Reviewing 2023.
I am writing this review in late March 2024 and it's still difficult to think about last year prior to the life-changing events that started unfurling in early November 2023: I left my partner, who I have been in a closed relationship with for fourteen years, married for five and have a wonderful, now ten year old son with. The house plans we had been working on for over three years are off. It's been a tremendously challenging time, strained by emotional and physical pain.
Now almost half a year passed. We are moving into different apartments and are figuring out ways forward. Our future is still uncertain in the midst of this difficult transition. And yet, there are moments of joy, ease and tenderness. I cherish these moments and look to the future with optimism. I see new paths in life and new potential for personal growth for all three of us.
Prior to the rupturing changes in my personal life, I started implementing changes in my professional life: after twelve years of struggling, building, laughing, cursing, publishing and celebrating I retired from all my responsibilities at Broken Rules.
And I retreated from game development in general.
There is a good amount of reasons that made me take the leap, but a central realization is that I've spent more than enough time staring at this bright rectangle in front of me. That is not to say that I'm retiring from computers in general. I probably will always love-hate these electronic boxes full of wonders. But drastically cutting down hours in front of the screen makes time available for other things, like learning a new craft.
My criteria for a new professional direction were:
- Something where I work with my hands.
- Something where I barely need any tools, if any at all.
- Something that I can practice anywhere, anytime.
- Something that allows me to cultivate and emanate well-being and positivity wherever I go.
In October 2023, after a few months of research and meditation, I started a three year training in Shiatsu, a form of Japanese acupressure bodywork based on concepts in traditional Chinese medicine. Different bodywork methods are practiced in my closer family and I look forward to adding my knowledge, broadening my horizon and applying myself to new concepts. To that end I stopped my Kung Fu training and intensified my daily Qi Gong practice.
"The planet does not need more successful people. The planet desperately needs more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers and lovers of all kinds."
- Dalai Lama
Projects
- Published a mirror of the StarDict dictionary archive.
- Illustrated the Elmet Brae album cover.
- Created a logo for Rad Reader.
- Created Merveilles stickers and raised ~EUR 700 for riseup.net.
- Built and operated a booth for our local CSA at the global climate strike 2023.
- Helped build four new highbeds in the community garden.
- Illustrated basic concepts of music theory.
- Implemented single album building in memoir.
- Added pixel scaled dithering to tootpic.
- Added syntax highlighting for indental in micro.
- Created a lego stop motion movie with my son.
Personal Highlights
- Celebrated my 40th birthday.
- Participated in a one week skipper training in Croatia.
- Participated in a 3 day blue water sailing training in Hawai'i.
- Participated and in a neurolinguistics and communication seminar.
- Organised and attended the second Merveilles Meetup.
- Drove a 2CV!
- Got a new tattoo.
- Got a new computer.
- Fermented cocoa nibs.
- Made tofu for the first time!
Travels
- Traveled to Leipzig.
- Roadtrip through Austria.
- Visited my parents on Hawai'i.
Personal Lessons
- Spiritual health is just as important as mental and physical health for overall wellbeing.
- Not everyone has to like what I am doing or how I am doing it.