I haven’t updated this in almost a year, and that’s because there really isn’t anything to update it with. This year has been challenging as I nearly died from surgery, and I’ve spent the majority of the year recovering. It’s been eye-opening and horrifying at the same time. I won’t go into details about what I went through, as I don’t need to share my medical history.

The work I’ve been doing isn’t in the creative realm. I’ve been working, but not on material showcasing my capabilities. I’m somewhat unhappy about this, mainly because, like all jobs, it won’t last forever. However, it’s fine for now. It doesn’t stress me out, but it can be tedious.

Currently, I’m experiencing a lack of inspiration, similar to writer’s block. Like artists, I’ve hit a creativity block and feel stuck. I’m waiting for something to break through this block, as I’m still dealing with the aftermath of a near-death experience earlier this year and don’t feel ready to act on it just yet.

Sure, I could update that photo gallery on this site, but it’s not a top priority.

I’ve completed a few certifications this year despite all the chaos. However, I’ve reached a breaking point with Adobe Creative Cloud. I’m fed up with their constant crashes and ever-increasing prices. I’ve decided to cancel my subscription, but not right away. I need to go through my entire digital archive and convert files to be usable on a new platform. I’ve chosen the Affinity suite of products as it’s the only true industry standard competitor and much more cost-effective. Now, I’m taking baby steps to become proficient in Affinity Photo, Designer, and Publisher.

This also means saying goodbye to Adobe Fonts and Adobe Audition. Previously, I used Linotype FontXplorer to manage my fonts, but that’s no longer an option as it switched to a subscription model like Adobe. I’ve opted for Typeface instead. I’m returning to Audacity and using paid-in-full tools like Izotope RX11 for audio. I’ve been slowly working on the podcast, but again, life has put a clamp on many things. As for video, I’m still exploring options, but honestly, I haven’t been doing enough video editing to worry about it, and I probably won’t bother in the future.

And one last thought… I strongly believe that the use of AI to create art should cease. The output is simply subpar, and any organization interested in that work can handle it themselves and produce substandard results. I refuse to engage in this type of “art,” so if that’s the expectation, I’m not interested!

In the interim, the kids are alive and well.