Health

Vision Challenge 2: Making Things Easy

Byjack May 19, 2022May 21, 2022

So immediately after thinking about the eye challenge post I just wrote, I decided that I’m making things too difficult and over complicated.

I should keep things simple and increase my likelihood of success.

Don’t limit screentime, instead, increase outdoor time and sports
- I love being on the water, go swimming and paddleboarding more
- Take off glasses as much as possible when it would make things easier
Simple simple measurements for eyesight (see video below)
Try drawing stuff from really far away for breaks in between long computer sessions

Current approx eyesight:

about 6cm away from phone for clear vision

100/6 = -16.6 diopters

Art | Digital Art

Sova Fanart 10: Final Stretch Unit Two

Byjack March 27, 2023

UNIT TWO: Create a unique drawing

There is one drawing that I’ve always wanted to create, and luckily, I already have a photo reference for it!

I am eager to use my skills on this new pose as well, but the intricacies of Sova’s outfit is definitely making me nervous.

Here is my mini syllabus:

UNIT ONE: Create a manikin structure drawing from life

UNIT TWO: Go into the game and use the character model to get the all the sova details and map them in.

UNIT THREE: Create a more refined drawing in preparation for final inks.

I’m too tired to talk much about what actually happened. I spent at least 12 hours on this process.

I did not have the chance to color to perfection, I also sadly left Professor Sova on the draftroom floor.

Things I learned:

It takes a much longer time than I thought to create a pleasing lineart sketch, if it doesn’t look good you probably didn’t spend enough time
For lineart, focus on creating forms, not just outlines. Seek to understand every little detail
Colors is a whole another beast that I didn’t get much time to practice or focus on. If things were different, I would have spent more time working on my color process.
Shadows is still a mystery to me. Need to find a process that works for me.

Health | Physical Health

Knee Strength 2: Standing Exercises

Byjack November 26, 2023November 26, 2023

New knee exersises:

Warmup: Single leg toe point
1. All weight on big toe, quick heel raise, raise whole body upwards
Main Exercise: Rolling single leg squat stretch
1. Stretch on leg in front, squat forward and down, roll backwards and up
2. Repeat with both legs
3. Repeat with stretching leg in back and to the side
Mobility: Gentle leg swing bend
1. Slight bend in one leg while other leg slightly swings forward
2. Repeat with both legs
3. Repeat swinging back and to the side and bending up and back
Stability: Pronated squat
1. One leg squat while weight on outside of the sole of the foot
2. Repeat with weight on inside, toe and heel
3. Repeat with both legs

Health | Physical Health

Posture Challenge – Unofficial Made Official

Byjack February 26, 2024

I’ve been unofficially focusing on posture for some time now, including mewing, building muscles and strength, and ultimately for more a more aesthetic, healthy, and functional body.

A really helpful video is this:

I always have a lot of tightness in my chest and would like to have more of a wider back and more shoulder mobility.

Health | Physical Health

Fitness Challenge 2: Increasing Appetite

Byjack May 23, 2023

So I’m most of the way through my second part of my challenge – Week 2: Big appetite (increase hunger throughout day) and I’m having a huge amount of issues.

I try to eat a lot but I don’t seem to be able to find a way to digest the food.

Several things seem to be standing in my way:

Extreme chronic stress
Lack of exercises and energy
Poor sleep

I’m going to do what I always did in these situations of great stress. I’m going to simplify and try to find something very small to focus on. And that thing will be breathing.

Whether or not I feel full, hungry stressed, tired or anxious, I am going to strive to do only one thing. To breathe. I find that breathing has tremendous effects for all the of things I listed above as obstacles standing in my way.

Health | Writing

The Trifecta of Growth and Progression Down the Path of Truth

Byjack October 16, 2022October 16, 2022

There was a big journey I went down in terms of working on myself, becoming more mature and being able to live a free and meaningful life.

I started by thinking that you needed to meet your own needs
Then I thought you needed to be good at asking for your needs
And finally, I thought you needed to process traumas and emotions

But I realized that they are all part of the same things and have different parts to play.

In a way, everything is about not abandoning yourself and taking care of yourself. You surround yourself with people who you can talk about what is on your mind truthfully and emotionally. They help you understand what you need. You are able to then give yourself what you need and walk down further along the path of understanding different parts of yourself that are in pain.

From processing emotions, we can truly love ourselves, and the people around us, and be present in the moment.

There is a sense that being with people who don’t accept us, don’t allow us to feel safe speaking our truth is self abandoment. In a way, even if someone meets some of our needs (for example is attractive enough to make us feel special), if we settle for someone who doesn’t love us or allow us to be ourselves, we are putting ourselves down.

Not allowing ourselves to meet our own needs (for example, asking for validation from others because we refuse to give it to ourselves) is self abandonment.

Refusing to look deeper, and shielding parts of ourselves from the world (for example, keeping a confident outward appearance when we feel anxious) is abandoning parts of ourselves and placing the outside world’s comfort above our own.

Gaming | Valorant