Sometimes it’s easy not to post if the most eloquent and perfectly polished and articulated words don’t come to mind in perfectly baked paragraphs ready to publish. [Insert more p words here for alliteration.]
So, here I am, two to three months into and after some things that are still worth writing about.
TED
Like, I went to TED in Vancouver in April. This was my first time on a plane since January of 2020. My husband, Adam, and I rented a lovely Airbnb in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood. While it was a bit of a trek to the Convention Center (~45 minute walk, ~15-20 minute Uber, ~20-minute walk plus a few stops on the Sky Train), we ADORED this neighborhood and loved the flat where we stayed. This was also our first time visiting Vancouver, though we briefly entertained the idea of moving there a couple of decades ago.
In advance, I made a series of connected bookmarks from my old paintings and doodles. I embedded NFC tags, so you could tap to pull up my website with a mobile phone, just like you can tap to pay. (First photo below.) More on my process here, if you’re curious.
While I’ve been to a handful of TED and TEDx events in the past, and volunteered at TEDx events, this was my first time at mainstage TED. I’m still processing, to be honest. I learned that TED needs its own post-processing time. I didn’t bake that in to my schedule. I picked up some sort of bug that kicked my ass for the next couple of weeks and jumped immediately into a new project at work, so I just kept going and for now, this has become “a thing I did,” until I give it the time it deserves to percolate and marinate.
I’ve got lots of journal pages to revisit, but in the meantime, you might love sketchnote summaries from Tom Wujec.
One of the highlights of my experience was a Discovery session at Rolla Skate Club, which has since rekindled a long-lost love of roller skating. After probably 35 years, I’m relearning how to get around on quad skates. And I LOVE IT SO MUCH. (I’m the one in the super colorful hoodie dress and leggings, both of which were print-on-demand pieces based on my paintings. )
Not long after returning from TED, I bought a pair of skates along with safety gear and a couple of accessories just for kicks (VNLA Parfaits, in case you’re curious). Bonus points for getting to use my work wellness budget for reimbursement over the next many months! I took another lesson through a local skate shop where I bought the gear, Ramps and Alleys, a few weeks ago and fell deeper in love. Yesterday I took the skates out for their first outdoor spin. (Image credits: first three photos by Jasmina Tomic / TED. Photo four by me. Last two by Adam Williams/Humanitou.)
Web3 Learning Updates
In Web3 news, I completed a 3-month long bootcamp called SheFi. The waitlist for Cohort 9 is open! I highly recommend this program for any women and non-binary people interested in learning about Web3 concepts and technologies like blockchain, DeFi, crypto and using crypto wallets, stablecoins, Web3 social, DAOs, metaverse, and NFTs. Well worth the time and investment (with scholarships also available). I went from being terrified of using crypto wallets to feeling much more comfortable navigating Web3 applications and purchasing small amounts of ETH, USDC, and MATIC. It’s not so scary any more.
Along the way, I minted a membership NFT, collected Mint Kudos for participating in live sessions, and minted my Robo Nova, with unlockable traits. All great ways to experiment and build confidence in this space.
In other Web3 news, I also joined a super supportive community for GenX women in crypto.
