This is an idea that I’m shamelessly ripping off from Austin Kleon, but since he actually wrote a book called Steal Like An Artist, I’m feeling pretty good about this type of theft. Anyways, here’s what I’m up to at the moment this is being written, which is…
January 2019
Working on the magazine I founded with my wife back in 2014 called Keep It Local Maine, which is dedicated to promoting locally owned and managed companies in Southern Maine to their communities. At the moment, we have four magazines that are published in different areas as well as online and on social media platforms. As repetitive as the job might sound, it’s a great challenge that I enjoy, working with different clients and trying to find new ways to present information. Sort of like a couple dozen puzzles within one big puzzle that I get to put together every two weeks.
Musically, I’m leading the worship team at my church, which is kind of like my day job in that there’s a lot of variety. We have somewhere around twenty musicians on the team, which means that each week we have a new band playing together – even with people who are in a kinda-sorta rotation, there’s always unique combinations that come together. Listening and watching musicians interact is always fun, and it’s especially fun doing it on a weekly basis in a way that brings joy to people.
In other areas of music, I get the chance to sing and play harmonica with Tumbledown Saints. We’re working on a big show at Portland House Of Music in mid-January and then have our sites set on recording a whole bunch of original music in early February in our DIY recording studio that also doubles as my garage.
There’s an idea that I’ve had in the back of my head for awhile now for a book poetry – a concept really that has refused to be ignored. Damn thing keeps bobbing to the surface every few months, so I’ve decided to make working on that a priority and goal for 2019. At this point, I’m about a third of the way to my goal in terms of writing poems so I’ll have a pool of work to choose from and revise.
Family wise, I’m always trying to be a better dad and husband, which carries its own type of success and failure on a moment-by-moment basis. We’re actually going on a proper vacation this year (as opposed to our five day whirlwind last year) and I’m hoping to start a hobby with my daughter before she gets old enough where I’m not cool enough to hang with. Also, I’ve gotten back on the horse (or exercise bike as it were) in terms of fitness and trying to eat less like a ravenous pig that just escaped from a desert island. So there’s that.