Back from XOXO. Noticed Andy Baio tweeting that some folks quit their job the day after getting back from the festival. I wonder what they left to go and do? Probably something they don't consider work.

I can sympathise. If it wasn't for the fact that I a) took 6 months off last year, attempting a little freelance, nearly going completely bonkers and b) actually sort of like the routine of a proper job, then I can see the appeal. I'd love to spend more time on non-work things. I don't, though, inevitably because I'm embarrassed that I'll do whatever it is as badly as I do my day-job.

However, I have been trying to do more non-work things on the side and just ignore that fear as best I can.

When I was a kid, I drew a lot. I wasn't even totally bad at it. I drew and painted so much, art college was not an entirely crazy direction I considered. That never happened, partly because I had a really bad art teacher towards the end of my foray into taking art seriously that she totally put me off for years, and big part of me has always regretted letting that happen. Regretting is, of course, stupid, because I have a really good life now and I enjoy the work I do and blah blah blah wouldn't be here today, etc. But still, I do wonder sometimes.

Matthew Sheret started a "30 days of music" to get out of his writing rut. I played along and found setting aside a little bit of time to think about some music every day very relaxing.

I started a "30 days of drawing" to try and have the same effect on myself on a thing I wish I did more of. It's partially worked. On the one hand, I have drawn more in the last couple of months than I have in the last 10 years, but I haven't managed to finish the 30 days, partly because I was spending too long on each piece. I guess I failed at sticking to my own rules (quick, non-precious, drawings), but it has succeeded in making me not ashamed to try something and I've had better outcomes than I thought I was capable of. I genuinely thought I'd forgotten how to draw and paint.

I'm going to keep doing this. This is a thing that I do now.