The 6 Weeks Ending 2023 was a really busy time. Our daughter visited for 4 weeks from Australia, I had my 65th birthday, went to many Art exhibits and events, cafes, restaurants and then the kids and grandson stayed over New Year.
So happy, and so tired. Taken a week+ to recover. It will take longer to consider what I saw and did.
The end of the year is a time I look back, and forward. Did I get done what I intended to do the last year? Did I go off on really interesting tangents in the process? Did that matter? What new things appeared that I would never have considered in this journey? What had I prepared years ago, then forgotten about as it was out of sight?
In previous decades had career advancement and own family to put a lot of effort into. Things are different in retirement now. I have no career to get on with, and our kids are all in their 30s with places of their own. Concerns are now more about our health, my Japanese proficiency and my own creative projects and interests.
In 2023 I caught up with things like ROCKY I & II, TITANIC, SPACE TRUCKERS, THE EXORCIST, SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER & THE BREAKFAST CLUB. Movies I had just never seen for one reason or the other, and I wonder how that happened, but mostly I was just busy doing other things. Except SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER. At the time disco was "the enemy" and we thought most into it were morons, which the movie actually plays up too. It is a great movie though! Have now almost finished Star Trek Voyager. I think the first couple of years were shown on Japanese TV then I didn't have the chance to finish it till we got Netflix last year. Same for Star Trek DS9, that I saw the first 2 seasons of then lost the opportunity. Will finish that this year, hopefully.
I also caught up with some music that had passed me by too. Mostly albums from SMASHING PUMPKINS, MARTY FRIEDMAN, JOHN CARPENTER, PORCUPINE TREE/ STEVE WILSON and PINK FLOYD.
I did a few caricatures and cartoons again in 2023, but my biggest creative project was an Album of Melodic Ambient Music, Spirograph and a few accompanying videos and animations. Doing abstract geometric animations for them was also a new thing for me. That musical journey was started after seeing the great Hans Zimmer Hollywood Rebel documentary. A few of the more interesting pieces used recordings I made using my ZOOM H1 portable recorder,
I bought the H1 many years ago, and every few years have tried using recordings from it in music projects. This year was the first time I liked the results and released the tracks. So success at last, and Ambient tracks I actually listen to myself.
Unexpectedly, our cat decided he must spend most of everyday with me now. Usually in a chair next to me. I must say I do like his company. He is with me as I write this blog post. Does mean using bottled ink and Nib pens is out of the question. He can jump on my desk at anytime wanting affection.
The COVID Pandemic is not the panic it was 3 years ago. It is still mutating and lots of people are getting sick, as much as previous years, and LONG COVID still has no cure. All the tourists coming to Japan consider it over though. We remain cautious when out and about.
We are all on our own journeys. Hope 2024 goes well for us all!
We can be found at ArtAndTechnology
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