Puddle Splashers: collecting moments one by one

It's been more than "a couple of weeks" since I announced I was working on a new blog, but it's finally here:

Puddle Splashers

Check it out! It's a blog by me and my girlfriend Lauren. As we state in the introduction:

But lately we've let things slide. Life is passing us by as we sit on the couch and stare blankly into TV and computer screens, wishing we were doing rather than just watching. We began asking ourselves: Why can't each day be an adventure?

Something needed to be done, so we decided to make some changes. Instead of falling into our usual routines, we're going to mix it up a bit and try new things. We're going to play outside, creating metaphorical mud pies if you will, and make life fun again. And we're going to blog about it.

What can you expect to find at Puddle Splashers? Lauren and I will be taking turns relating our various adventures as we challenge ourselves to go out of our comfort zones and do interesting things. There will be pictures. The posts will be short and to the point. And we hope it will inspire all you couch potatoes out there to take action.

After all, life is not meant to be a spectator sport.

Noir Magazine

I've just uploaded a mock-up of a magazine layout I call Noir Magazine. You can find it on my Design page or on the direct link below.

Noir Magazine (PDF)

This is a course project that required using InDesign to create a mock-up of the cover and the first few pages of a magazine. I created the entire look of the magazine from scratch, using my own photos and text. In order to fill out each page with content, I also condensed some online articles I found to fit onto the page.

Listing and making goals

Lately I've taken to making checklists of tasks I need to accomplish that day. I use an ordinary daily planner and just write down things as they come. It's a very efficient system, and I've been getting a lot of things done because of it. I don't always finish some of the tasks on my list the same day, but I try to get them done within the next day or so. While this is a technique I've long used while at work, I've rarely used it at home until now.

Besides the everyday tasks I need to finish, I've been adding a few challenges to the list, such as getting out and mountain-biking for 45 minutes (did it yesterday) and taking in a huge pile of recyclables to the local depot (did it this morning).

For tasks that I don't look forward to doing all that much but still need to be done, I give myself a deadline. If I need to send in a proposal this afternoon, and it's already 11 am, I write down a deadline of 12 pm or 1 pm, based on how long it will take to complete. Writing down the deadline is important, since the physical is not as subject to interpretation as it would be if it was only in your mind. After it's done, I have the rest of the time to do something else without a difficult or unpleasant task weighing on my mind.

All the tasks on my lists are small goals that I can use to achieve larger personal and professional goals. For example, I've wanted to edit a graphic design sample that displays my magazine layout skills, but I've put it off for awhile. Using the listing technique, I've broken down the individual steps to completing work on the magazine layout design sample and begun putting each of those steps on my daily list, one at a time. In less than a week, I'll have that sample completed and ready to place on my website. And I've already got plans for the next sample in mind.

An end and a new beginning

Hello all,

Given that I've shown very little interest in using this blog AS a blog, I've shut it down, removed most of the earlier posts, and turned it into a simple update page.

But never fear, because I'm planning on getting back into the blogging business. The new blog I have in mind is a lot more focused on an idea than all other blogs I've written in the past (and there have been a few -- the less said about them the better). It's an idea that I've been thinking about since the beginning of August, and I hope it will become a positive force in my life and hopefully also in the world. I've just begun brainstorming for it, so don't expect to see it tomorrow or anything, but I'll release it very soon, possibly next week.

Why am I telling you and the world at large about it? Accountability. Feel free to harass me all you like if I don't follow through with the new blog within a couple of weeks.

What's the idea for the blog? It's a simple idea and something based on a simple phrase: "Yes I can."

I'll post the blog link here as soon as I'm ready. Until then, check out this wonderful blog my girlfriend Lauren told me about, one that's currently inspiring me in creating my own new blog: Sarah Jackson's Jam Revolution!

Site launched today!

Hey everyone,

Well, it's taken some time, but KaiJansson.com is officially launched today. My site is essentially an online portfolio that will showcase my work in various areas (writing, editing, design, art, etc). Now that it's up in a format I'm happy with, I'll be adding new things on a regular basis. Check back on this blog for all updates.

About this site

Welcome to KaiJansson.com!

You may be wondering what this site is all about, and who this “Kai Jansson” fellow is, anyway. Allow me—speaking in third person voice—to tell you a bit about myself.

Kai Jansson is a freelance writer, editor, and graphic designer who lives in Vancouver, BC. Kai has always been a creative force in any field in which he's been interested. While he originally wanted to be an artist, spending hours upon hours drawing cartoons and sketches throughout his childhood and early adulthood, Kai developed an intense interest in writing and storytelling in his early twenties that has been a fixture of his life since then.

KaiJansson.com is intended to be a showcase for Kai's interests as well as an on-line portfolio for potential clients and employers. This site will continue to grow under the following categories:

The Blog

The blog is a place for Kai to write casual commentary on anything that interests him on a regular basis. Most of the topics will include, but will not be limited by, writing, literature, graphic novels and comic-books, photography, artwork, and site updates. Occasionally Kai will also post short pieces or excerpts of fiction and non-fiction on the blog. Many, if not all, of the samples seen in the following categories will first be seen on the blog.

Writing

This section will showcase Kai's short pieces of writing, published and unpublished.

Artwork

Among the pieces of Kai's artwork showcased here will be character sketches, a gallery of faces, cartoons, and comic strips.

Other

Since Kai's interests are not limited to the above categories, this section will showcase other projects Kai has worked on, including video, magazine layout and design, photography, and various other miscellanea.

Speaking in first person voice again, I hope that you like what you see here. Please bookmark my site and subscribe to the RSS feed to keep up with all the site updates. Thank you for visiting!