Nothing like a long weekend to continue my journey into self-hosting data and computing. It’s necessary that this becomes a commonplace idea of every free individual, to be concerned with privacy and seemingly free digital services. We are not products.

Good Morning #nostr, I'm feeling good today, and I hope you are too. I have a large design sprint task to complete today. Sometimes these are my favorite days - days that have a clear goal and directive, a confident signal of completion.

Nephew's 16th birthday today. Crazy how time flies. I handed down my copy of 'The War of Art' by Steven Pressfield. One I've read several times over the years and grew to love. Inside I had an air freshener of Goku from the Dragon Ball Z series for his new truck. It feels like yesterday I was driving on my own for the first time, yet it somehow feels like time is so different now. I turned 16 around the time he was born. Grateful to live and love.

How do you see the combination of #bitcoin and #nostr impacting the way an #eCommerce business operates? Internal and external systems seem to have use-cases, but nailing down specifics is where all the fun is. What ideas come to mind? #nostrdesign #userexperience

There’s nothing quite like loving what you do. Working hard is a good hobby. Where’s the #UserExperience designers? It seems like this space is a great area for the next generation of digital experiences. The possibilities with #Nostr still can kind of break my brain - but I think that’s just the feeling of being on the edge of advancement. The horizon of concepts we’ve barely tapped into.

#BJJ tonight. 🥋 Drilling side control to knee on belly transitions and a little addition of a unique defense. ⚔️ Too busy to put much of a note out. But I do plan to write a bit more in long form over on stacker.news 🤙🏼⚡️ #Camping this weekend with some close friends. We usually hike but this time we’ll be driving up. Winter camps are always cozy and it’s always good to unplug completely every now and again. 🏕️🧦🍁 There’s something inspiring about these new types of communities. Glad I’ve chosen to explore this #Nostr thing. 👾👻🧠

Busy day today. Hitting the ground running. We’ve got several user journeys to map and iterate on. My study list is growing faster than I can get through it; a good problem to have as I’m eager to learn. Discovering more and more about lightning node operation and channel management. BJJ tonight and then cleaning up the guest house for visitors before dinner.

Zaps enabled. We’ve leveled up. Still exploring the world of node ownership and channel operation. Long talk with a good friend over a couple of whiskeys tonight about #Nostr and the state of free speech and data ownership.

You can never reclaim wasted time. It’s gone. In the same way, you can never take back what is said. You can only say more in correction, or to give context. I like that this philosophy is applied with #Nostr Deeper thinking. More genuine communication. I think the environment benefits from this. 2 days into using nostr and I can already feel the difference. #GrowNostr

Today; Yearly financial status review. I’ve got a lot to learn on the current market and long term goal planning. Digging further into #LightningNetwork and opening payment from my self-hosted #BTC node. Work hours are focusing breaking down and optimizing product finding paths. #UserExperienceDesign #GrowNostr #DesignDaily

#BJJ class tonight; side control, lockdown pressure and escapes. There is no single movement behind a position change. It’s almost always an intentionally ordered chain of movements strung together. Felt good to be back on the mats. Turning it back up for 2024.

I have this theory or mental model so to speak, that we are all designers. Everyone has preference. As humans, we commonly make lists, schedule our calendars, budget our finances, prep our meals, etc. To contribute productively you must provide value. That deliverable, that vessel of value, requires intervention before value is maximized. For example, a tree; in order to find the value of the tree one must either harvest it or craft it into lumber, and later assembled. Do everything with an awareness that you’re the part of the formula that adds value to the vessel. You’re a designer.

Early morning reading. UX Collective this time. “The value of design isn’t actually in producing visual artifacts, but in the process that leverages those artifacts. Documenting a design decision¹ in a visual artifact — that can be disseminated among appropriate audiences — is what makes that decision tangible and testable. Cycling through that feedback loop between design decisions, visual documentation, and the audience — and increasing the fidelity of both your thinking and your artifacts — is how design works.” Couldn’t agree more with this. It’s a great perspective on how to deliver value as a product designer - sometimes people think it’s all just pretty pictures. I want to see more content like this on #nostr so I’m happy to share. There’s room for everybody here. #UXdesign #UserExperience #NostrDesign #OpenDesign

Early morning hours are so readily available for getting ahead. I’m finding myself often using them to catch up on news, scheduling my day, and journaling. I’m already finding a that #nostr has a different feeling than other social media platforms. I don’t know how to describe it yet. I’m also finding ways that I want to get involved and contribute to NOSTR like the #opendesigner challenge. Time to get after it. #NostrDesign #OpenDesign #DesignChallenge #OpenDesignChallenege #UserResearch

It seems introducing myself may be a good start; I’m pretty much a normal Middle-American. I’m work full-time as a user experience designer for growing retail brands in the e-commerce arena. I studied film and marketing, and mass communications during my time in school. I have over a decade of experience working for myself as a photographer and videographer. I spend free time practicing Brazilian jiu jitsu, studying bitcoin and personal finance, reading fiction (a lot of sci-fi), and staying present with my wife and dog. I focus a lot on trying to optimize my life and time - a practicing stoic if you will. Nice to meet you - more to come.

01282024 This mark my first note on the #nostr protocol. Continuing to build and grow my rather amateur knowledge of the space. I am rather shy when it comes to traditional social mediums and openly sharing my personal data to the farms that are digital platforms - I can see how both the NOSTR protocol and #BTC network meet a critical need for both society and humanity as a whole, and create a home for digital nomads like myself. Because of community efforts such as these, I have a direct path to satisfy the moral and ethical demands of a free soul should I seek to contribute. Free speech and personal sovereignty are the fundamental building blocks to the future I wish to see and belong to. Let’s see where this goes.