just d and y: a roshalution & lots of lists

There are lots of fun things about being Jewish, like being lifted up in a chair, Jewish summer camp, and being able to relate to more someecards than the average person:

But the best part about being Jewish is obviously having two new years, which means more new year's resolutions and more excuses to do some of my favorite things ever, make lists and goals (and, probably just like you, subsequently forget about them). It's not really customary to set goals at the Jewish new year, but I love lists and fresh starts so much I like to pretend it is.

The Jewish new year chooses not to focus on how we can improve our lives in the next year, but uses apples (which we have none of in our house) and honey to signify a sweet new year. We wait until Yom Kippur to really think about how we've screwed up in the past year.

So for this Rosh Hashana (translated: head of the year), which started Wednesday night and ends tonight, my resolution (roshalution? I like it.) is to be more creative. Between my cinderblock office, the lack of creative opportunities at work recently, and my very cut and dry graduate program where a "creative" presentation involves inserting video clips into a powerpoint (so outside the box...) I kind of feel like throwing a 60 pound object at someone.

PLZ DONT FRO ME

So, I enrolled in a creative writing leisure class at the local college, which could turn out interesting since the last two times I took creative writing in college, I came out of it with a story called "Why the Girl Hugged the tree" (because Heath Ledger had touched it); a story about meeting a celebrity (Jennifer Aniston) and a story about a paparazzi who befriends a movie star (a fake one, because I was absolutely positive it would be published someday... snort).

I also signed up for this:

which is
"a creative photography school where we offer daily assignments for a set period of time. The school is not a photography 101 class ... At SFS we intend to get you shooting... Our ultimate goal for our students is that you begin seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary. "

Basically, I love to take pictures but rarely do it, and having an "assignment" makes me more likely to use my camera. My photography history is not so great; I've always enjoyed it but have never been good at it. My high school photography class was an excuse for my best friend and me to hang out in the darkroom (that sounds scandalous, but what we really did was develop snapshots and make up dances to N Sync songs), and I had to withdraw from the college photography course I took because my professor hated my pictures and I was in danger of failing.

If you love lists and goals as much as I do, there are so many "projects" going around the internet: The 365 Project, 101 in 1001, 43 things, Wanderlists, Nano, LuluLemon's BHAGs (big hairy audacious goals -- they even have an online goal setter) and so many more I'm sure I'm forgetting. It's overwhelming and ridiculous, but sort of inspiring at the same time.

And who am I kidding... the most fun part of making goals is writing them down on cute stationery.

Lists that cost money: