So, it is 2019. How time flies. I can’t believe last year went by so quickly. Was shocking to me. Was really one of the best years in my life. That is, at least personally. It almost felt like a vacation of a year. 2019 is here and I need to buckle down and get productive. Here are my five goals for 2019:
Number One: Blog More
This one is kind of a must. The beginning of all this photography stuff from me came from my blog. I’ve become more lazy when it comes to my blog. I posted five or six times all of last year. That isn’t enough. I need to be better.
I plan to blog at least once a week, rain or shine. Some of the posts may very well be boring. I am still going to write them though. It is something I need to do for me.
I purchased a domain for the first time in my life today: jtinseoul.com.
#feelsgoodman
Number Two: Take More Photos
This one may seem obvious. I took around 500 photos last year. That is down from the 800 the year before. Down again from the 1100 in 2016. I need to be better at this too. I think this goes hand in hand with my blog posts being down. I write my blog posts based on my photos and not the other way round.
I have started walking in the mornings with my camera. This isn’t something I’d done in a really long time. I very rarely just take photos. I always needed to have a purpose. Another purpose. I consider my other purpose to be getting in better shape.
Number Three: Get in Better Shape
Well, how about that for a segway. I have gained 15kgs since 2016. Not good. Basically the happier I am the lazier I am. Also not good. Last year was a happy year. That means lots of beer, good food, and very little exercise. Time to change that. I plan on doing those morning walks every day. It may not seem like much but it is a hell of a lot more than I’ve been doing for about 18 months. Hopefully I can keep this up. I promised my wife I would lose weight this year. I have to keep my promise. She literally dances like a ballerina while she cleans (see above picture) so I have a tough critic to please.
Number Four: Actually Start my YouTube Channel
This one I have been promising for years. I have tried several times to get it going but have never had the gumption nor the equipment to do it properly. Truth be told I was never really sure how to start. I was never really sure what content you guys may want. I will gladly take advice on this! I filmed a video last week about a laptop I got from Samsung. An unboxing, of sorts. Not sure how well it turned out yet. I’m scared to sit down and edit it, haha. I will do so this week. It won’t be the first video I post, however. I plan on shooting a channel introduction this week as well. I even hired someone to help me shoot it. No turning back now!
Number Five: Transitional Year
During this year one thing I really want to do is transition into an artist. Sounds cliche. Sounds stupid even. I’ve never given this lifestyle a real chance. I have never really taken this whole thing very seriously. I know it isn’t easy. I know it is in fact, really hard. That doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try. I feel I owe it to myself to try. So, I will do so! I have already started the remodeling process of a darkroom and studio in my house. I have always dreamed about having an analogue studio in my house and I am going to make it happen. I am most excited about this of all the things I’ve mentioned so far.
This is perhaps the biggest of these goals. Again, I’m open to advice! In fact, I really enjoyed reading the advice from some of you after my post last weekend. It all helps.
Up Next: My favourite 10 Photos of 2018. Stay tuned 😉 One of the photos in this post is on the list.. can you guess which? haha.
jtinseoul 
Love the first photograph! Happy New Year! Marcus
And to you!
Good luck with your top 5. One thing I’ve found is that I’m much more successful with my goals when I schedule regular check-in’s for myself and have people who will truly hold me accountable. Don’t forget to reward yourself or at least recognize the progress you make along the way either. Positive reinforcement goes a long way.
Good luck with everything in the new year, I’m looking forward to seeing what you come up with, including Neverland volume 2, or is that item number 6?
😉
Keith
Thanks, Keith! Neverland Volume 2 should be available for sale before the end of this month 😉 I’m waiting on my graphic design guy to finish it up.
Do you have an urgent need to share or create? What drives your desire to communicate? It is hard to be motivated by a decision, it really needs some kind of compulsion, at least I think so? For exercise check out the HASFit Channel on YouTube, I am not a motivated exerciser, but I have been using them for the last year.
I don’t have an urgent need unless you call that my wife 😉 And I will check out that channel!
Josh
I think people would be interested in how you ended up in South Korea. How did you meet your wife and decide to settle there together? What’s it like living in a “foreign land” Do you speak Korean? etc
Hi Ron,
I believe I’ve covered it in the past but surely intend to touch on it again. Just for a simple recap I left law school in Canada in 2007 to come to Korea for the first time. I returned home when my father passed away and to finish school. Upon finishing school I came back to Korea almost straight away. I met my wife at a Christmas party haha. I speak Korean, yes, and I love living here 😉 Or else, I wouldn’t!
Josh
It sounds like you’re most excited about the darkroom and your studio. Maybe that’s what your first YouTube videos should be about. Building that out. People would like that. -Scott
I believe that is part of the plan. My wife is making sure I make it look good enough 😉
Ah, my bad I deleted the wrong one
Sorry about the double post. Please delete this one.
JT what does an analogue studio consist in ?
Well, I would shoot 135mm or 120mm in the studio and do analogue prints while the customers do some sightseeing in the area.