Starting to feel a bit more fit.

I think my recent semi-regular trips to basketball have started to increase my physicality a bit. At least, it feels a bit better and noticing anything at all is something I haven't experienced in a while. My hops aren't totally back but it feels easier to touch the rim so that's cool. I might be able to touch with two hands if I tried hard enough... maybe I'll try next week. I could still stand to lose about 15lbs or so to really feel like I am back in action. Weight loss is a much more difficult thing to do than I ever really expected. Mostly, I just think I don't have enough motivation to improve my self-discipline enough to get it done. Some other time, I guess. Ha.

Focus among friends.

I have been working my brains out for quite a while and I mean that almost literally. My brains are often useful but only when they're actually in my head. So, when I take the opportunity to visit with my friends, to socialize even a little, it really feels like my brains do actually return for a pleasant increase in my focus. It's basically like finding my ground again. A bit of a reset button... and more metaphors as well. I need to socialize more. I'm sure it is actually a need, even. Now to actually implement it, I suppose, is the challenge.

Still feeling a little sapped.

I am not sure my little bout of food poisoning last week didn't have any lasting effects. I've felt a bit lethargic several days since and I don't think it has to do with poor sleep necessarily. Maybe I'm just a little burned out and need a little more slow time to get back in shape. In any case, I wouldn't call it the worst thing... it's mostly just a little annoying. Just keep swimming, I guess.

The unfortunate misses.

As much as I enjoy most of the elements of my chosen career, there are a few things that aren't so cool. The only one I will mention at the moment is the semi-common occurrence of when my work crushes my normal life schedule. I did enjoy my work today but would have much preferred to hang with my peeps in the non-work world. It could have been a grand life memory, now lost in the ether of non-existence and something I could easily regret if I take a negative stance about opportunities missed. I choose positivity, despite my thought that it could be an "unfortunate miss." I am more motivated. This is a good thing.

Doing work that matters.

I saw an interesting commentary about the field of art and the opportunity and purpose for one's work in that field. The remark was made that, in general, nobody really cares about artistic work. That the world doesn't look for specific artistic work to be made. That doesn't mean it shouldn't be made, though, and doing it for a beneficial purpose is always an important goal. At least, that's how I paraphrase what was said. In my opinion, however, doing art/making art/working in an artistic field it doesn't necessarily matter if the world doesn't care about what you're doing(assuming the "care" part isn't technically referred to as money.) The art we do as performers, artists, creatives improves us through the process of creating it, thereby improving everything else surrounding it peripherally. And the value of work is so often and easily forgotten.

The ever-evolving ream of human networking.

I specified it as "human" networking because I am not talking about computer peripherals... this post could have been confusing. Anyway, I think it's cool to meet new people and get to know them somewhat beyond the surface interactions we commonly experience with the most frequency. What sort of experiences get us past those surface interactions, you might ask? Doing work with or for somebody is one of those good ways. It is literally inhabiting the same space with that person for an extended period of time all at once... the added element of labor often spurs more interesting, insightful conversation by its nature, I tend to think. It is all yet another positive element to my job that definitely serves to keep it interesting, in the moment as well as in anticipation of things yet to come.

Become a better ________.

I think it's VERY easy to think we are doing things at a level of quality that will continue to carry us forward. What a dangerous thought that is, though... danger in two forms; the misconception of ability(which is technically almost always present anyway) and the misunderstanding of inertia, or the lack of improvement, which is actually regression. I need to improve my craft continuously. I need to become better at what I do.