Getting creative as a family: 2024
This year, I think I did well. I stuck with what was important and learned to let go of other things. By not trying to be perfect all the time, I stayed positive and motivated.
This year, we've been adding creative touches to different parts of our lives. Playing with AI, experimenting with 3D printing, and sometimes just making things the old-fashioned way—with our hands. Each of these little creative moments has made our everyday life a bit more special.
Fun with AI: The cool stuff I’ve made
AI has grown so fast this year, it's amazing to watch. I decided to try it out myself and made a few things, including an app that helps people practice Chinese writing. As someone who hasn't coded in a long time, it felt great to build something again. It's incredible how AI can improve productivity in so many different specialized fields now.
AI has also become good at making pictures and videos. I used it to turn my drawings into short animations. It's a lot faster and better than if I tried to animate them by hand.
AI keeps changing and improving so quickly. While I'd love to try everything new, there's just too much to keep up with. I'm just trying out what I can.
3D printing: making ideas real
I've also been getting into new experiments this year.
I've always wanted to see my drawings become real objects. I tried learning 3D software before, but it was too hard and I thought maybe it just wasn't for me. But recently, I found a 3D design tool that's much easier to use. So I bought a 3D printer, and now I can make the things I imagine.
I ended up making several fun items: Christmas decorations, little robots, and even a basket to organize things around our sink. It's cool to see an idea turn into something I can use. The basket solved a storage problem we had, and the Christmas decorations made our tree more beautiful.
I even made our family portrait in 3D this year. It’s an annual ritual and I just draw a picture, but this time I wanted to try something different. It was hard work since I'm new to 3D modeling, and coloring it was tricky, but I'm happy with how it turned out.
Next, I want to find more opportunities to make useful things for our home.
Building a new room together
My husband started building an extra room for our house this year. It's a huge project, and I'm amazed at how he figured it out as he went along. I helped where I could, but he did most of the planning and work. It took several months to build, from the walls to the tricky roof part. It was hard work but felt great to see it come together.
I love how he creatively solved all the practical problems - making the most of the space, getting good light in the room, and making sure everything fits together well and keeps the rain out. He's really good at figuring all these out.
Keeping childhood memories
Since our little one started school, she's been bringing home crafts made with her teacher's help. Sometimes they're handprints, and sometimes cute paper cutouts. Looking at these, I can tell she's having fun at school. I laminated them all to keep them safe. Maybe she'll enjoy looking back at these when she's older.
Finding a good balance in life
After going back to work after having our baby last year, I finally understood what my old work habits did to me. A previous manager once told me, "You put everything into big projects, but then you need a break to recover." I knew this wasn't great, but I didn't really get it then. Now that life is busier with work and family, I see how important it is to find a good rhythm in my life.
Nobody can work at full speed all the time - that's what makes AI scary since it never gets tired (except when it runs out of power or resource constraints).
But we're human, dealing with everyday life and how it affects our mood. I want to be in a good mood most of the time, so when I'm with my family, I can be truly happy. That matters a lot to me.
This year, I think I did well. I stuck with what was important and learned to let go of other things. By not trying to be perfect all the time, I stayed positive and motivated. This actually helped me be more creative, which made life better.
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2024 went by so fast. It feels like yesterday when I was thinking about when 2023 was ending, and here we are again. What will 2025 bring? I'm excited to find out.