While tech toys aren’t required for a good time… oooh boy can they be fun!

And who knew that Lance’s Christmas in March column (in recent issue #100 of The Simplifier) would translate into a fun creativity outlet around here?

What’s it all mean? Well, friendly Santa Lance and his trusty canine reindeer sidekicks made a surprise visit here at HQ this evening. In his sac was a box with a “Bamboo Fun” writing tablet!

But “writing” is only the tip of the ice berg. Digital drawing, painting, and sketching are all in the future now. I’ve barely scratched the surface but one super cool feature is that the harder you press, the thicker the “ink flow” (which, of course, isn’t really ink). This is called pressure sensitivity.

Wow, a regular mouse is so last week!

I’m so stoked on this unexpected addition to the office. Talk about an incredibly thoughtful and relevant gift. Thank you, Lance!!

When the going gets busy, the busy get going. It doesn’t have to be crazy…

The one hundredth issue of the Project Simplify newsletter The Simplifier, imaginatively titled “Our 100th Issue!”, is now archived on our newsletter archives page.

(There is also an audio version of this newsletter, available here.)

Here is a brief summary of the contents:

1. A Note From Shawn
Mmmmm…round numbers
2. Upcoming/Current Events
3. Our Featured Quote
by Albert Camus
4. Project Simplify Says So
The Mastermind Group; Focusing on social media, one venue at a time; and Excuses, excuses, excuses
5. Lifestyles of the Natural & Professional
Creating the Course, and Going Visual!
6. The Not-So-Simple Life
Christmas in March

Read the full issue here.
Listen to the full issue here.
Subscribe to The Simplifier here.
[posted by Lance]

Here is the audio edition of our newsletter The Simplifier Issue #5.5 – “Our 100th Issue!”.

NOTE: The links that are mentioned throughout this recording can be found in the web version of this newsletter.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

(If you don’t see an audio player or link above, you can access the mp3 file directly here.)

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming, “The World’s Largest To-Do List, Part II: The Mind Mappening” to bring you this live report from a special press conference, being held by notorious procrastinator Lance Brown:

This is Chas Chasely, and I’m here with several other reporters outside a small cabin in Grass Valley California, where world-class procrastinator Lance Brown is expected to announce—ooh, he’s coming out! It looks like we’re about to start…

Lance Brown: Thank you for coming. I believe you’ve all been briefed as to the nature of this, so I’ll just get right to it: I’m finally ready to mail out Christmas presents to my family members. They will be going out via FedEx this afternoon. I know it’s been a long wai–

Reporter: I’m sorry, just to clarify: you mean you’re sending out your 2010 Christmas presents in March? 9 months early?

Brown: No, my 2009 Christmas presents. I’m sending out my 2009 presents—only 3 months late. Less, actually.

Reporter: And you’re what, proud of this?

Brown: Well, I’m glad about it, let’s put it that way. I mean, in 2008, I never sent them out at—um,  let’s just say, this is better than it was last year. Next question?

Chas Chasely: Mr. Brown, Chas Chasely here. I think what our listeners want to know is, why did it take you so long to get the presents out?

Brown: There were a lot of extenuating factors; for one thing, I have 4 nieces and nephews, in two different locations on the the other side of the country.

Reporter: I have 9 nieces and nephews, in 4 different locations–two of which are international. And I get their presents out in time.

Brown: Well it’s complicated, because there’s a boy and girl at each place, and they are just over a year apart, and I have to try and balance out the gifts–

Chas Chasely: Excuse me, Mr. Brown, but don’t lots of people have to deal with the same factors in buying things for their young relatives?

Brown: I suppose so…but see, I have a lot of pets in my house, so I had to keep the presents covered most of the time, and it was really hard to find a clean space to lay out and wrap the presents without them getting all cat-hairy or dog-muddy.

Reporter: That sounds kind of weak…

Brown: There’s also money. My on-hand money tends to fluctuate, so it wasn’t until late in the season that I was able to start buying gifts.

Chas Chasely: You know, when I’ve been low on money, I made hand-made gifts from the heart–people actually tended to like those even more than bought gifts.

Brown: OK FINE! I don’t know why it takes me so long to get presents out!! Is that what you want to hear? It’s been that way for a long time. Clearly I have some bad habits, and my tendency toward procrastination is well known. But the point is, they are going out. I made it through all the various steps and logistics, I got tons of presents for 4 niephews, 2 siblings, and 1 parent, I got them all wrapped and labeled, and now…oh. Wait a minute. Does anyone have any good shipping boxes I can borrow?

No ifs, ands or buts about it. Here’s the column that was printed in last month’s Nevada City Advocate called “There’s no more putting this one off“, now on their website.

Excerpt:

I do hereby proclaim February to be “No Excuse” month. “By what right?” you might ask. Well, none, really, but aren’t you tired of hearing excuses?

Often we use excuses as a storytelling mechanism. If there were no excuses, I wouldn’t have heard that a TV fell on so-and-so’s head. Or that so-and-so left his keys in the car at the gas station and someone drove off with the car…

Talking with an artist friend the other day, the subject of social media came up. After listing all the outlets she “needed” to get up to speed on: a facebook fan page, Twitter, podcasts, videocasts, blogging, etc. she looked about ready to throw it all out the window. “It’s overwhelming!” she lamented.

It is a lot to think figure out. Though it’s also unrealistic to expect ourselves to be proficient and prolific in all these venues “yesterday”–as if we need yet another excuse to feel like we can’t possibly do it all.

I suggested she pick one and see if she can get into the habit of publishing to that venue regularly.

“Which one?!”

“Which one speaks to you the most?” I replied. I told her that Lance has been encouraging me to do video cast updates from the Project Simplify World Headquarters for quite some time.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll get there,” was my common response. I just wasn’t ready to take on the whole sack of questions that came along with it: deciding on content, figuring out the recording tech, the editing and uploading tech, etc. Ugh.

But that all changed last week, with my new iPhone. Not only is recording video easy, all I needed was a YouTube account to upload to and Voila! publishing is complete. The tech side is so easy, the only part for me to think about is the content.

And all I need for content is an idea. The rest flows spontaneously. They clips are short–around two minutes, no editing required and, it turns out, it’s FUN!!!!

This format definitely plays to the wanna-be actor in me. After the first one, I was immediately thinking about what the next one might be!

This reaction is a clear message that it’s time for me to do regular video casting. (The first two updates are below.)

I recognize that my artist friend, being more reserved and shy than I, probably won’t hit the video casts for quite some time. But as someone who wants to share her work and connect with potential clients and customers, one of the social media venues will work for her, her style, and her comfort level. And that’s just the right one for her to jump into!

So Hello already! Let it be easy! =)

(Did I really say, “Technical Guru Guy“?!?!)

(Still working on getting my whole head in the frame, lol.)

: : : : : : : : : :
Photo credit:
Free 108 Glossy Waxed Wood Social Media Icons
by webtreats