a series of fortunate events

Despite the seeming imperfection of my Artist Date yesterday, it still put me in a certain mood and state of mind. As such, my meandering into unplanned activities as I try to re-anchor myself into the day-to-day somehow led me to creative ideas, and much more significantly, to creative memories.

Sometime in 2000 or 2001 I actually purchased two domain names, taught myself basic HTML, and went on to create websites just as the whole idea of blogging and having websites has not yet fully caught on mainstream. One was called "creativelife.net" which housed all my creative efforts, histories, projects, and pursuits. It never got to full launch because I got busy with work and my self-taught HTML could only take me so far. My design skills and tastes then were also immature and inexperienced. The other was called "biyahero.net" which was a travel website since I traveled a lot those days with my ex-boyfriend and he was a photographer and I loved to write so we were a perfect match in that way. The travel website was semi-launched and it actually started to gain a following. Then it got de-prioritized as I got sucked more into work and things also started going downhill with my romantic relationship.

I'm thinking now, if I had pushed through with both sites, at that perfect time, I could have achieved some online stardom by this time, maybe even getting to work or collaborate with the likes of Holly Becker!

But regrets do not take us anywhere except to serve to push us forward and do better. Remembering and rediscovering these things told me that it is not too late. This is the Year of Rebirth after all. Perhaps now is the perfect time for me to revisit and pursue these old dreams. The fact that my attention has only been called to them now means that I am ready to actually do something about it.

I actually dug through my very old files and found this opening page for the travel website:

And this is the home page for the creative website (and my brain is churning up fresh ideas to relaunch!)

I am amazed at how much of what I have written then echoes my sentiments now. I already knew by then the answers to my questions now except I did not fully recognize them. But now I am in a much better position to see things and to make better decisions (hopefully). I am also clearer on how I want my creative journey to go. I barely travel now (because of financial considerations) but who says I can't pick up where I left off? Didn't someone, or many someones, say, that if we truly intend things according to our heart's desire, the Universe conspires to make it all happen?

Have a happy, creative, and fruitful weekend to all!