the yak occidental

I have done these monthly reviews since January! Here are the highlights and low points of December 2021. Painting above: Covered Bridge in Winter (c. 1964) by Maud Lewis December Excursion: Kananaskis Mountain Lodge We were very lucky to visit Kananskis Mountain Lodge this year, it is so beautiful. A wintry escape, both fun and some vibes of a secluded mountain lodge that us fans of The Shining appreciate. The mountains are truly breathtaking with all the snow, and even with the record-breaking cold temperatures it was still humbling to see it all. I got to visit lots of beautiful Alberta parks this year over Christmas, and I was reminded that land acknowledgements are one thing, actually being respectful is quite another. This list is a good reminder if what you can practice as a responsible visitor. Most-liked Chore: Laundry in Calgary* My in-laws live in Calgary and they graciously hosted us this year for Christmas. One thing I love about Calgary is doing laundry. Everything you a...

 The end of 2021 is nigh! Here are all the books I read this year. Kushiel’s Chosen by Jaqueline Carey The Three Marriages: Reimagining Work, Self, and Relationship by David Whyte 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card by Mary K. Greer They Were Sisters by Dorothy Whipple Selfish, Shallow and Self-Absorbed: 16 writers on not having children edited by Meghan Daum Body of Work: Finding the Thread that Ties your story together by Pamela Slim  The Three “Only” Things: tapping the power of dreams, coincidence & imagination by Robert Moss The Art of Showing Up: How to be there for yourself and your people by Rachel Wilkerson Miller Tarot Elements: Five Readings to Reset Your Life by Melissa Cynova  The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts by Gary Chapman Find Your Own North Star  by Martha Beck Kushiel’s Scion   by Jacqueline Carey (re-read) Kushiel’s Justice  by Jacqueline Carey (re-read) Magical Writing Grimoire  by Lisa Marie Basile Growing Big ...

Here are my favourite songs of 2021! This is my favourite playlist to make every year. It's fun to look back and listen to the sum total of what was good and new in a given year for me.  Of this, my favourite song was Guided by Angels by Amyl and the Sniffers, which is loud and wild and I love it. The song most relevant to my year was My Baby Wants a Baby by st. vincent .  The most-listened to song was probably Tommy by Ralph to be honest - just so fun!  best of 2021 Track List: Tommy by Ralph He Said She Said by CHVRCHES Giving in to the love by AURORA Hot & Heavy by Lucy Dacus Head Cheerleader by Pom Pom Squad Guided by Angels by Amyl and the Sniffers London Gangs by SAULT Jackie by Yves Tumor Meaningless by Charlotte Cardin Go Down Together by Foxing SENNA (ft. Jacques Greene) by Cadence Weapon While We Wait by Dominique Fils-Aimé Like I Used To by Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olson Agua by La chica stabilise by Nilüfer Yanya Cross Bones Style by Astral Swans (Cat Po...

 Here is a selection of memorable quotes from Harriet by Elizabeth Jenkins. Painting above: Title and date unknown by Elena Luksch-Makowsky (1878-1967)   She was not beautiful like her sister, but the perfect roundness of the apricot cheek, the long neck, and the full reddened lips made her ten times as seductive; that her countenance betrayed no evidence of mind whatever did not detract her from charm; she was an exquisite little brute, and Lewis Oman liked her the better for it. p.12 They went on joking together while Elizabeth sat still and looked, not at her husband, but at the air above his head, in that luxurious security when to know that a movement of the eyelids will bring the beloved object into view is almost more delicious than the view itself. p.13 At that moment the light went up and revealed Alice in all her damning charm. p.126 Miss Croker had executed the theft without any qualms,  her conscience as an artist was so completely satisfied by the resul...

It all comes down to listening. There is one inspirational quote that I refer to the most when it comes to discussing my personal management and work style, and the words are of the late and great Dr. Maya Angelou who said "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Dr. Maya Angelou I have generally found this to be true. As managers and Production staff, if people are forgetting what we say and do, how can we ensure that our teams feel like we value them as crew members, appreciate their contributions, and respect their opinions? As it turns out, it all comes down to listening - easy to say, surprisingly challenging for management and leaders to do properly. When it comes to listening and leadership, David Whyte says: "The core act of leadership must be the act of making conversations real. The conversations of captaincy and leadership are the conversations that forge real rel...

We've seen a boom in excellent resources for those of us in Production in Vancouver's animation industry, here are my faves! Above: from Tuca & Bertie Season 2! It's important to have access to quality work and career resources that are relevant to your location and occupation. Fortunately, the last couple years have seen a boom in excellent resources for those of us in Production in Vancouver's animation industry. Read on to learn more about some local gems! Free Resources Above: from She-Ra and the Princesses of Power @soyouwannabeprod Instagram by Frances Padua Sharp graphics and highly relevant info covering everything from Gmail and RV shortcuts, to departmental responsibilities, to inspirational quotes make up this snappy Production department Instagram. Follow it now and you'll feel more informed by the time you get to dailies.  Don't Be a Jerk at Work podcast by Sarah, Tara, and Sandy There are three seasons (and counting!) of this podcast from thes...

Here are two quick things you can do every day that are reported to improve our self-awareness at work In today’s thought exercise video let’s talk about two quick things you can do at the end of each day that are reported to improve our self-awareness and improve the quality of our conversations with others. First up we have the concept of a daily check-in as described in Insight by Tasha Eurich.  Eurich suggests spending just five minutes a day reflecting on these questions with a goal of improving your self-awareness. The question are: What went well today? What didn't go well? What did I learn and how will I be smarter tomorrow? How will this help you at work? Eurich gives on example of a study where, “call-centre trainees who took just a few minutes to reflect at the end of each day improved their performance an average of 23 percent.” It’s hard to think that three little questions and like this and a mere five minutes can have such an impact. As she reminds us:   “The a...

Some cozy tunes for the winter holiday season. As always, most of these songs are not actually from 2021, nor are they all explicitly Christmas songs, just some good seasonal faves. winter 2021 Track List: South for the Winter by Adia Victoria (feat. Matt Berninger) Olympus by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine Stark Night by Jett Kwong* December 31 by Emme* Holly Day by BABIES' BABIES* ...At The Holiday Party by St. Vincent Pour la premiere fois, Noel sera gris by Coeur de pirate Christmastime, You & Me by Pontiac Bandit Let it Snow by Daniela Andrade A Dreamer's Holiday by Julien Baker The Bright Lights by Flora Cash The Coldest Night of the Year by Molly Burch  Il neige by France Gall Say Goodnight by Tristen Kilisee, Kilisee, Kulkenen by Kellarissa* Powder by Half Waif Christmas Song by Phoebe Bridgers Coventry Carol by Johanna Warren* Auld Lang Syne by Pontiac Bandit* *I stumped YouTube with this year's winter playlist -- there are four songs that are on my...

Here are three more commonly-used phrases or words to drop from your professional vocabulary. In previous videos I’ve talked about how we can change or drop our usage of various words and phrases as minimal-effort, maximum-impact way to improve our relationships and presence at work. For today’s thought exercise, I have a few more for you to try out. First up, let’s drop “Well, actually…” Celeste Headlee, journalist and author of We Need To Talk: How to Have Conversations that Matter advises that we all strike “well, actually…” from our vocab. Headlee   says,   “Much like ‘I’m not a racist, but…,’ nothing good will come after the words ‘well, actually.’ If you really need to correct someone because something bad will happen if they don’t have accurate information, find another way or wait until they’ve finished their story. If it’s a trivial correction it is not necessary. No one needs to interrupt a story about dinner in order to explain that real champagne only comes from Fr...