davidjarman.info
Let's not use the word 'resolution' for my plans for 2014, but a review of what I hoped to achieve returns a mixed scorecard. It won't take long to run through a bullet point or two...
Blogging:
My Wordpress review of 2014 tells me I posted 25 times to this blog. Once a fortnight doesn't sound too much, but of course the distribution wasn't even. There were months with nothing, then a spurt in the middle of the year. I'm glad I put together the '10 weeks of summer' series, which got me writing again just at a time when there was plenty to say. The intention was to get in to the habit of posting more frequently, on a wider range of topics and perhaps through shorter posts. It's not really happened that way, but the blog lives on and hope springs eternal.
Twitter has been good fun, as usual. 1,390 followers... who they all are I've little idea! As the years go by I make more connections with students past and present, which helps keep me in check with the words and pictures I post there!
Edinburgh Napier / Edinburgh International Book Festival: I helped lead a project through work where we covered a wide range of Book Festival events, all linked to World War I. The blog is here, with stuff from me, Napier colleagues and students.
Podcasts: on the subject of Edinburgh Napier, I've posted many podcasts for my students using Audioboo, which renamed itself Audioboom at some point. What's more I now have a microphone and have started to investigate and use Garageband to record them. The files go up, I embed them in my online teaching spaces and that's that.
Blipfoto: I had a plan to post a photo a day between 17:07 and 20:14. The inspiration for this? They be the dates between the Acts of Union between Scotland and England, and the independence referendum. I couldn't keep it going, so the Blipfoto project fell by the wayside. It was good while on trips though, so I filled in some days while in New Zealand. Maybe that's the best way to use that platform, as the basis of smaller projects, with the images then embedded on the blog.
Trips and travel:
Two trips to Hong Kong, with work. This was teaching based, with the second one unlike anything I'll ever see again because of the protest camps. I've written some of that up here.
The first Hong Kong trip fell just before the Easter teaching break, so it seemed reasonable to take the next fortnight off to see friends in New Zealand. It all went very well indeed.
Berlin, Riga and the Positivus Festival in northern Latvia: this was a great trip, I loved all these places and would happily do the whole thing over again in 2015.
The Netherlands is becoming an annual excursion, where I head to NHTV Breda University and carry out some external examining. It's a lovely town, they're all lovely people and it would be a happy privilege to carry on with this in 2015.
Walking: there are two plans on the go, both of which could easily have been completed in 2014, but weren't even attempted. A 'missing' day's walk on the West Highland Way needs to be filled in, then I've ambitions to walk from Leith to Milngavie. These things can be rolled forward.
Airbnb: I used Airbnb in three capital cities – Wellington, Berlin and Riga. They were all good experiences, so will be doing this again. I haven't yet organised to have anyone to stay at mine, but it seems silly not to give it a go before 2015 is over and done with.
Other:
Arthur's Seat: I had a plan (again) to climb it once a month, every month. I achieved three out of 12 it seems. JFxxMxxxxxxx
Running: I wanted to get 52 half hour runs under my belt through the year, but managed ten it seems. That's terrible.
Novels: I wanted to read two novels, but managed only about 100 pages of one of them. (Nick Cave's 'The Death of Bunny Munro'.) Again, a terrible performance.
Hamonica: having been gifted a blues harp for my 35th birthday (2013) I figured I should learn a new trick or two on it. Not really managed that either.
The RSA: I'm still an FRSA, still sitting on the RSA Scotland Team, still enjoying it.
So what went wrong? Did I waste my time? Probably, but hopefully it'll be a while before I run out of the stuff and I can go again in 2015.
Blogging: more blog posts, more 'journalling' using Day One and more experimentation with other media that can be integrated with these platforms and Twitter.
Trips: more of this please! More Europe. Airbnb again, plus a bit of hosting to fund it.
Walking: I'll get that bit done up north and I'll make it along the canal to Glasgow.
Arthur's Seat: yes, let's achieve it this time.
Running: I'll aim for 26 runs, trying out some fitness apps on the phone (maybe).
Novels: fine, I'll try for the same target.
Harmonica: maybe I should plan to play a gig on 31 December 2015...
