In reflecting on the first things I posted to the YouTube channel and the blog around a year ago, I am still enamored with the original ideas that were put forth. I outlined two points that I would like to accomplish with the work I do for Hackbatch.
- Show my process and document how I got from one place to another.
- Allow others to utilize the benefits of my hard work.
That first blog post entitled “How to: Hackbatch” did not describe in detail exactly how I would accomplish each of those things. In a similar fashion, the first video, which has performed the best of any video on the channel, is what I would describe as pretty much nailing the format that I wanted with Hackbatch in video form. Of course this is not much of a guide either if I haven't followed it.
What you might not know is that I spent years practicing talking to camera, posting videos on an old YouTube channel, and making little websites with free editors before Hackbatch was even an idea. This practice has been extremely valuable in starting Hackbatch in a way that I was happy with. I cannot express enough how pleased I am with the work I have done and the effort it took to get to this point. The whole project remains a part of my idea for the future.
As I see it, I should take my own advice and show my process. Each day that passes I would like to invite myself to do something new or improve on something, and then record it. The way that I approach my practice is important, and relieving the pressure I have placed on myself to make something great or valuable right out of the gate is a good start. If I am making something and documenting it, that’s where it all starts. I want to do the best work I can do as always, but I need to keep my perfectionism in check. Discipline in quality and consistency is a different idea than the fear of failure that keeps me between thought and action.
The next steps for Hackbatch are all about consistently frequent and varied directions of practice. To facilitate this approach, I will be posting about more of the work that I do for my projects to show you what I’ve learned, the progress I have made, and the interesting things that result. With a year of hindsight and bit of renewed focus, I plan on building Hackbatch as a community of people eager to build on their own ideas and the ideas of each other.
The first step is to grow a channel of communication on this site more often and elsewhere on the internet. I want the things I find valuable and the work that I can do for you, to get to the right places. This step will allow me to not only provide you with some value for visiting Hackbatch, but will also allow me to build an audience and community for my work. To everyone who has supported me personally and on YouTube, and to you reading this now, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
With that,
Happy Birthday Hackbatch!