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This is just a note for any of you that follow my blog. I am taking a temporary hiatus from Grace.Balance.Courage while I am on a few big endeavors.
One of them is a half marathon I am challenging myself with in order to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I am blogging my journey on my donation site, which you can visit at http://pages.teamintraining.org/dm/pfchangs11/tbartz#home.
Additionally I am in the progress of starting up a new UX blog which is taking some of my time and house hunting. I promise when I get everything squared away I will be back, better than ever. Love you all!
Hurray! I am very pleased to announce that as of July 29, 2010 I have finished all the items on my 30 before 30 list. It’s hard to believe I finished it nearly a month early considering I was out of the country for awhile. I’m so thrilled to have had an opportunity to challenge myself and do some fun things in the mean time too. My last 3 consisted of cooking something fancy, getting back on the piano again, and submitting to a conference.
Finished !!
As much as this was my own list, it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of several awesome people that I wanted to take time and mention now.
It’s far too often I hear the skewed perception of how ugly and horrid Arizona is; that it’s filled with dead grass that won’t grow, ugly desert plants, and no greenery, water, or beauty.
Interestingly enough, Arizona’s one of the first states that I’ve traveled more in while living there than going to other states. When I lived in the midwest I always took weekend trips to other states when I traveled. I’ve only traveled out of the state for leisure twice in nearly two years. Most of the time, I find the state I have made home a land of so many different types of scenery and people that it always feels like I’m traveling somewhere new, when I’m in fact staying in my backyard.
Look at all the lakes that are miraculously stuck in the valleys of mountains, and you don’t even have to travel outside of Phoenix to see them either, although I did here in this gorgeous picture of Lake Havasu. Lakes are beautiful anywhere in my opinion, but in the middle of the desert they just seem to have so much more awesome beauty. How can you possibly say this is not a place you’d love to visit frequently? Hell, I want to retire here.
Water isn’t your thing? Looking for something more normal? Some good ol’ woodlands scenery? Maybe even some snow? Look no farther than Flagstaff. Mountains, snow, pine trees, all within a day trip’s distance from my house. You won’t even have the heat of Havasu or Phoenix, promise. On average, it’s 20 degrees cooler at any given time!
Not to mention, desert plant life is just beautiful so I’m not sure how people can claim otherwise. Take a trip down the highways, especially during the spring wildflower season, or head to Boyce Thompson Arboretum where you will see just how glorious desert plants can be:
I rest my case! Arizona is the awesome!
Well I have a little over a month left and three more items to finish. I’m planning on the speaker submission by the end of this month (as that’s when it’s due), and getting back on the piano by August. All that’s left is cooking an amazingly awesome dinner. I cannot believe how much shit I’ve done!!
Finished | Definite Plans to Finish | Finalizing Plans | Still on Backburner
So there, most of them I am on my own with now, but if I beckon you to try some odd ass dinner, don’t be surprised, and please come
I’ve spent the last month or so trying to make a better attempt at recycling. It’s been hard after putting it off for so long and having it be the last thing on my mind. I wasn’t sure how much progress I was truly making until a few days ago.
First and foremost, I’ve discovered that I have been recycling almost 3 times more what I end up throwing away in the garbage on average. Pictures like the one here, which is of the recycling bag and trash can in my bedroom are repeated all over my house. I have a bag/bin for recycling on each floor to ensure that I am being conscious before I toss something in the garbage. It’s amazing what you can recycle when you think about it.
Not only that, but I recently put a recycling bag in my office too. We have a recycling bin, but I often don’t think about it because it’s easier to toss things in my trash can at my desk rather than get up.
Sometimes it’s hard to change your habits, but with enough will it can be done. I can’t tell you how proud I am to cross this 30 before 30 off my list.
There’s a lot of power in the title of this that is relatively accurate. In the months since I’ve returned from my trip overseas, I’ve began to realize that I’ve become pretty lazy. I’m not constantly worried about keeping my house clean, I let my email stack up for weeks at a time without answering it, I don’t feel inclined to work on a side project or cross items off my to-do list if I’d rather watch a movie or go for a bike ride. To most, this may seem normal. To me, it’s almost a complete 180.
Prior to departure, especially the immediate two months beforehand, I was the goddess of chaos. I always had a million things going on; always had to do lists everywhere that I felt obligated to cross off before I would let myself even take a few hours of sleep that night. I would obsess over the smallest things and want to make sure everything was in order at every minute of every day.
I’m not sure how much anyone else really noticed, but I noticed. I was anal about getting my car in or vacuuming to the point that I would cancel plans when those small tasks could’ve easily waited. I don’t recall if it drove me crazy though. I remember sometimes being stressed out, but I don’t ever remember feeling like I was too overwhelmed or out of control.
Since I’ve been back, I’ve had a much different outlook on life. I’ve learned to let go of things and truly appreciate the things that mean the most in life. The ones that don’t, can be put off. However, this has meant having a lot more me time and not catching up on some things that are important. I forgot to pay a bill on time once, and I still have a trunk from Afghanistan at the foot of my bed that has not been unpacked. I don’t remember the last time I washed my car and I have calls I need to make that I just haven’t made time for.
It’s interesting though. You’d think I’d be carefree; feel happier and less chaotic. However, I feel more out of control of my life because I can’t seem to get on even ground again, no matter how much I try. While I love it, I need to find a nice balance between before and after to make my life less stressful.
It’s also amazing what happens when you open your eyes to situations that truly matter in life and not just ones that matter to you or your circle of friends and family. Life and death situations, the safety of our country and other factors make everything else seem minute and pointless, even paying bills and keeping my house in top shape. Going through an experience like this is something that will change your life forever. While I’m not suggesting everyone sign up to head to Afghanistan, I think similar experiences can come from volunteering for projects that truly impact life. Just be cautious that you still have responsibilities on your plate. That will be what I’m working on the rest of the summer.
This has to be one of my absolute favorite parts of my 30 before 30 so far, probably tied with performing at Desert Bloom and visiting the Grand Canyon. Hmm, I just realized I never blogged about either of those events, my apologies.
Most of you that know me understand that up until this particular day in May, I had never painted anything really… especially not on canvas. I’m a sketcher - pretty much lo-fidelity is my game. I’m good at getting the ideas going and generating my ideas and thoughts onto paper for graphic designers to turn into reality. Occasionally I can use Photoshop to create a gem, but it’s rare - a true diamond in the rough.
I’m actually a little embarrassed about how poor my drawing art skills are. I know a lot of very talented artists and graphic designers and I’ve just never been that person. Even more reason to add it to my list.
Initially, my plan was to invite a few of my female folk over to paint in my garage and have a few glasses of wine. I had planned on asking one of my friends Jinia, who is one of the owners of Loveland. As I’m heading to personally invite her, I get an idea. Would she really be up for hosting it? Inviting customers and my friends alike. Would it work?
She was. And it did. I was amazed at how many showed interest, and how many of those had little or no painting experience. It was going to be a first for several of my friends and customers of Loveland, though a few of them had painted several times before.
When I was asked to describe the event, I used these words in an email I quickly drew up to Jinia, which became the message sent to everyone interested in the event:
I’ve really been trying to focus a lot on learning to do new things, and focusing on creativity outside my profession and everyday activities. By no means am I an artist by nature, and to be quite honest, I’ve never painted a canvas before in my life. That in itself made me want to do it. The more I talked with other people, the more I realized there were many people I knew that had never painted before, never having tapped into that part of their creativity before. Why? Some are probably intimated because they consider themselves art challenged (as I often do). Some may have just never thought about just painting a canvas before. Whatever the reason, I have seen a definite need for the mind to tap into different areas of creativity, and I wanted to create a way for my friends and others to do this without fear of embarrassment or intimidation. I can guarantee to them all, the only thing I can do is turn a lower case m into a seagull in the sky. Let’s do this together and create art for our homes, friends, offices, or to trade within our painting session.
Soon we had people donating time and supplies, including Arizona Art Supply and the amazing Jenny Fontana who helped those that had questions in regard to technique.
While I spent the beginning portion of the night watching what others were doing, by the night’s end, I had painted two abstract pieces - one for my bedroom and one for my dining room.
They are finally hung, and I am proud they are mine.
I think the title pretty much sums up everything I would put in an introduction quite well. Honestly, I have to say that the fact that this topic comes up quite often truly surprises me. Every time. When I made the decision to go overseas to support OEF for a project I was working on, it never crossed my mind this was an odd thing, especially since I wasn’t doing it for the money or because I had to. In all honesty, I practically begged for the opportunity to go over and volunteer my efforts.
I guess that yes, most Americans that support the war efforts in Afghanistan and elsewhere are predominantly Republican. And well, I am not predominantly Republican. It was never, and still is not, political to me though. I don’t think it ever will be either.
After being repeatedly asked, it forced me to think about the situation and really break down what my reasons and motivations were. It ended up boiling down to two reasons. My primary reason, and my thought process going into the decision, was completely based on my goal as a human sciences designer - to research the users of my products and ensure they are as usable as possible, rather than the user spending a lot of time using the system. The users happened to be in a rather unconventional place, so that is where I had to go.
As far as our efforts in OEF and OIF though, I have to say that I don’t have a ton of background information or knowledge to make an expert decision on whether we should be there or not, which I think is probably true of most people. Most reactions to the war are emotional. So I ask you to think about this….
We are in a war right now, whether we like it or not. There are brave men and women there, putting their lives at risk every hour they’re there. It’s not a one sided war either. It’s also a little more complicated than just pulling out and leaving. Anyone that thinks we can just pack up and leave needs to do a little more thinking and research. So long as a decision was made at some point to be there, means that it has to be done right and done well. So long as our Marines and soldiers are there I will be supportive of their efforts, pray for their safe return, and do what I can for their safety and well being.
So yes, I do lean towards the liberal end of the spectrum and yes I did all I could to help while I was there. I didn’t cringe every moment of the day either. I rather enjoyed it and was very humbled at the opportunity I received. I don’t see my viewpoints on things changing anytime soon; yet I would still return again.
Awhile back I agreed to guest blog for Light Rail Blogger. It would have something to do with my recent bicycle purchase. I spent awhile thinking about it, which probably looked like I was putting it off. A couple weeks ago it hit me. Why stray from what I know and what is constantly on my mind - user experiences.
I was ecstatic to learn that it not only received lots of views, but that the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) actually retweeted it. I couldn’t be more flattered that a design organization took notice.
The article focuses on the following:
So, what is meant by the user experience of bicycling? It can be as simple or as complicated as you’d like it to be. The experience starts at purchasing a bicycle; it can even include the common thoughts and perceptions society has on bicycles and their purpose. User experience deals with how a person feels riding their bicycle and the issues and pleasures they gain from the experience. It even deals with the interactions they have with other bicyclists, drivers, pedestrians, businesses and roads during their bicycle trips. This experience can sometimes be very intimate for the user.
The full article can be seen here:
http://lightrailblogger.com/2010/04/21/guest-blog-post-the-user-experience-of-bicycling/
I cannot believe it’s almost been a year since I created my 30 before 30 list. I gave myself a tad bit over a year to complete these tasks. My purpose was to do things I’ve always wanted to do and never have, as well as experiment.. and try things I’ve always been afraid to do. I wanted to take some steps in becoming a better person, a better friend, and a better soul. Here is an update on my progress with a little over 3 months left.
I hopefully will have time to blog in a little more detail about some of the best ones, but feel free to let me know if there’s anything you’d like to hear about in particular. As always the ones in red I’m definitely looking for guidance on and the orange ones will hopefully not slip through my fingers either.
