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2022 Year in Review A year filled with gratitude.

Before putting this story together, I read back through my 2022 journal. The journal paints a picture of a year with two distinct halves. The first half was intensely, maybe insanely busy. I was exhausted. I was also happy. It’s a good lesson learned. I’m happiest with lots of commitments.

Creativity is a reciprocal process. Creative output increases creative inspiration. I've known this for some time, yet for various reasons, I struggled to find focus and creativity in the second half of the year. There were some highlights though, and from those highlights I learned how important it is for me to get out and experience new things. Fortunately, thanks to vaccines and the diminishing threat of serious illness, that was possible again.

60th Birthday

2022 marked a milestone birthday. I had planned to celebrate my birthday with family and friends at our home. Unfortunately, Covid fears called for a plan B.

Instead of throwing a big party, I spent the morning of my 60th birthday, January 1st, in the ocean attempting to surf. After getting tossed around in the water until I was too tired to keep trying, we ate birthday cake for breakfast on the beach. It was a memorable and perfect way to celebrate. The beautiful cake was baked and decorated by my good friend Carey, Love Sweet Designs.

Surf, sand, dogs, family, and birthday cake for breakfast.

Coastal Road Trip

The saga of failed birthday plans continued.

We had a for a four-day visit to Bend, Oregon, planned for the second stage of my birthday, but we never made it there. Covid intervened again. The first leg of our flight to San Francisco went smooth, but our plan fell apart after that. The connecting flight was canceled due to airline staffing shortages caused by Covid. Subsequent attempts to rebook were also canceled. After several frustrating hours at the airport, we agreed to spend a night at a nearby hotel courtesy of the airline, and fly out the next morning.

Tired and frustrated, we boarded an airport shuttle for the hotel. Our spirits sunk even lower when we arrived at the location. It wasn’t what we expected or hoped for.

What are we walking into?

The clerk handed us a plastic bag at check-in with hotel soap and shampoo. That was weird. The whole situation felt unsound, but I wasn’t ready to speak up yet.

The narrow hallway forewarned us about the room. In the morning the hotel didn't look any more inviting.

The room was clean but spartan and cramped for space. No way I was going to sleep there. I began privately weighing my options. Also, we needed to eat. The only nearby dinner option was Popeyes. I'd rather skip dinner than eat there. I searched the Maps app and discovered an Embassy Suites within a mile.

As we walked to Embassy Suites in silence, I privately made my plan to switch hotels. I kept calm by telling myself that in the not-too-distant future this would be a funny story.

I hope you are laughing with me now.

I walked directly to the front desk when we entered. Yes, they had a room available, and no, I didn’t care what it cost. Over dinner I convinced Blaise to retrieve our bags from the sketchy hotel and check in at the Embassy Suites.

I laughed, as we rolled along the crumbling sidewalk in the dark.

Thankful for rolling bags and a nearby Embassy Suites.

We never made it to Bend Oregon. The early morning flight was canceled too. Instead, we rented a car and took a beautiful meandering drive back down the California coast to home. It wasn’t the 60th birthday celebration I planned or wanted, but it was memorable and special.

Some of the places we visited on the drive home.

The Intense First Half of the Year

Between January and May of 2022, I was extremely busy. I completed my master’s degree, prepared and delivered four sessions for the Creative Pro Week conference, gave a presentation for the Adobe Experts community, and published two new LinkedIn Learning courses.

During this time I was also teaching two college courses, providing one-on-one coaching, and designing marketing content for a few clients.

Completing the master program required writing a fifty-page research paper, creating a final project, and collecting feedback. Preparing for Creative Pro Week required planning the presentations, creating assets for them, and writing workbooks for the attendees. The LinkedIn Learning courses required planning, script writing, asset collection, and recording.

Family put demands on my time too, but that was time I was happy to give.

Instructional Design and Technology Master’s Degree

I did it!

Earning a master’s degree was something I always wanted for myself. I did it and I am proud of the accomplishment. However, at the end, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the experience. I thought I would feel elated, but I struggled to feel anything. Perhaps I was too exhausted.

School confirmed that I already have exceptional skills. Many of the lessons weren’t new to me. School was tedious but not hard. My contributions earned the respect of classmates and instructors and that felt good. So, overall, going back to school was a confidence boost for which I am grateful.

Yet school did not meet my expectations.

I had hoped for or expected two things from the experience. First, I thought I would make connections and build my network. I wanted to be inspired by my classmates, and my instructors. That didn’t happen.

Second, I thought I would make something really cool that I’d be proud of at the end. That didn’t exactly happen either. I blame this on the tools. We had the choice of two different applications to create our projects, Storyline or Captivate. Both are terrible. I used Adobe Captivate and dreaded every minute working in it. I couldn’t get excited about anything I created.

I have no regrets though. The experience taught me a lot, and provided clarity for where I'd like to head next.

Final Master's Project

In hindsight, I am proud of what I created, especially the work I put into it. I created two interactive instructional projects, when only one was required. The first project is a mobile responsive prototype project used for demonstration within the final project. You can view them here. The Benefits of Adobe XD for Instructional Design and Development.

Final Research Paper

Writing the research paper was a slog, especially the literature review. Before starting the program, I didn’t know anything about research, or lit reviews, or APA formatting. I'm skilled in those things now, but it's not my thing. However, I am proud of my paper, and I don’t believe anyone has read it besides me, and hopefully my professor. If you are curious, you can read it here. If you read it, drop me a note.

Outstanding Graduate Award

LinkedIn Learning Courses

I finished recording my ninth course for LinkedIn Learning at the end of January. Instead of taking some time to savor the accomplishment, I couldn’t wait to start on another one. Immediately after recording the final movie, I sent a proposal for a new course idea. The proposal was accepted, and I began working on my tenth course.

LinkedIn Learning remains a bright spot in my career journey. I’m grateful for the opportunity and look forward to recording new content in 2023.

New courses published in 2022:

  • Learning Adobe Capture
  • Essentials of Masking in Photoshop and Lightroom

Creative Pro Week Conference

LinkedIn Learning courses and final school requirements were completed before I headed to Washington DC for the Creative Pro Week conference.

It was great to be back in person and spend time with friends I had missed.

Four years had passed since the last time I was on a stage speaking to a live audience. Sharing the stage with my friend Laura Coyle made it easy to jump back in. We presented two back-to-back sessions together, and won the (imagined) prize for using the most devices in a live presentation.

Laura and I co-presented:

  • Adobe Capture: the Swiss Army Knife Tool Every Designer Needs
  • Patterns: Find Them, Make Them, Edit Them
Laura and I on stage with 2 MacBooks, 2 iPads, and 2 iPhones. We used every device for our presentations.

I also presented two Photoshop sessions on my own:

  • Straight Facts About Photoshop Vectors
  • Photoshop for Designers: What You Need to Know Today

Family

At lunch with dad and mom. We shared a lot of meals together in 2022.
My Dad

In February, my 83-year-old dad was diagnosed with an inoperable cancerous tumor between his esophagus and stomach. The prognosis was grim. Our whole family began a new chapter filled with worry, and lots of doctors’ appointments, for which my siblings and I provided transportation.

These months were exhausting but somehow uplifting too. I experienced extreme gratitude for every day my dad remained in my life. Time with family became more important than ever. Miraculously, as I write this, dad is still with us. He underwent immunotherapy chemo treatment and it erased his tumor. Today he feels the best he has in over a year.

Mom and dad. In sickness and in health, always there for each other.
Kayaking with our Niece and Nephew

Our 2021 Christmas gift for my young niece and nephew was delivered in early January. We enjoyed a kayaking tour of the La Jolla caves. The kids were the youngest in the group. It was their first time kayaking and they both took to it quickly.

Young and old alike having fun on a winter's day in San Diego.
Family Time in Laguna Beach

In February I met with extended family in Laguna Beach to celebrate my cousins and I who turned 60 in 2022.

An afternoon at Laguna Beach with my sister, brother, aunts, uncle, cousins, niece, and nephews.
Sanford in Murder on the Orient Express

In March our oldest son Sanford performed in his first play since graduating college. He played Colonel Arbuthnot in Murder on the Orient Express at the Santa Barbara Community College theater. We brought his grandparents to see him perform. The family time was important for all of us and provided a short break from the drudgery of doctor visits and health concerns.

The cast pictured in the newspaper, dinner with family and friends on the lawn at SBCC, brunch at Sanford's place, and family photos after the Sunday matinee.
Tim Flannery Concert

My parents, mom especially, are Tim Flannery super fans. They have followed his career since the early 80s in baseball and music. After surviving his own near-death health scare, Tim announced he was returning to the music stage in April. Even better, he would perform at the Grand Ole Barbecue, very near where my parents live. Thankfully, dad was well enough to make the show. When my parents arrived, Tim graciously greeted them with warmth and kindness. Mom got to dance as Tim performed at his very best. It was a special day for all of us.

Watch to the end to see mom dance.

Happily enjoying the show together.
Family Time at Sea World

Later in April my cousin Connie visited from New York with her young twins. I met up with them and my brother’s family at Sea World for an afternoon. No matter how busy I am, family is always a priority. I had a great time enjoying the park with the youngsters.

Squinting in the bright sun and having fun.

COVID

Positive but not surprised.

This chapter ended with Covid. It was inevitable. I went to DC knowing Covid was a possible risk and I consciously decided to not worry about it. When I finished my fourth session at Creative Pro Week, I was completely exhausted, having just completed a 4.5-month marathon of projects. Possibly that is when and why I got sick.

It was all worth it though.

I embraced the forced down time, quarantining in a spare bedroom I called Covid jail. During that time, I watched Orange is the New Black on Netflix (it seemed appropriate), slept, wrote, and created a self-portrait series inspired by the Andy Warhol documentary on Netflix.

My cozy Covid jail.
Warhol inspired self-portrait series created while quarantining with Covid.

The Slower Second Half

The rest of the year was less frenetic. I filled my time applying for instructional design jobs, job interviews (no offers though), more doctor appointments, LinkedIn Learning Course updates, club presentations, teaching, designing, and one-on-one coaching.

I also enjoyed a few short weekend getaways, one awesome week in Colorado, and returned to the first in-person Adobe Max conference in three years.

Weekend Getaways

These quick getaways fed my soul in the second half of the year.

Santa Barbara

I visited Santa Barbara four times in 2022.

Santa Barbara scenic hills and the Funk Zone.
Oakland

In June we made last minute plans to attend the Midnight Oil concert in Oakland. The drive up and back was hell. Yet time spent with our friends, and the concert itself made it worth the trek.

Close family friends who don't live close enough.

Saturday morning, we walked along the Berkeley marina. The views of San Francisco from the East Bay are stunning, but the area itself feels long forgotten. In the afternoon we walked through the Berkeley campus for old time’s sake, then we met up with our friends for lunch. Saturday night we enjoyed Midnight Oil. They sounded as good as ever.

This day was a highlight of my year.`

Odd art installations in the bay, Berkeley Sather Tower, and the Oakland Fox Theater.
Santa Cruz

Two weeks later we went back to Northern California for the wedding of our friend’s oldest son. This time we flew instead of driving. I never need to do the drive from San Diego to the Bay Area again.

Dancing at the reception and college friends still smiling together after all these years.
Palomar Mt. Backpacking
Sunset panorama.

I went on my first overnight backpacking trip to Palomar Mountain in early December. I was nervous before we left, afraid of packing the wrong things, and not sure how I would feel carrying my stuff on my back. It ended up being a great experience. I was the oldest in the group, the only first-timer, and I had no problems keeping up.

Thirteen of the 116 iPhone photos I came home with.

Anderson Ranch Arts Center

Entrance to the ranch.

I spent eight days in August teaching workshops at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado. It was my second time there, and it was just as special as the first. I made the most of my time and felt like I was on top of the world for the entire week.

The visit was so eventful that I made a photographic story just about the experience. The story is filled with many beautiful photos from the area. You can view it here. Anderson Ranch Arts Center 2022

Adobe MAX Conference

Tony Harmer wowing the crowd with his mad skills at Adobe Max.

It was great to be back in person for the Adobe MAX Conference. This year I worked as a lab TA for Tony Harmer, Jason Hoppe, and Bart Van de Wiele.

Hands-on lab sessions and keynote presentations.

LinkedIn Learning

Constantly evolving technology requires frequent updates to software training courses to keep them relevant. That's a good thing because it keeps me busy. I updated three of my LinkedIn Learning courses in the second half of the year.

Foam art installations adorn the walls in the Carpinteria campus.

In November LinkedIn held an instructor reunion at the Carpinteria studio. I’m glad I attended. It was a great opportunity to network with other instructors, and see the beautiful renovations completed during the shutdown. I left the reunion inspired to create more content.

Instructor reunion at the Carpinteria studio. Can you find me?

(Almost Daily) Drumbeats of the Year

In 2022 I increased my daily walking, took more hikes, and captured more images than recent years. I also continued with journaling, meditating, Audible books, and listening to music.

Daily Walks

The Neighborhood
Our street on a beautiful evening.

Rain or shine I got out for a walk. Most days I took two walks. Occasionally I stopped to capture the surrounding beauty with my iPhone. A few favorite locations were captured repeatedly throughout the year.

The neighborhood in rain, clouds, and setting sun.
This view of this golf course green is especially beautiful in the morning light.
I photographed this reflecting tree more than any other scene along my walking route.
I enjoyed capturing these trees as they changed in the fall.
San Pasqual Valley Ranch Stables

For a longer walk and change of scenery I trekked down to the San Pasqual Valley Ranch. While there I visited with the horses and cattle. These are a few of my favorite captures from the stables.

Found at the stables.
Most of the horses are curious and friendly.
The cattle are untrusting and cautious.

Audible Books

I continued my effort to switch back and forth from fiction to non-fiction, listening on my daily walks. This list is in the order I listened to them.

  1. Atomic Habits by James Clear
  2. I Am Mine by Eddie Vedder (Audible Original)
  3. The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
  4. Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown
  5. Stealing the Show by John Barelli and Zachary Schisgal
  6. Bewilderment by Richard Powers
  7. Power of Regret by Daniel Pink
  8. Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
  9. Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication by Oren Jay Sofer
  10. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (favorite fiction)
  11. Finding Me by Viola Davis
  12. The Painted Drum by Louise Erdrich
  13. The Persuaders by Anand Giridharadas (favorite non-fiction)
  14. Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
  15. Living Legend by Joh Legend (Audible Original)

Teaching at MiraCosta College

I continued teaching Photoshop and Illustrator at MiraCosta college. I am grateful for the opportunity to teach the programs I love.

Hiking

My friend Carey and I picked back up our fairly regular cadence of weekly hikes. I also hiked several times with our youngest son Brendan, and did the San Dieguito Lagoon trail with Blaise and Jameson .

A small handful of the many iPhone images captured while hiking.

Family and Friends

I missed spending real time with the people I care about, but didn't realize just how much I missed it. During Covid times I convinced myself that I was happy being a stay-at-home introvert. The opportunity to get out more in 2022 taught me that I was wrong. Reconnecting with friends was rejuvenating. Time with family became a top priority.

Some of the people I spent time with in 2022
Christmas with family at our home.

Favorite Images from the Year

Photography is an important part of my life. It makes me slow down and really see the beauty around me. I take a lot of photos. The vast majority of them live unseen in a Lightroom catalog. My Year in Review is a way to get many of them out into the world.

This is a sample of my favorites from the year organized by location or theme, presented in alphabetical order.

Adobe MAX Bash Concert with 21 Pilots

Photographing the MAX Bash concert is always a high point. Most top tier concerts restrict the use of long camera lenses, but not so at Max, so I try to take full advantage.

This year I squeezed my way through a crowd of attendees who were probably my kids age. I found myself close enough to capture some nice shots. At one point the drummer surfed the crowd on a plywood board and I found myself under him. By some miracle I caught one great shot.

Lucky shot from below.
Small handful of the many fun photos I captured during the 21 Pilots concert at Adobe Max Bash.

Abstracts and Architecture

Architecture is always a favorite subject to photograph. I like the graphic, abstract quality of lines and shapes.

Reflections from downtown LA.
Most, but not all of these were captured in Washington DC.

Art

I like to contemplate the following question as I photograph art.

Is my image simply documenting someone else's art, or does it tell its own story?

Trips to Los Angeles, DC, Anderson Ranch, and Adobe Max Bash provided opportunities to photograph art.

Aspen

I visited Aspen for the first time in 2022. These are just a few favorite shots. See my separate Anderson Ranch Arts Center 2022 story for many more.

Breathtaking beauty.

Balboa Park

In July I spent a hot afternoon walking around Balboa Park by myself. While there, I attended the Pride festival. These are a few of my favorite shots from the Japanese Gardens and Pride.

Colorful images from Balboa Park.

California Coast

2022 included visits to our local San Diego beaches, Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, Laguna Beach, Pebble Beach, Santa Cruz, Monterey, and Big Sur.

A few favorite California coastal scenes.

Washington DC

Despite not feeling well while in DC for the Creative Pro Week Conference, I saw and photographed as much of DC as I could. This included a 4am wakeup for a sunrise photoshoot at the Lincoln Memorial.

This set of images is organized by DC landmark in alphabetical order.

U.S. Air Force Memorial

This was my first visit to the Air Force Memorial. I enjoyed photographing it.

A variety of scenes at the Air Force Memorial.

U.S. Capitol

In the morning before heading home, I walked the entire Mall and circumnavigated the Capitol. It was a good time to visit because the crowds were still small. I took portraits from every angle.

Three of my favorite captures of the U.S. Capitol.

Previously, during the week, I had participated in a private Photoshop presentation for US House of Reps with my friend Kladi. This provided us access inside of the Capitol during a time public tours were still suspended.

Inside the dome without tourists, a peak at the empty visitor center, and a creative view of the dome from underground.

Lincoln Memorial

I visited the Lincoln Memorial three times during the same week. This wasn't my first visit and I hope it's not my last. The memorial is a special place. It feels sacred being there.

Lincoln by the dawn's early light.

During this visit, I thought about how the Lincoln Memorial has been there for 100 years and probably photographed a million times or more. My catalog alone is full of many nice captures from past visits.

Despite Lincoln's unchanging appearance, the experience of trying to capture the essence of the space does not get old. I hope that 100 years from now visitors are still enjoying it exactly the way it looks today.

I'm grateful for my time with Lincoln.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

I made a very quick visit to MLK to pay my respects and capture a few images.

9/11 Pentagon Memorial

The CPW conference was in Crystal City, just a couple metro stops from the Pentagon, making this a convenient place to visit. I'm grateful for taking time to see it. The memorial has fewer crowds and is unlike any of the others.

Honoring of the 184 lives lost here on 9/11.

Vietnam Memorial

I visited the Vietnam Memorial with my friend Celeste in the early morning after photographing Lincoln. This quiet morning visit felt especially somber.

Quiet morning at the Vietnam Memorial.

Washington Monument

Favorite Images Continued

San Diego Zoo Safari Park

I took advantage of my annual pass and visited the park numerous times in 2022, always with my camera in hand.

Birds at the park.
Mammals at the park.
View looking south east from Condor Ridge.
Scenery and vegetation.

Santa Barbara Marina

I photographed along this area with each visit to Santa Barbara.

A handful of favorites captured in the early morning.

Walt Disney Concert Hall

The Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, designed by Frank Gehry, is a photographer's paradise. Great compositions and interesting reflections present themselves from every angle. It's hard not to take a good photo of this building. I visited three times in 2022 and collected a lot of pleasing images.

Self portrait.
Shapes and lines in black and white.
These scenes work best in color.

Illustrations

I created a handful of illustrations this year. Not as many as I wished for though, so I set a goal to improve my drawing output for 2023. All of these were drawn with Procreate on my iPad. I used Procreate because I was preparing to teach it at Anderson Ranch Arts Center.

Mono Hot Springs
My left hand.
House Plant
Shed at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center
Trevi Fountain, Oceanus

Selfies

I upped my selfie game in 2022 by changing the way I think of them. Selfies are a great way to document where I have been, who I have spent time with, and how I felt at that moment in time.

I published a complete set in a separate story, just for me, but you can look too, Selfies 2022. I think they represent a truthful document of my year, and I’m glad I captured them.

A glimpse of my year from January 1 to December 31.

Gratitude

I’m closing out 2022 grateful for family, my parents still present, good health, beautiful surroundings, creative inspiration, adventures, friends, in-person events, skills, and opportunity to teach and inspire others.

If you are still reading, I am grateful for your attention too.

Created By
Theresa Jackson
Appreciate

Credits:

Theresa Jackson, Blaise Jackson