Rising above
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As this year comes to a close, we felt, maybe more than ever before, the urge to take a breath, to slow down, and take in where we stand, a kind of reality check, take time to enjoy the here and now.
We live in noisy and brutal times. I get the feeling that more and more people are suffering, close and far, be it the rise of barbaric regimes, common selfishness and overblown egos, blind sighted neo-liberalism, tunnel vision and narrow minds, domestic violence, pure stupidity, or a combination of all of the above.
So, Sunday, on Fabienne’s impulse, we rode to the Salève, and hiked above the ceiling of clouds that has been shrouding Geneva for the past weeks. There’s light up there. Light and perspective. No words required.
My tl;tr; year in review
It’s been a good year. I’ve travelled to places I love, worked with people I respect and love, enjoyed having both my children at home again, seen many ballets and art performances, been inspired by my peers, strengthened and deepened friendships, spent more quality time with Fabienne, on the lake, sharing our love of contemporary ballet or just being together, experimented with new recipes, attended two conferences in person, rode my bike as much as possible.
Time
Like many friends of my age, time seems to be flying by, accelerating month after month. I start a new week, and without a warning, we’re already Thursday. Some might find this a good thing.
It will be two years in January that Mum left us. I miss our long chats, her unique points of view, her voice, her laugh, and her handwriting. Today, Fabienne is taking care of her own Mum who’s hospitalised and not getting any younger.
Friendships
I am grateful and honoured to work with exceptionally skilled and talented individuals, many of whom I consider as friends, and within those, a few I can call real friends. I feel these friendships have grown and strengthened this past year. It’s a wonderful feeling that I treasure and nurture.
Travel
My trip to Berlin early November for Beyond Tellerrand, gave me the opportunity to wander around town, with my camera, with no fixed agenda, in walk-and-meet mode. It had been a while since I felt that feeling. It was a short trip, but rich in emotions and encounters. I am so happy I finally made it to #btconf. It’s an exceptional event, organised by amazing people.
I attended Converge 2024 in Brighton a month earlier, and experienced a similar, yet different vibe. It’s good to attend conferences in person again, especially when you come back so inspired and refuelled. It’s priceless.
For the first time, I was able to share my travels first with Emma in Brighton, and then with Fabienne in Berlin. A nice mix of alone and together, and a nice change as I usually attend these events alone (except for the early @medias).
We spent a stunning week on the boat this summer, sailing from port to port, revisiting favourite places, and dropping in on friends. The weather was on our side that week, except maybe for the massive storm that it us towards the end. I escaped to Paros late May, and was later joined by Fabienne. Definitly my favourite place in the Cyclades.
Shooting film
Playing around with my Fujifilm recipes gave me the taste to shooting (real) film again. So, I dug out my Nikon F100 and popped a set of fresh batteries in it, only to discover that the battery holder was broken.
Apparently, it’s a common problem with this model. The battery holder is either broken, or unusable having been stored 20 years with the batteries still in it. By a stroke of pure luck, I found a Nikon enthousiast that was selling a brand new Nikon MS-12 AA Battery Holder in its original packaging not far from here. He’d ordered a couple of replacements from Japan back in the days, and decided one was enough. These holders go for close to USD 100 on eBay (if you’re lucky enough to find one).
Popped in a Kodak Proporta and off I went. It takes a minute to remember not to randomly shoot.
Shifting added value
Professionally, I keep on pivoting my activities towards mid/long-term collaborations, the main of which is with ISO’s amazing web team. I sometimes miss the diversity of challenges and people I use to meet, but I feel that my added value lies more in long-term consulting, than in one-shot contracts. After so many years freelancing here and there, it feels a little scary to shinking my client portfolio, but I feel it’s the right thing to do, and it’s working out for me and my clients.
Our industry is on the change again (has it ever stopped changing?), and many friends and acquaintances are struggling to make ends meet. It was the talk of the town at Brighton and at Berlin. Adaptation is key.
I’m looking forward to an exciting year. I’m registered to Vitaly’s Design Patterns For AI Interfaces workshop at the end of January, and I secured an super early bird ticket to Smashing Freiburg and I still have Andy Bell’s Complete CSS course to complete. Never a dull moment.
Happy New Year!
