Category: Photo

It has arrived! \(^.^)/

4/16/2019

The new computer has arrived and it's a joy to behold! Setting up is proceeding smoothly but it will take a little more time, I'm afraid.

So, until I'm up and running as usual, here is a photo from several years ago. It was taken one beautiful April evening while cherry blossom viewing along the river in Osaka.

Ah, April is such a lovely month here. I never get enough of cherry blossom viewing. Who does?

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Yes, it's been A Little quiet around here...

4/5/2019

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If you've been thinking it's been a little quiet around here lately, you'd be right.

To be honest, I've been a little under the weather. I'm recovering from a wicked cough and my energy level has been somewhat lower than usual these past few weeks.

However, it actually has very little to do with me and everything to do with my computer. I love my computer but it's almost 10 years old - an antique in computer years - and it has become increasing difficult to edit and share photos without the program crashing or taking ridiculous amounts of time to do routine tasks. (And yes, I've spent a lot of time and energy trying to sort things out. No luck at all!)

So, the inevitable has arrived. My beloved computer has to be replaced. The process has started but it will take a week or two to get the new computer set up and running as it should.

Until then I've decided to take a short break. This shouldn't take long and I'll be back soon. I've taken a lot of photos in the past 2 months and can't wait to share them with you. A new computer will make all the difference! Yahoo!

Until then! (^.^)/
Rebecca

(This was taken last week in a local park. I had to restart the editing process several times due to program crashes but finally had success today.)

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The Tension between Creativity and Efficiency

3/14/2019

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It has been slightly more than a month since my last blog post. Oops! That was not the plan! I had anticipated a break while I was visiting Canada since my parents live completely off the grid. (This includes no internet access.) However, I had hoped to hit the ground running upon my return to Japan. Instead, I came down with a wicked case of bronchitis and am only now feeling like I'm back in the land of the living. Whew!

One good thing about this break, however, was that I had a lot of time to catch up on podcasts and web articles that I had tucked away. Several were exceptional and today I'd like to introduce a podcast that I've been mulling over ever since I first heard it.

I often listen to Jocelyn K. Glei's podcast, Hurry Slowly. Her aim is to help her listeners "find more creativity and meaning in their daily work". I always find her interviews and monologues to be thoughtful and stimulating but a recent podcast about the tension between creativity and efficiency was particularly insightful.

In this busy world, it's easy to think that creativity can be manipulated and made to conform to our ideas of productivity and how things get done. Not true, Jocelyn reminds us. That's not how creativity works.

Favorite quotes:

There is no technology, no time-saving device that can alter the rhythms of creative labor.
Remarkable creative projects don’t come from efficiency. If anything, they come from inefficiency. From doggedly ignoring all the rules and saying I am going to devote an ungodly amount of time to this thing that no one else thinks is important but that I think is important.

I've been struggling with a bit of a creative dry spell and so her words were a great reminder to give the creative process the time and space it needs. (Which is not to say the one doesn't need discipline as well, of course!)

I will most certainly be listening to this podcast again. In fact, I highly recommend it for anyone who does creative work or any kind. So, if that's you, off you go! (^.~)/

Link:Jocelyn K. Glei: Creativity vs Efficiency

By the way, if you do listen to the podcast, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Just leave a comment below.

(Completely unrelated but here's a photo of overgrown asparagus in my mother's garden.)

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A Walk in the Park

2/10/2019

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This time of year always makes me a bit stir crazy. The days are short, it tends to be cold, and opportunities to go out are few and far between. Thankfully there is a huge park nearby so when an opportunity does arrive, we can be surrounded by greenery in as little as 20 minutes. These photos are from our last visit. It had just stopped raining and was threatening to do so again, and it was rather cold and windy. No worries! That didn't dampen our enthusiasm at all and the upside was having the park almost all to ourselves. Ah, it's one of my favourite places...

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January Blues - Garden Cheer

1/25/2019

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I've been feeling a little blue. Okay, maybe grumpy is a more appropriate word. I enjoyed the holidays but they weren't exactly restful and January has been pretty demanding. My computer is also playing with me and although now would be a perfect time to be editing photos from the past, it's not cooperating. Grrrr... Computer, your days are numbered!

Thankfully, in the midst of a cranky January my garden still manages to cheer me up. I have little time to give it these days, and it's cold out there besides, but despite the gloom of winter, things still continue to grow. Every morning, as I leave for work, I take a quick peek at my garden. Currently I have a few pansies and snapdragons blooming, and several camellia bushes and a jade plant that should start any day now.

However, what cheered me up most this week was this - the first plum blossom of the year. There is no real need to get excited since this is what plum trees usually do this time of year. Regardless, it is a harbinger of spring and although that may still be some time off, January, your days are numbered too!

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It has arrived! \(^.^)/

Yes, it's been A Little quiet around here...

The Tension between Creativity and Efficiency

A Walk in the Park

January Blues - Garden Cheer

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