Sabbatical Opportunities
Current ideas for creative projects from May 7 through June 6.
Music
- Build an archtop guitar with my dad at the American Archtop workshop
- Write and record a song
- Tackle a challenging piece of piano music like "I Wish That I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free" or "Turkish March." Though both of those are examples of pieces that I've learned part of over the course of years and then moved on.
- Learn a variety of less complex songs
- Practice guitar: get at least to a point where I can play all the major and minor chords, so that I approach any song.
- Find a music teacher and take a few lessons (this isn't happening)
- Research and practice a method for continuing to engage P's interest in learning piano, continuing what she learned in music at school
- ...
Reading
- See Goodreads - Want to Read list
- Finish reading The Mushroom at the end of the World
40th Hikes
- Research places to go hiking for a joint birthday trek
Board Games
- Design a board game
- Expand on entries in my games journal
- Finish reading Rules of Play. Yes, it's a textbook about game design.
Sewing
- Learn to make a fanny pack like this
- Attempt making these shortalls
- Modify my hiking daypack to work better
Woodworking
- Build Adirondack chairs for the balcony
- Build a bookcase for the bedroom to replace the one I moved to the kids room
- Replace the shelves in the dining area with a nook
- Build shelves in the kids' closet
Stained Glass
- Take the intermediate level class at VizArts (signed up for May 7!)
- Acquire the basic kit of tools and materials to continue another glass project at home
Writing
- Blog (you know, like it's 2010)
- 30 Days of Creativity
- Catch up on Goodreads book reviews
Art
- Sort & archive kid artwork
- Cartoon practice cartooning
Web and Programming
- Remake/update this site, appratt.com
- Tinker with generative art in Processing and plotting via the Cricut
- Work through Aesthetic Programming: A Handbook of Software Studies
Physics
- Start working through "So you want to learn physics" by Susan Rigetti, starting with University Physics with Modern Physics by Young and Freedman
Other home improvement
- Bamboo remediation...
- Steam cleaning downstairs