Don't say bad things about yourself, your conscience doesn't know you're joking.

It's a classic! Get it here if you haven't already. One copy free.

Also this thing is still going on. Source banner.

We all have a thousand bad drawings in us, the sooner you get them out the better.

Alright here's one. Old drawing. I do have a Wacom now.

No more excuses.

#StateOfTheWorld2022

Happy 2022 y'all!

You can look back at my first post of last year here.

It feels familiar, though visuals were a bit more meager there, as if I was unwilling to bet it all on the grand new view then... how about now?

I've started reading through the previous as I post the new one too, as to reflect on how things change from year to year, so of course that plays a part in the sequential similarities. Can't neglect the introspect inspect.

In regard to the blog I didn't think I'd posted much in 2021 at all, but apparently the collective archive of posts is at least a couple pages longer than the one the year before, and that year I posted more than the year before that - despite no Inktober artistry, so it seems I've been steadily progressing in the blogging department the last few years after all!

Even though times have seemed lesser. Even though I don't feel I've had time to write often at all, save for short notices when I leave for summer and then get back for fall - plus occasionally a queue of belated and previously unpublished movie reviews.

My posts aren't getting shorter either. They're getting all the more introspective and chaotic. Real as it gets here on CDB. So I'm surprised I've posted this many posts. Maybe a fair portion of these are quotes.

Let's see if I can keep the upward trend going this next year too. ;)

Looking onward hopefully this is the year everything starts looking up.

We've had some hard times. The world's been locked down. Natural resources are getting scarce. It's affecting the foodchain. Electricity's getting expensive. It's affecting the reality of renewable fuels and how green a future we're really headed towards. Wealth's been redistributed heavily. The rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, and both we and the world are being all the more exploited for it.

So hopefully this is the year we finally pass through this pandemic veil (though those c********* theorists would say it won't be till 2025), get our shit sorted out collectively as a human race - seems this recent craze is showing us flaws in our societal design we urgently need to fix - and individually, personally, on the solo YOLO level albeit with a little helpful collective support get our own shit figured out too.

I booked in a three day meditation retreat at the Northernmost Buddhist temple in the world for starters (it's free - pay what you want). February.

Hopefully the flights still fly and the life's no lie. And I'll be working on that work thing. I'll get it all working. I'll go thin and get on with the searching, and get more bling than an urchin. And nurture all things deserving.

There's some irony in how I joked about being absolutely positive (about what is irrelevant) - but not corona-positive last year, and this year I am corona-positive. But not all positive otherwise.

But I think that's due to the corona. Haven't been getting my traditional two daily walks for a week now, and that's no good for my mind, but I'm not so negative I can't leave that behind and push on. To a new dawn. *wooosh* *yawn*

The sky of fireworks is inspiring. Heightens my sense of hope. Makes me feel alive and cope. Reminds me it's a fresh start. Though I shan't write as poetic a causerie on said colorful skylit blitz this year. I'm at peace but tired - feel free to refer to prior New Year posts for more wordy delights thereof.

Actually, saying I'm at peace might not be true entirely.

The day leading up to these New Year festivities was stressful, and both my parents are sick and tired - an unfortunate state for celebration, but we did have a dinner, and cheer in the New Year with a bottle of Jacob's Creek Chardonnay I'd had the foresight to stock up on well in advance, look at the fireworks a bit, and then I stayed up to write this.

I feel contemplative. I feel focused. I feel intrigued by the New Year. But also a little disappointed it turned out like it did; that I'm not ready for the new start full charge, and that Christmas wasn't the time of recuperation and rest it usually is.

We kickstarted an After-Christmas sales campaign the day after Christmas at work, and life moves on as usual. Stress through the holidays.

My big bro called from Östersund - he and his girl were solving a thousand piece puzzle each and had it been at it for eleven hours so far, and my sister was about to head outside and view the fireworks, though she's sick now too. Same shizzle we have/had.

The threat level may not be that high but it's definitely a contagion. Spreads like a fire from one of those Chinese lanterns some people actually send up for the New Year when they occasionally drift into a tree or garage or something they shouldn't drift into does.

2021 was admittedly... maybe not the most amazing year thus far, so let's make this one all the better shall we? All the things the last one could've been but wasn't. All that which we wanted it to be.

There's no better time than the now to reflect on what we want and make each new realization a to-be reality.

Don't impede the impending. Go out and get befriending. Start saving more than spending. Beginning more than ending. Less throwing, more mending. More sowing, less lending. Less going, more... sending? You'll know when, you're there. So Happy, New Year.

You can find my recent resolutions posts here, on the other side of the yearly divide, as usual. I'll revise this and that a bit better tomorrow.

Whatever happens though I will definitely keep on writing, and blogging, and making music. And I'll see you kids: later.