NyssaDuck

Hi all! Long time no see!

I still occasionally pop in over here to check my messages and what not. I am considering making somewhat of a small return though. I recently picked up a Huion GT 220 v2 to help with some of my work projects and I've been doing a fair bit of different stuff to get used to using it. I may end up posting some of the work. Not sure I'll be very active as my time these days is limited but I'd still like to share for those few followers that are still kicking about.

See ya soon!

As a few people noticed, I am back to being a senior. It looks very weird, I must say, after seeing the ¢ by my name for ages!

I think a few people were surprised by it. But seriously, it's nothing to be surprised about. It was my choice to step down from being a Creative freelancer. It was a decision that I had made up my mind about a little while ago, but I kept hesitating, I guess because it was something I enjoyed.

Anyway, the other day, I just got to the point where I really just had to do it. Life is different now. I wouldn't say drastically. Nothing major has changed, I suppose. But I don't have time. I do have a job here, one where I am required to wake up early, which requires me to go to bed early too. I get a few hours in my afternoon to do what I need to, and fitting in exercise as well in there... yeah, you can see what I'm getting at.

Not only this, but it's the whole web design thing. Designing, working with CSS... I loved it once. Well, of course I still do but previously it was the path I wanted to pursue as a career. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. I guess we all change our minds at least once in our life. For me, it just happened before I had even started. I now have a new career path in mind. Web design isn't even much of a hobby for me now. I don't design much, I don't even tinker with CSS much. But I plan to change that, when time permits.

I'm applying for my visa to head back to the UK soon also, which is very restrictive (the visa, that is). I can't work for the first visa (6 months, unless I get my FLR visa quite quickly), and so, remaining as Creative staff would technically conflict with my visa terms and it isn't really a risk I'd be willing to take.

So, just wanted to let people know why the change in symbol. But also wanted to say a huge thanks to Ryan/TheRyanFord for the opportunity. It was something that just came up out of the blue and of course I took the opportunity. Who wouldn't? Working with the awesome creative team has been very valuable to me. I learnt a lot during my time on Creative.

Thanks to everyone involved in Creative (and other staff/departments for that matter) for being very welcoming! But thanks in particular to both Ryan and Zack/endosage, for always being supportive and helpful, even at times where I might have broken something or not done something right thanks for your patience! Mario/marioluevanos for being an endless source of inspiration and awesome (seriously, this guy is a kick arse designer-css-master-Mario!) and Patrick/bionikdesign for just being himself... super-kind and very easy to get along with (also a great designer and inspirator!) <3


Does this all mean I'll be back to being a bit more active around here? Not likely in the very near future. But you never know!

Well, I haven't been active on dA in about a month! I'm still around. I check my messages but that's about the extent of my activity lately. I guess life just got busy for me, and life is obviously more important so naturally dA took a back seat. I'm sure I'll continue to be busy for a while still as well.

A variety of things have been keeping me busy. Work, projects and a lifestyle change. At the beginning of last week I started a new journey of losing some weight and improving my fitness. Last year I went through a stressful period and lost a bit of weight, but within a year I put it all back on and then some x2. I ended up gaining about 20kg/44lbs and ended up weighing my most ever, well into the range of being "overweight". As someone who is in a family (immediate and extended) that has a problem with weight and health issues, it's something that I felt I needed to get on top of before it got to a point that was hard to reverse.

So last week, I started a calorie deficit. Counting calories isn't the easiest thing and as someone who likes to eat, and eat a lot of junk, it was a struggle to get it started. But once in a day or two, I found it's pretty easy as long as I track the calories as carefully as I can. I'm also finally reaching some of the nutrient intakes I was always struggling with (iron and protein mostly) and the saturated fat going into my body has dropped. I'm actually eating more now, but just eating better foods. I don't eat chocolate hardly at all now, which is pretty amazing coming from someone who ate at least a twin Snickers daily.

Is it working out for me? HELL YEAH! In about 2 weeks I've managed to lose 1.3kg (3lbs) and I've also lost almost 2 inches off my waist, and an inch or so off of most of my other measurements. Unfortunately, on Sunday I got sick, sore throat etc so haven't been able to exercise quite as much as I would like to. I was better on Wednesday and then got sick again yesterday with what I'm pretty sure is a chest infection. Having read up about it though, respiratory infections are common when people initially start to exercise more and especially when trying to lose weight. So hopefully after this week it will be back to normal. Having said that though, I have been around a lot of sickies, which is unavoidable in my job (boarding school - and I also clean the health clinic. Talk about being in the perfect place to pick up stuff). The flu, cold and also whooping cough (YEEEEEEK!) has been going around so I'm pretty sure I got it from there (my mum and boss both had suspected whooping cough, though came back negative in their tests phew). I'm feeling a bit better today though.

So yes, it has been a bit up and down for me lately... but as they say, onwards and upwards! I'm keeping a record over at my new blog (oh yeah, did I mention I have a new blog? I guess I am mentioning it now!). It's a mixed blog.. just a place to share my thoughts about various things. I haven't yet got quite into the swing of it but I have some posts lined up for it that is away from my health stuff.

Now I'm just rambling. But I am alive... and those that have been expecting a reply from me will now know I've been busy!

As I said in my nyssi.deviantart.com/journal/3… (previous journal), I've been busy. I mentioned I got a job... but I ended up quitting after 3 days. Sounds crazy, I know... but I was offered my old job back, which was better money with set hours and much more laid back. On the 3rd day of the job, I didn't want to do it any more as I didn't feel comfortable where I was working, and it was clear there were no set times for work, as long as I started at 8. My days were 9 hours long (with travel), and that was finishing work at 2.45pm... some days they said I'd end up working until 5pm... which was way too much for a physical job.

So, I guess I was happy that my old job opened I started back on Monday and it's oh so much better. It's pretty good. The job is still pretty much exactly as I left it, only there is a new building (I work in a boarding house in a school) and a bit more work. But I get along with the people I work with and it isn't as physically demanding. Here is a photo I took yesterday on my phone of Brisbane from the roof of the building I work in:



Now I'm trying to settle into my work routine again. Waking up at 4am, getting the train at 5.30am, starting work at 7am... getting home just after 1pm... and trying to stay awake to do the various things I have to work on at the moment. Then I go to bed at 9-9.30pm... so I have a short time frame in the afternoons to get stuff done.

My notes are still backlogged with over 100 DD suggestions, so still, I ask to be patient. I hope this weekend I might have some time to see to them, but Kel (aka dreamheaven who is no longer with us her on dA :[) is visiting and will be catching up with her today and the weekend. I'm looking forward to next week starting... fresh week, fresh start and all that.


deviantART's birthday is this weekend. 10 years! Is anyone joining in with the various activities? I have no idea if I will have the time to, but hope to get involved somehow, as I tend to miss it every year.

I find it kinda weird that I've been on dA for 8 of those 10 years. I'm pretty sure it's the longest I've remained an active member for such an amount of time. Actually, it is the only site I've ever stayed an active member of. I don't think that will change any time too soon either.