This is the permanent version of a "Now" update from 2023-12-02:

  • 🔎 Job Search: The job search has been a slog. So many highly qualified people have been laid off and the market is flooded with a lot of amazing talent. It also seems that companies are hiring for more specialized roles and looking for people who have a lot of experience with specific technologies. I’ve spent most of my career at small companies where I’ve needed to be a generalist in IT. As a Director, I was spending less time with the technology and more time with the business and setting my team up for success. I’ve been working on expanding my search to other roles where I could be successful with the transferable skills one develops as a generalist. I’m starting to look at Chief of Staff and Business Operations roles, which I’m hoping will make it easier to find a job at a climate-oriented company too. To be honest, I expected the search to be challenging, but didn’t anticipate it being this challenging. I’m very open to and appreciative of advice, connections, and commiseration.

  • 💼 Consulting: I started planning a consulting business in the Fall and am thrilled that I’ve started talking with a few potential customers. The IT Witch helps organizations make IT magical and individuals grow and hone the skills they need to succeed in their career. If you’ve done consulting or coaching before, I’d love to talk! The entire process has been really helpful in making me reflect on what I enjoy most about IT and refine my value proposition (which is a continual process!)

  • 🧘🏼‍♂️ Exercise: The amazing Heather Brittain left Boston Bouldering Project to move to another city with her partner, which is devastating (though I’m looking forward to her online Yin classes!). I’m trying to embrace the change as an opportunity to spend more time practicing with other instructors and learn new things. It’s also opened up more gym time for weight training and rowing, which is probably good for me anyway! The added time and prioritization of exercise has helped me to get so much stronger, which I’ve seen especially in the balance forms in my yoga practice.

  • 📚 Reading: No major updates here, though it’s a good reminder that some friends recommended The Priory of the Orange Tree as a complete story in the Fantasy genre that is queer and wonderful. I think it’ll be a good book to have on my “fun” list and get me back into the habit of reading regularly.

  • 🎮 Video Gaming: I played through Baldur’s Gate 3 since my last update. Oh boy, what a game! There were so many moments where I stopped to appreciate just how intricately detailed the game is. The studio put so much love and care into building a vivid and expansive world where there are so many options to play as different kinds of characters. I love that you can customize your characters’ appearance and identity (and change it throughout the game as they develop!) and you can cultivate different kinds of relationships with NPCs. I’m spending less time with video games these days as I spend more time on the job hunt, developing my consulting business, and throwing pieces at the ceramics studio.

  • 🪵 Woodworking: So I keep making decisions that push out the completion of the Shaker Hallway table I’ve been working on since February. And I’m okay with that. This past session I focused on preparing the parts for my two drawers and hand-cutting the dovetail joints. Woodworking has been a really lovely opportunity to learn new skills and have a physical representation of my development over time. A joint takes a lot of time to prepare and hand cut, but each one went a little faster, fit a little better, and looked a little nicer. And that is really satisfying.

  • 🏺 Wheel Throwing Pottery: I finished up my second semester at Mudflat. When I started classes in May, I started looking for ceramics videos on Youtube so I could work on some of my throwing skills. I really came to enjoy Florian Gadsby’s videos because of his careful, thoughtful instruction. I also loved his art, especially the angular forms that show up throughout his work. It’s been wonderful inspiration and a great starting point for experimenting and developing my own artistic voice. If you’re interested in seeing some of what I’ve been working on, you can check out my Ceramics Portfolio page. In January, I’ll be taking a handbuilding class at Mudflat. I’m looking forward to trying something new and exploring how it can help me grow as an artist.

  • 🏡 Moving: Matt and I settled into our new place in Somerville in September. We certainly miss the old place. Having good friends living upstairs was really wonderful – and the apartment itself was just a lot nicer. The move has been a good opportunity to downsize and donate / recycle stuff that we have collected. And it’s been nice having a place that’s new to both of us as we work on decorating it together.

Permalink: 2023-12-02
You can check out an archive of my "Now" updates in the Now Archive.