What I’m Doing Now

This is my Now page inspired by Derek Sivers.

Last updated: 4th January 2024.

Creative

Aroundsquare

In 2023 I started collecting and using “mindfulness toys” from Aroundsquare. I find the practice of learning and improving a skill to be both relaxing and rewarding without needing any outside validation.

I also appreciate the founder, Matthew Hiebert’s general and business philosophy. I appreciate the community that has evolved around the love of Aroundsquare products, it’s like a healthy cult of sorts.

I only have a small collection of “skill toys”, but while most gravitate towards Begleri, I seem to have an affinity for Matt’s own invention the Knucklebone, I currently have five in my collection, but I suspect this collection will grow over the next few months.

Other products that tickle my fancy are Contact Balls, MKUltras, a weird “bad bag” called a Slack Sack, a really nice pen, a relaxing coin shaped worry stone called a Deadeye, various bits of apparel and I can’t stop thinking how awesome Aroundsquare’s upcoming knife project looks.

So, yes, I’m deep into Aroundsquare. I never thought I would be loyal to a brand, but as a digital marketer by trade I’m fascinated that Aroundsquare is genuine about their philosophy of money not being the primary focus of their business model. Mind blowing, really.

Sketchbooks

My good friend Michael Nobbs mentioned a Domestika course he enjoyed by a Mexican chap named Alfonso de Anda. If Michael suggests something, in my experience it’s wise to jump at it. So, I bought the Daily Sketchbook Drawing course for a pittance and have really been enjoying it.

I love how Alfonso inspires his studnts to not care about the drawings they make and that drawing is relative anyway, so if you hate what you’ve done, someone else may love it, so it’s not your responsibility to like what you create. This small piece of advice really impacted me; I’m still pondering it, but I feel it’s something I needed to hear.

So, a strong desire for 2024 is to keep a daily sketchbook. I hope some of the pages make it to this blog.

Constructive (?)

A few things that have been helpful to my life recently:

• Commonplace notebooks. There seem to be many notebooks scattered around my house with pens close by and I find myself jotting down momentrary thoughts, to-do lists, reminders and even complaints and gratitudes. Why I can’t just stick to one journal is beyond me, I seem to thrive on the chaos of many small commonplace notebooks. I have started making my own notebooks which is saving me some money and I can cut them to the size of my iPhone which is usually the thing I lean on while scribbling.
• Very early mornings. On average I wake u at 4am, sometimes earlier. Now, you won’t find me meditating at this time or reading non-fiction books on productivity and positivity or getting some “reps in”. No, my maddingly early mornings are spent scrolling artists on Instagram, admiring raw denim fades on Reddit, learning to iron a shirt and cook Sri Lankan chicken curry on YouTube, completely useless activities for such an hour! I also tend to write down my random thoughts at this time on a text app on my phone, I have a folder called Thoughts On and it’s a massive mind dump of junk! I have thoughts on everything from selvedge jeans, men’s fashion, mending clothes, natural dyeing, minimalism, cooking, finance, poetry and even a folder on my many moustache wax recipes along with more personal ramblings about fatherhood and dying. I do not recommend these morning activities because I’m usually exhausted by lunchtime.

Ampersand

Life is traumatic right now. My son, Emmett has moved to the other end of the country with his mom, so I will be doing a lot of travel to Cape Town in 2024, not having him close by is freaking me out; I’m holding my feelings in… probably not the best thing to do, but such is the brain of a man.

Meanwhile, my Exquisite Human is dealing with a lot of grief in her family and my own health is declining rather rapidly resulting in a few hospital stays over the last couple of months and the possibility of a major surgery in 2024.

All the above happened so suddenly, it amazes me how life can change in a flash.

A reminder to always stop to appreciate what you have right now.