I’m undertaking a 1000-day reinvention project, focused on launching a writing and advisory business around personal finance for GenXers. I’m blogging here daily to track my progress. In Wednesday Website, I explore and plan for some improvement to my website.
I couldn’t sleep early this morning, so I lay in bed thinking about my websites.
“I should have put the 1000 day project on my other website,” I thought to myself. “That would be cleaner.”
Then I remembered all the work involved in transferring posts, categories, and tags from one website to another, and how little benefit I would get. The purpose of blogging for 1000 days about a reinvention isn’t to develop readership. It’s to record the journey. Maybe I will do something someday with these blog posts; maybe I won’t. Maybe they’ll become the basis for a second memoir, one I write when I’m in my seventies, after I get my first memoir finished and published.
I’m gradually whittling down my aspirations. Personal finance podcast? Maybe not—I’ll just write my newsletter. YouTube channel to go with the podcast? Well, I had already dispensed with that notion: adds too much work onto recording of the podcast, makes me feel like I need to put makeup on and fix my hair, and introduces a whole new set of algorithmic demands. Sticking to a niche? That’s no fun.
let’s talk about something else
I’m sure much of this reduction in ambition has to do with the big change that happened recently in my life. I found a new relationship. Or a new relationship was thrust upon me. Or I rode the chairlift of my life into my future, in which waited a new relationship.
Instead of writing about my websites, I’ll write about the date M and I went on last night. We started at the Denver Art Museum. I wanted to show M my favorite painting there, and I wanted to see which paintings he liked. He has a blank wall ready for a painting, and he’s said he’d like to put a painting of mine there. It’s a tall, slim space. I might need to paint something specific for it. So I wanted to understand his tastes.
He confessed while we were driving that he has a phobia of parking downtown. I understand—I do too. But I do know where to park for the Denver Art Museum, at the cultural complex garage. We parked there and walked through light drizzling rain to get to the main building, where the membership I bought last fall during my photography flirtation got us in free.
We went directly up to the third floor, where the modern art starts, and M was thrilled to see a Picasso. He also liked a colorful painting by Hans Hofmann, Still Life, hanging on the wall with the two Picassos. I only realize just now the painting M liked was a Hofmann, and I’m excited to know that, because Hofmann is one of my favorite modern artists. Also, many of my paintings use blocks of color like Hofmann’s paintings. I can definitely produce a painting that evokes Hofmann’s style.
We saw many strange works of art, and it newly inspired me as an artist. Every time I see an exhibition I’m reminded that I can make art in any way I want.
After a tour of the modern art, we viewed European and American 19th century art including Monet, Cassatt, Sisley, and more. We marveled at the ability of the impressionists to use such loose, imprecise strokes to produce detailed imagery. M seemed to enjoy the 19th century art more than the modern art. Too bad! He’s getting contemporary art for his wall.
After the museum, we headed back to Littleton for chile verde with margaritas at Los Dos Potrillos. There was a mariachi band playing at first which made conversation difficult, but the atmosphere was boisterous and festive. The chili was spicy. We talked about many things. I asked him what movies he liked. He said he watched action movies, Marvel movies, but then surprised me when he said, “I really loved Maleficent.” Maleficent is up there with my favorite movies. Maybe it is my very favorite movie. He also said he owns the entire Twilight series on DVD. I am a huge Twilight fan.
“Every person brings together masculine and feminine sides,” he said, sitting there all manly and masculine, while sharing his interest in girly flicks. Yes, we each do indeed.
After we parted ways, I started wondering: did I write that I love Maleficent and Twilight somewhere? Did he figure that out and is he using it to manipulate me? It seems so unlikely. But I’m pretty sure my love for those movies (and the Twilight books) hasn’t been declared publicly before now.
That was a really good date, and not just because it was sprinkled with the salt of a new infatuation. At the end of the night, M said to me, “my last love might be my best love.”
So, can you blame me for not wanting to write about websites today?