3 Things I Learned From My Dad

Work hard. That's the only way you'll learn things.

Work hard. That's the only way people will take you seriously.

Work hard. That's the only way you'll reach your goals.

3 Things I Learned From My Mom

Work smart. Remember to say no to others when you have a lot to do.

Work smart. Remember to kill distractions and focus on the important things.

Work smart. Just remember the work will never really end. Take breaks before you burn out.

I've been drawing since I was old enough to hold a pencil. I often drew pictures in the inside covers of books --- I know, shame on me for abusing the written word --- and copied pictures in my Mom's magazines. I would type out stories on a typewriter, and illustrate them with silly drawings.

Then came the computer and it fascinated me. Especially when I figured out I could draw on this large machine.

My first drawings were done with Microsoft Paint and an overused mouse. Now I use upgraded equipment --- think a Mac and a graphics tablet --- and draw graphic design pieces. But I still remember the thrill of getting that first scribbly drawing done right.

Being the pack rat I am, I realized I still had some old drawings buried in my hard drive. So let's go through some tidbits of my childhood, shall we?


I think this was the first imaginary person I drew right. This was done in the fifth grade; my sister used to rib me about how long I spent on these drawings.


That last drawing was all out of proportion, wasn't it?


And just to show I wasn't always thinking about fairies and imaginary characters, here's a more, er, sporty scribble.


Not that I played soccer. I just liked the patterns on the ball itself.

It's nice to look back sometimes, and see how much fun I had. It reminds me why I got into graphic design all over again.



That's the way I feel after work.

Not that I dislike work. I love it, in fact. I love beating a deadline and getting things done right. Getting things done wrong isn't all bad either, since I still have a lot to learn. I even like working overtime as long as it doesn't happen every day.

But what I really hate about work is how it encroaches on your time. It's so easy for work to become my life, and I find that scary. I'd like my work to define me but I'd also like to have a bit of a life --- a hobby, actual meals with family and friends, and a great relationship with God --- outside this "primary" occupation.

"It can be balanced, you know," my Mom commented.

I hope so. Because I don't want to wake up one day, and realize I've spent fifteen-hour days in the office. For the past thirty years.

On a more playful note, here's one of the things that can lessen stress after a day at the office:


I have a new appreciation for this dog's giddy welcome every time I finish a day working. It fills my insides with ecstacy and glittery sequins.



Note: This post actually happened last March 27. A lot of other post ideas made writing this a tad late. I'll be catching up though. And if you're wondering what's happening to me now, I'm working my butt off. More on this later!

I have a really easy riddle for you, dear Reader!

Where do five college friends go in a tropical country at a sweltering 90°F? (Hint: The ocean's about a 15-minute drive away.)

This is a no-brainer.


So happy days are here again!

Arn, Henri, Cookie, Joni, and me packed up food, games, and swimming gear and traipsed off to the beach.

And cameras. Who can forget the cameras, really?

Well, photo-taking partners Henri and Joni sure wouldn't. They spent a lot of time taking photos of everyone.


They engineered most, if not all, the photos in this blog post. Thanks, friends!

On the other hand, Arn took on the role of Unofficial Gourmet Chef. She turned our raw food --- which I'm not allowed to include pictures of, by the way, since Cookie says the poor things are naked --- into edible goodies! And all on a shoestring budget, too.


Yes, they were tasty. The marinade itself was interesting: orange juice, rice wine, different spices, and other mysterious secret ingredients. They're so secret that even Arn can't remember what they are.

We just hope they'll come to mind the next time she cooks. Her (in)famous Tofu With Cheese & Egg was also in attendance. Pretty good, if I do say so myself.

We had a lot of fun swimming and getting sunburn. I'm still peeling dead skin off my shoulders, but it was worth it.

Too much information in that last sentence, you say? Sorry.

And moving on...

We also played the classic Clue board game. If you don't know what I'm talking about, Clue is a murder mystery game where the one who figures out whodunit wins.


It created a lot of laughs. Especially when everyone knew who the murderer was, and were scrambling to accuse him first.

More pictures were taken for posterity.


That photo took a lot of effort since everyone wanted to be in it. Cookie ended up looking through the lens, and arranging our arms --- er, natural tripods --- to support the camera the right way.


All in all, it was loads of happy-clean-and-almost-kiddie fun. We laughed a lot. And we laughed some more.

It was a perfect way to end the school year!




For the next few days anyway.

I've been offered a few jobs designing things (websites, shirts, et cetera) this summer, and I'm pretty thrilled. It's a great way to get some work experience, and work on one of my passions at the same time.

It also means I'll be incognito as I channel all the creative bits of my brain into my projects. I'll be stopping work to go to church, and have meals with my family. That's about it.

And no, it doesn't mean I will do everything at once. I am not running for Burnout Poster Child of the Year, thank you very much.

But deadlines are deadlines; they have to be met. Doing so sometimes involves working undistracted.

So here's hoping everyone else is doing something they love as well!

See you all next week, about Wednesday-ish.

3 Things I Learned From My Dad

Work hard. That's the only way you'll learn things.

Work hard. That's the only way people will take you seriously.

Work hard. That's the only way you'll reach your goals.

3 Things I Learned From My Mom

Work smart. Remember to say no to others when you have a lot to do.

Work smart. Remember to kill distractions and focus on the important things.

Work smart. Just remember the work will never really end. Take breaks before you burn out.

I've been drawing since I was old enough to hold a pencil. I often drew pictures in the inside covers of books --- I know, shame on me for abusing the written word --- and copied pictures in my Mom's magazines. I would type out stories on a typewriter, and illustrate them with silly drawings.

Then came the computer and it fascinated me. Especially when I figured out I could draw on this large machine.

My first drawings were done with Microsoft Paint and an overused mouse. Now I use upgraded equipment --- think a Mac and a graphics tablet --- and draw graphic design pieces. But I still remember the thrill of getting that first scribbly drawing done right.

Being the pack rat I am, I realized I still had some old drawings buried in my hard drive. So let's go through some tidbits of my childhood, shall we?


I think this was the first imaginary person I drew right. This was done in the fifth grade; my sister used to rib me about how long I spent on these drawings.


That last drawing was all out of proportion, wasn't it?


And just to show I wasn't always thinking about fairies and imaginary characters, here's a more, er, sporty scribble.


Not that I played soccer. I just liked the patterns on the ball itself.

It's nice to look back sometimes, and see how much fun I had. It reminds me why I got into graphic design all over again.



That's the way I feel after work.

Not that I dislike work. I love it, in fact. I love beating a deadline and getting things done right. Getting things done wrong isn't all bad either, since I still have a lot to learn. I even like working overtime as long as it doesn't happen every day.

But what I really hate about work is how it encroaches on your time. It's so easy for work to become my life, and I find that scary. I'd like my work to define me but I'd also like to have a bit of a life --- a hobby, actual meals with family and friends, and a great relationship with God --- outside this "primary" occupation.

"It can be balanced, you know," my Mom commented.

I hope so. Because I don't want to wake up one day, and realize I've spent fifteen-hour days in the office. For the past thirty years.

On a more playful note, here's one of the things that can lessen stress after a day at the office:


I have a new appreciation for this dog's giddy welcome every time I finish a day working. It fills my insides with ecstacy and glittery sequins.



Note: This post actually happened last March 27. A lot of other post ideas made writing this a tad late. I'll be catching up though. And if you're wondering what's happening to me now, I'm working my butt off. More on this later!

I have a really easy riddle for you, dear Reader!

Where do five college friends go in a tropical country at a sweltering 90°F? (Hint: The ocean's about a 15-minute drive away.)

This is a no-brainer.


So happy days are here again!

Arn, Henri, Cookie, Joni, and me packed up food, games, and swimming gear and traipsed off to the beach.

And cameras. Who can forget the cameras, really?

Well, photo-taking partners Henri and Joni sure wouldn't. They spent a lot of time taking photos of everyone.


They engineered most, if not all, the photos in this blog post. Thanks, friends!

On the other hand, Arn took on the role of Unofficial Gourmet Chef. She turned our raw food --- which I'm not allowed to include pictures of, by the way, since Cookie says the poor things are naked --- into edible goodies! And all on a shoestring budget, too.


Yes, they were tasty. The marinade itself was interesting: orange juice, rice wine, different spices, and other mysterious secret ingredients. They're so secret that even Arn can't remember what they are.

We just hope they'll come to mind the next time she cooks. Her (in)famous Tofu With Cheese & Egg was also in attendance. Pretty good, if I do say so myself.

We had a lot of fun swimming and getting sunburn. I'm still peeling dead skin off my shoulders, but it was worth it.

Too much information in that last sentence, you say? Sorry.

And moving on...

We also played the classic Clue board game. If you don't know what I'm talking about, Clue is a murder mystery game where the one who figures out whodunit wins.


It created a lot of laughs. Especially when everyone knew who the murderer was, and were scrambling to accuse him first.

More pictures were taken for posterity.


That photo took a lot of effort since everyone wanted to be in it. Cookie ended up looking through the lens, and arranging our arms --- er, natural tripods --- to support the camera the right way.


All in all, it was loads of happy-clean-and-almost-kiddie fun. We laughed a lot. And we laughed some more.

It was a perfect way to end the school year!




For the next few days anyway.

I've been offered a few jobs designing things (websites, shirts, et cetera) this summer, and I'm pretty thrilled. It's a great way to get some work experience, and work on one of my passions at the same time.

It also means I'll be incognito as I channel all the creative bits of my brain into my projects. I'll be stopping work to go to church, and have meals with my family. That's about it.

And no, it doesn't mean I will do everything at once. I am not running for Burnout Poster Child of the Year, thank you very much.

But deadlines are deadlines; they have to be met. Doing so sometimes involves working undistracted.

So here's hoping everyone else is doing something they love as well!

See you all next week, about Wednesday-ish.