Upward Iterations

14 Jul

Upward Iterations

"The first step" by Twilight Fairy on Flickr

Iterate |it-uh-reyt|
- To operate or be applied repeatedly, as a linguistic rule or mathematical formula (Dictionary.com)

- Perform or utter repeatedly. Make repeated use of a mathematical or computational procedure, applying it each time to the result of the previous application; perform iteration. (Oxford American Dictionary)

+++
Each day is a blank slate. And I really mean that: my days have no set-in-stone structure. I commit to engagements, have meetings, attend events, etc.–but even those things are at my discretion. My days are wide open.

“Every day is like a blank canvas
Carving my initials in the planet like I brand it
Hand picked to live this life we take for granted

I choose adventures each day. Usually small, not-adventures-to-anyone-but-me adventures. This adventuring is one of the benefits of my current freelancer/grad student/wanderer lifestyle.

Despite these blank slate, daily adventures, I feel like I’m static and moving nowhere in an impossibly repetitive way.

Smiling through the trouble we face, trying to manage
my way without pumping my brakes and staying stagnant
Feeling like I’m checking out a game from the sideline
I got to try different things in these trying times

Iterating Up

As I search for and grow meaningful work and hone in on my thesis topic, I often feel like I’m approaching challenges in the same way I’ve always approached them. BLEGH. I am not innovative enough (for my own liking) in my problem-solving/solution-generating.

But this process of iterating is more than just going through the motions. I wonder if I could iterate upward–as though in each machination of iterating, I’d be building and moving up. To borrow from Oxford’s definition of iteration: “applying a procedure each time to the result of the previous application.”

An upward iteration–now that resembles growth.

Transition/Limen

Kendall Ruth talks about liminal space–a transitional period.

“Now the irony is, over the past several months – months wherein I’ve not been able to get anything off the ground other than various freelance writing/editing gigs, months where I’ve lost a lot of the normal things that give a person a sense of security and place – I have felt more in my skin on most days than ever before. Maybe that’s a result of Liminal space, “a place where boundaries dissolve a little and we stand there, on the threshold, getting ourselves ready to move across the limits of what we were into what we are to be.”

[You'll better understand my post if you read his in full--his post was the inspiration for writing this. I'll be here when you get back.]

I thought that when I quit my job and pursued grad school full-force that I was transitioning. That seems like a logical transition, right? But I’m not sure that was the case.

I think I’m transitioning now.

And this transition is neither tangible nor precise. Which is weird to me. It’s not even an actionable transition–it’s balancing, just so, on the precipice; I’m in the implausible space between forward momentum and hurdling off the cliff.

I’m spilling forward into flight.

Whole new blueprint, brand new layout

Iterating Flight

All my iterations have put me here. Now. My iterations were micro-adventures and work projects and brainstormings on notepads and endeavored ideas and final class papers and books & articles read and coffee shop conversations.

I think I might have a backlog of iterations.

So you can stop and refresh the rules
Breathe in, breathe out, let it heal all your exit wounds
Something inside said that’s the move
and made it today, I’ll restart fresh and new”*

These are some of the things I want to iterate while I move with my current transition/limen: I want to be involved in building a business. I want to rock out my thesis. I want to continue meeting people. I want to iterate myself again and again and again. I want all of this to look like upward iteration.

* Lyrics from The Roots “The Day” on the How I Got Over album. You can listen to the song here.

Image c/o TwilightFairy on Flickr

Gater Snacks

6 Apr

Gater Snacks

Snicky-snack time! Life is abundant in gaterland. Spring is creeping up on Boulder, Denver & Fort Collins, Colorado {the three cities where I divide my time}. I’m still decompressing from SXSWi. I have lots of new projects blasting off. I did some cleaning up and renovation around this blog. And here are some gater snacks for you…

{Short Post, Important Words} Enough. by Jenny Blake

“If you are constantly longing for the past or waiting for the future, your entire life will be spent – well, longing or waiting.”

Wherever you’re at, whatever projects you’re working on, whoever you’re building relationships with…this is a compelling read from Jenny Blake over at Life After College.

{A Bit of Yoga, A Bit of Life} Dancer by Doniree Walker

Dancer over at doniree.com
This post made me reflect inwardly, then pushed me out of my skin. Doniree’s thoughts on being open (to yoga, to new experiences, to imbalances) were *just* what I needed to hear last week. Perhaps her perceptive and intuitive words will resonate with you, too.

{Deep} Philosophy Greats

Who knew that a philosopher could be so…pithy?

{Perspective Shift} Nikon – Universcale

“…an infinite yardstick.”

If you want a perspective shift in how you conceptualize size, space and distance, go check out Nikon’s Universcale. The intro takes a bit of time…but you can click, play around and discover interesting things after the intro. Fun.

{Tune} Cello Song – The Books featuring Jose Gonzalez

Stroll on over to Dark Was the Night. You won't be sorry.

Many thanks to David Spinks for introducing me to this song. And the compilation album this song comes from, Dark Was The Night, is ear candy AND supports a good cause.

{Image} via weheartit

Gater Snacks

30 Jun

Gater Snacks

Click on the pink links. I think you’ll be quite pleased. Oh and HI!!!, I’m back to blogging. Promise.

{squeeee} Freelance Camp comes to Fort Collins – July 28

My Front Range Colorado freelancer/independent worker/entrepreneur friends: get thee to Fort Collins on Wednesday, July 28. It’s Freelance Camp, and it’s going to rock your location-independent socks off.

The concept is easy. Show up. Express interests and ask questions. Break into small groups and exchange knowledge. Become a better freelancer.

Who should come? If you sell your services (or are considering it), you are a perfect fit: developer, designer, accountant, blogger / journalist, realtor, lawyer, carpenter, engineer, financial adviser, marketer, sales, musician, artist, inventor… Historically, the bulk of attendees are from hi-tech.

Get your Freelance Camp Fort Collins ticket here. I’ll be there. {And hit me up for a $5-off discount code good until July 7th!}

{dreamings} Wonder What Their Dream Is – on whitehot truth

If you’re already familiar with Danielle Laporte, you know the rawness and beauty of her ideas. If you’re not yet familiar, go check out whitehot truth. The above post was published almost a year ago, but it sits in my “favorite blog posts” folder and I return to it regularly. [I found this specific post through Gwen. Thanks, G].

I love to wonder about other people’s dreams. Discovering other people’s dreams is why I’ve devoted the last 6 months to meeting people–meeting anyone who will grab a cup of tea or lunch with me. I’ve been enlivened by other people’s dreams–and theirs shape and energize my dreams. Wanna share your dreamings? Skype, email, meet me. Seriously.

{orating} Why Multimedia Storytelling Matters by Nathaniel Whitmore on Change.org

I couldn’t be any more thrilled about Boulder’s very own Unreasonable Institute kicking off their inaugural summer institute for social entrepreneurs. They are also chronicling this summer’s program on their new web episode series. Telling the stories of the entrepreneurs in this way is so rich. This post on Change.org nailed it:

“In a space where the media that is exhaled veers on the one hand towards patronizing and dehumanizing for the sake of the guilt trip buck, to, on the other, arrogant and self-infatuated, I thought that this episode did a great job of introducing the Unreasonable entrepreneurs as what they are: a bunch of deep-hearted, wicked smart kids who have committed themselves to working to change the world and are now in the thick of figuring out how to do it.”

{tune} Heartbeat – J.Period & Nneka featuring Talib Kweli


image via

{image} via bear