actively reading. I am also thinking about creating a new reading page which could be classified as a “holding pattern” or “abandoned” section for books that are on the radar or have been temporarily set aside.
I also decided to move entries originally found within an “interpersonal” section into the “What I Read in 2007 / 2008” pages. These pages were originally password protected but I no longer see the need for this level of privacy. Given the significant educational investment in this interpersonal / relationship subject area, I do not anticipate spending a significant amount of time in this area in 2010.
Creative Writing: When I created the Microcosms blog earlier this year, I started to work on a novel called “Five” which was to follow five characters on a remote planet with a desire to connect seemingly isolated worlds. While the concepts were developing fairly well, I was concerned that the sheer magnitude of the plot would soon become unmanageable. Thus, I decided to switch gears and take on a more concise storyline. In 2010 I will continue down this new path with a planned successful conclusion by the end of the year. The title of this new novel is called “Citadel 9”.
Illustration (Anatomy): The past three classes taken at the Academy of Art University have been primarily focused on industrial design drawing and sketching. As I would like to expand my sketching ability towards people / animals / creatures, I need to spend more time understanding human anatomy and the techniques associated with drawing and sculpting the human body. To this end, I recently purchased tutorial videos from AnatomyTools.com and am planning to attend a future workshop on human anatomy later this year. I will also spend more time learning through existing tutorial videos purchased through the Gnomon Workshop. The ultimate goal is to use this knowledge and illustration experience to supplement / complement the creative writing pursued via the Microcosms blog.
Information Design: The self-analysis that I went through over the past two years led me to the area of information design. “Information design “… draws on typography, graphic design, applied linguistics, applied psychology, applied ergonomics, computing and other fields.” (designcouncil.org.uk). Fortunately, this area aligns very closely with my strengths and interests and thus, this is the area that I will likely spend the most time in 2010. Fortunately, a great deal of the other creative pursuits just mentioned will serve as catalysts / contributors to the ID creative process.
I have other ideas that I am still thinking through, therefore this list could expand or contract. However, I feel fairly confident that these areas represent the core of what I’ll be working on in 2010. It will be an exciting journey!