Next week is my quarterly week off, when I don’t train, write, draw, etc.  I go to work, I do the minimum of cleaning, and I try to rest.  It’s good for the mind, it’s good for the body, it’s good for the soul, and it’s definitely good for the joints.

The problem is that I’m not done with my work.  I’ve got several projects that are lingering to address.  Now, it won’t be the end of the world if they spill over into the next week, but I really do try to protect that time.  Rest isn’t laziness, it isn’t the opposite of hard work; it is a part of hard work.  Anybody who espouses going 100% all the time is on something harmful.

 

Go vote.

Speaking of training, I’ve returned to my austere fat-loss diet.  It surprises some people, but I actually really like it.  It’s essentially a specific amount of lean protein, a few servings of fruit, and a few servings of healthy fats.  Also lots of vegetables.  It is a strict diet, but I actually enjoy it.

Since I’ve found the most success when dieting with the inclusion of Cheat Days, I thought I’d try to lose some fat during the holidays.  Rather than try to navigate around all the food-related festivities, I thought I would use them to my advantage.  It’ll be an interesting experiment.

 

Go vote.

 

Speaking of training and dieting, my attempt to go on a mass-gaining routine this fall failed miserably.  All I put on was fat, not muscle.  Since I didn’t do a traditional mass routine, that may have been part of it.  I also couldn’t figure out what I needed to add to fuel muscle-building and minimize fat-gain (you pretty much can’t gain muscle without adding some bodyfat).  I may give it another go in the future, but right now I want to get back my six-pack.

 

Go vote.

 

My big project fell through.  What I was hoping to unveil in January, at MAGFest, isn’t going to work.  I’m pretty bummed out about that.  I really liked it and I was excited to have something totally new, but it simply wasn’t going to be sustainable.  Given that it was going to be a seven-year commitment, sustainability was paramount.  I haven’t abandoned it entirely.  I’ll revisit it in the future and see if I can make it work.  But as is, it just wasn’t going to work out.  I still have some surprises for MAGFest (possibly even Anime USA), but the big one will have to wait.

 

Go vote.

 

I remember trying to make a video game for MAGFest.  I took some programming classes online and tried to learn how to make a basic platformer.  It was going okay-ish until I got to the stage of development where I needed to make graphics.  Holy.  Hell.  Everything came to a grinding halt.  It took me over a week to make a single sprite.  And not even the movement of said character.  JUST the unmoving, standing sprite.  Not even any animation to show, like, breathing or anything.  Geez.  And since I was trying to make this at 8-bit level of complexity, you know we’re not talking about serious animation here.

I have new respect for game makers and programmers.  Sheesh, it’s a nightmare.  Like the above project, I may revisit this idea, possibly even for 2018.  I’ve gotten back into the groove with my art and, with some new art programs, it might be possible to speed up the creation process a bit.  I may also set my bar a little lower (meaning pre-8-bit style gaming), just to get started.

I want to make a video game for several reasons, not the least of which I love games.  I also feel like there’s a dearth of platformers, which as a child of the 1980s and 1990s, I loved.  Plus, some of my stories would work REALLY well as video games.

And, it’s MAGFest.  Music And Gaming Festival.  I want to contribute more to the artform and medium of video games.

 

Go vote.

 

So yeah.  I’m looking ahead because, with my week off next week, I’ll go into my winter cycle thereafter.  Since it straddles New Years, a lot of my goals for next year need to be decided on now so I can put them into motion.  I like splitting the year into four 12-week cycles with the week off in between.  It helps me re-calibrate my efforts and my goals, and it helps me keep things fresh.  It also gives me hard deadlines with which to get things done, and with which to grade my progress on whatever I am working towards.  I recommend it.

 

Go vote.

 

The world seems a scary place right now, I know.  Somedays seem better than others.  But if given the chance, I encourage you to do all you can to make the world a better place, if just a tiny bit.  A tiny bit every week, maybe even every day, adds up so fast.

 

Go vote.