My 2016: "Fail More"

Last year I wrote:

My mantra for 2015 was, "Little acts of courage." Thanks to my therapist and everyone he introduced me to, all of the crap that was weighing on my mind in 2014 slowly eased away. I can't quite say that 2015 was a good year for me, but I can say that it was definitely a better one.

For 2016, my mantra was, "Fail more." It was the next step above "little acts of courage" in that it expects that I constantly push my own boundaries and constantly fail. But instead of getting discouraged, I should feel proud for the opportunity to learn something new about myself. And every once in a while, when I expect to fail…the universe occasionally surprises me in wondrous ways.

For the fourteenth straight year, here is my annual survey of how I spent my year 2016.

Lavendaire: Artist of Live →

Lavendaire is for the passionate, the fearless, and the dreamers who believe. For those who are smart, curious, and conscious, with an open mind, a love for learning, and a deep desire to live a brilliant and vibrant life.

In short, Lavendaire is for the artist of life.

Aileen is equally creative and genuine as she is ambitious, which is a rare combination that I love about her. Super proud of her and the path she's creating for herself.

She's got more balls than I do.

How I Spent My Year 2014

Four years ago, I was picking up pieces of myself off the ground. Three years after that, I focused on rebooting my career. This past year, I focused on my new puppy and myself.

2014 was a pretty miserable year for me. I'm sure one would ever expect it. What people tend to forget is social media is just a giant online highlight reel. There’s a whole 'lotta life that happens in between posts, and for me, it was pretty shitty.

For the twelfth straight year, without fail, here is my annual survey of how I spent my year 2014.

Aileen in Phoenix 9 →

Film Industry Network:

Independent film director Amir Reichart has created one of this year’s best short films, taking audiences on an epic voyage through earth’s barren wasteland after a global nuclear war.

‘Phoenix 9′ features stunning special effects, apocalyptic landscapes, and follows a group of survivors struggling to make it to a post-war colony. During their 1000 mile struggle they stagger on a secret installation that offers them a new hope for survival.

The work is meticulous and the visuals are on-par with a Roland Emmerich disaster movie. This kind of Hollywood panache is rarely seen in a low budget environment but the painstaking work of the whole team, and the approach from the film’s director makes this a must-watch.

omg, it's Post-Apocalyptic Lavendaire! hahahah love this

How I Spent My Year 2013

Ten years. That's how long I've been doing this annual survey thing. Ten f'ing years. I don't write much original content on this blog but if there's one blog post I can count on making each year, it's this one.

I am going do this annual blog post every year for the rest of my life.

I try really hard to give answers that'll still mean something over time. Maybe one day, a loved one or a child of mine will find a lot of value in all this, maybe even years after I've passed.

Or if nobody ever reads this, that'd be fine too. I've been keeping up with this tradition because I love taking the time to reflect on how I've grown.

In 2011, my life was in shambles. In 2012, my focus was getting my career back on track. In 2013, things finally started falling into place. It feels good.

Here's how my year 2013 went.

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