New Year

I'm generally not a huge fan of New Year's celebration. This time of year I feel as though I am more of an observer, in that anthropological sort of way, looking in on the world of social media as my friends and contacts make resolutions and insist that this is their year. While I realize that ritual is important, I just find this particular holiday to be a bit stupid. Mainly because the clock striking twelve does not magically change anything. Once the year flips from one to the next, we are not suddenly changed. There is no omnipotent hand that has suddenly handed you another chance to make changes or resolutions that you weren't already perfectly capable of doing.

We easily forget that we can make resolutions any time we like. We have the power to change the things in our lives that aren't getting accomplished or set new goals. Any time!

That said, one does tend to feel reflective in a new year. 2009 in particular has been happily ushered out by the masses. It was a tough year for many- especially with that whole e-c-o-n-o-m-y thing. 2010 has us filled with hope- because after last year, how can it get any worse?

Rather than drudging over everything that royally sucked about last year, social media is all a flutter with new goals, resolutions and trends for the upcoming year. Even Smashing Magazine challenged designers to Design Something Every Day- something I've attempted myself on several occasions and just haven't followed through with.

In the spirit of 2010, and for the sake of my own mental organization, here are some goals I have in mind for the upcoming year:

• Go back to school - Or at least figure out what school and what program, and get through the application process for next year. As a designer there are several highly relevant degrees and programs out there to improve in any of the many aspects of the field, including business development, programming, sustainability & environmental studies, communication design, etc.
  
• Do more freelance work - Since my full time job as an in-house designer keeps me pretty busy (and pleasantly well fed), I've neglected my own freelance development. I'd like improve this in the coming year by gaining some reliable (and hopefully not crazy-making) freelance clients and contacts. This also means building my brand up a little more. So,
• Redesign, update, and build Proverbial Ink - including using the name to participate in more forums, on more blogs, and build my own. My site hasn't been updated in well over a year, and I've heaps of new works to show off and a fancy updated resume to tout.
  
• Blog more - I frequently start and abandon my blog. Shame on me!
• Do less pro bono work - This seems a little counter intuitive but I am constantly consulting and working on things for my friends for free. While that's all well and good, the time would probably be better spent either working on pro bono work for causes that I support, or seeking out paid work. I love my friends, but this sort of thing can often devalue the potential of design and ultimately does a disservice to us all. Not to mention it's a pain in the ass.

Hopefully I'll get around to using that gym membership, too.

Here’s to a happy, healthy, productive, and exciting new year!