What would I do…

…if I had a year off?

Oh…all sorts of things. Mainly catching up type stuff.

Firstly, I’d devote lots of time to photography. I’d catch up sorting through the various photos I’ve taken. Get rid of the dross, tart up the pictures I like. I’d take time to teach myself new things. I think I have a reasonable eye composition-wise, but I want to get better technically; learn some new techniques, further my understanding, improve what I can do on the computer – that sort of thing.

It would also be great to have more time to go out and take photos. As an example, As I write, I have 1,724 photos in my flickr stream, and of those 756 are non-geotagged (i.e. they don’t have a tag which shows you the place they were taken). This means they were taken at home. Either inside or outside. Thats quite a lot.

I feel the best photography weather often happens when I’m stuck indoors at work with half an eye looking longingly out of the window.

Secondly, I’d get to grips with my keyboard properly. (Musical variety.) There are still plenty of bells, whistles and twinkly lights that I’ve never properly sussed. This is mainly because I’ve never had the luxury of uninterrupted time to just sit there and fiddle with it. I’m normally using it because I’m doing something for the Drama group. There’s several things I’ve managed by accident and couldn’t tell you how I did it – which is annoying when I want to do it again.

Thirdly, I think I should factor in a couple of decent holidays. Apart from two nights in Norfolk in April this year, I haven’t been away properly since April 2008.

It would be great to go away for a real break. See some new things. Breathe some new air. Clean away some cobwebs.  And of course incorporate some photography into that! Actually, the air needn’t be new. Just different. I quite like the LA air after all. 🙂 Even if it is occasionally smoggy.

Fourthly, there would have to be plenty of time for reading. Preferably sat outside in the warm – either with a nice cuppa or a refreshing beer. I have a bedside cabinet of books that I seem to be adding to more quickly than I’m getting through. It’s good to get lost in a book.

Fifthly, I should draw more. As a child, I had pencils or felt tips in my hands constantly. Or more accurately (as far as felt-tips are concerned anyway)  all over my hands. 🙂  I always was more arty farty than number crunchy.  I’m not necessarily original (I feel like my head is so full of miscellaneous ‘stuff’ that it’s hard to be original with anything these days), but I’m okay at it and think I can produce fairly realistic looking end results. I just don’t seem to have enough time – it’s not a quick pastime. I wish I’d been encouraged that way a bit more. It’s kind of fallen by the wayside somewhat.

Sixthly – cooking. Yes you did read that right. Cooking. I’m mid thirties. I should be better at it than I am. I probably won’t ever enjoy it, but that’s no excuse!

Seventhly – keeping an eye on the garden. This blog was originally about my back garden, and it’s certainly come on a lot since I started, but there’s still a few holes to finish off. I’m so glad it doesn’t still look like that. –>

You can’t beat a good potter every now and then, but sometimes it gets a bit ‘battle-of-the-weeds-y’. It’s hard to keep them tamed. Especially, when you’re trying to fit in work, photography, keyboard mastery, holidays, reading, drawing and cooking.

Hmmm….better make it two years off!