One thing I didn’t do this year though was get any good at using Photoshop. So instead of a bunch of photos from the year, I took a photo of a collage I made on my porch this morning…

Ten things that really made my 2011 radical include:

1) New York City & The Late Show with David Letterman
Almost exactly a year ago, I went to NYC with No Age when they played on Letterman. We stayed at a fancy hotel in the Lower East Side, went up to the top of the Empire State Building and did lots of rad New York things!

2) February 21st
On the very same day my dude had his birthday (and I threw him a Creature from the Black Lagoon-themed surprise party with tons of homies), my best friend Sofia had a baby boy named Theodore. It was an amazing day. I love boys! They sure are cute.

3) Spring & Spain
In May, I took a week off from my fashion-writing job to fly to Barcelona and meet up with my dude who had been on tour for two months. We spent a week in the city, at the beach and also attended the Primavera Sound music festival for three days straight. Dancing on stage with The Flaming Lips dressed in Wizard of Oz costumes was obviously the highlight!

4) Quitting & Getting Jobs
In mid-summer, I quit my full-time fashion-writing job and took a run at more freelance writing (also wrote a zine called “Quit Your Day Job”). I revisited some travel writing projects, took my office outside and enjoyed the freelancing freedoms of not having to report to the same office every day. I also moved out of my apartment in Koreatown and moved into storage and in with my dude in Highland Park. Fun! Plus, I was super stoked that my sister and partner in quitting-and-getting-jobs graduated from nursing school, and after years of working in public health, social services and nursing homes, she landed a phat job as a cardiovascular surgical nurse at the top hospital where she lives in Spokane, Washington. Pretty dope!

5) Erie, Pennsylvania
This year, I made it to Erie, Pennsylvania twice: once for a summertime family reunion and the second time for my grandfather’s funeral. At least three or maybe four generations of my family were born and raised in this small town on the Great Lake of Lake Erie (closest airports being Cleveland, Pittsburg and Buffalo). My dad’s living there now, so it’s fun to visit and trip out on all of our family memories and history. Plus, I’m related to almost everyone in Erie some way or another. Needless to say, it’s at times a little eerie. : )

6) Spokane, Washington
My sister and her husband live in Spokane and I visited twice this year, once in the snow and once when we swam in the lake by their new cabin in the woods. It was the perfect escape/retreat. So rad!

7) The California Coast
Road-tripping up to Big Sur to camp and see a show at the Henry Miller Memorial Library was ah-mazing! Then heading further north through Santa Cruz, Bonny Doon, San Francisco and into Marin to camp at Steep Ravine on the cliffs near Stinson Beach was also a total thrill. Four nights of camping, battling hungry raccoons, and being in Marin where I spent most of my grade school and high school years was such a sweet experience.

8) Mexico
In October, I once again got to join the No Age crew on a trip to Mexico City. They played the Corona Capital music festival. There were like 90,000 kids there and it blew my mind! Plus, The Strokes headlined. Swoon! After Mexico City, we headed to Mazatlan and chilled beach-styles. I had piña coladas while I worked and got the best tour from my dude who spent a lot of time there growing up.

9) Disney Job
Hi-ho, hi-ho, it’s back to Disney I go. When we got back from our trip to Mexico, my old copywriting job at Disney called me to see if I was available. I returned in mid-November and now the office is only three metro stops from my place. Getting back to a steady gig was perfect timing (i.e. I needed the money) and now I’m very happy back at the “mouse house” bringing magic to millions every day. : )

10) Sand Collection
So, years ago when I was at this cute old couple’s house in France, I saw they had a sand collection. It was a small shelf with tiny jars, kinda like a spice rack. It was filled with sand they had collected from all their travels. I knew I needed to start my own. So for almost five years now, I’ve been collecting sand and labeling where, when and who I was with when I got it. I love it. It’s one of those projects—just like writing or making music—that I always want to keep up with and make time for. I have little bags of sand everywhere, but I’m just now getting it in jars. It’s a little silly, but I love it. And that’s what I’d like to keep in mind as we start this new year: Do whatcha like, even if it might be a little silly. And if your sand is spread out all over the place, it might be nice to organize it in jars so you can remember all the good times and amazing things in your life. I’m not sure what that means, but…

Happy New Year, homies! Best wishes to all & catch ya on the flipside. XO, s

OCCUPATION: Creative Director at Media Temple

LOCATION: Los Angeles

WHAT’S YOUR HUSTLE: My hustle is trying to make beautiful, engaging and usable things, as well as being a present dad and husband.

WHAT DOES YOUR HUSTLE MEAN TO YOU: My hustle means doing something I love somewhere I love with people I love. I’ve definitely found that balance at Media Temple which allows for me to be creative and also allows for me to have a life outside of work, because really my life revolves around my family. I hustle to get work done so I can spend undivided time with my two boys.

IF YOU COULD HAVE ONLY THREE TOOLS FOR YOUR HUSTLE, WHAT WOULD THEY BE: Pencil that never runs out of lead, an infinitely long ream of paper, iPhone (with a battery that never dies).

A WORD OF ADVICE TO WANNABE HUSTLERS IN YOUR FIELD: Don’t take the easy way out. Don’t expect compliments. Work hard. Listen to people. Take advice and criticism. Collaborate. Fall in love. Have kids—they change the way you look at the World.

jonsetzen.com
creativemornings.com
@jonsetzen
Photo of Jon by Dana Neujahr.

OCCUPATION: Freelance producer/project manager in the fields of film/art/transmedia

LOCATION: Based in Malmö, Sweden

WHAT’S YOUR HUSTLE: I run a small company that’s basically just me doing everything I like and am good at. Right now I am also part time creative producer at a rad place called STPLN

WHAT DOES YOUR HUSTLE MEAN TO YOU: It used to be how I defined myself, now it is in my veins.

IF YOU COULD HAVE ONLY THREE TOOLS FOR YOUR HUSTLE, WHAT WOULD THEY BE: Access to the www, a feeling that my work makes the world a better place in some way, and a good memory so I can keep track of everything.

A WORD OF ADVICE TO WANNABE HUSTLERS IN YOUR FIELD: Do your thing and do your best, always.

linalinde.tumblr.com
@lina_linde
Photos of Lina by Lisa Arfwidson.

Reserve your spot starting tomorrow morning, Monday 12/12, at 11am PT. RSVP for free here! And if you want any more info, here’s the Creative Mornings blog post about it here on tumblr; plus a rad post on my homie Justina Blakeney’s blog! Oh yeah, and a snapshot summarizing my part of the morning:

Get it? Got it? Good. Much love to all. Have a great week and don’t forget to RSVP! XO, s

OCCUPATION: Still trying to figure out what to call myself. Professional juggler? I make drawings, play music, make videos and sculpture, usually all at the same time for myself and for others, including Animal Collective, Jim Henson and the skateboarding world.

LOCATION: Los Angeles, California

WHAT’S YOUR HUSTLE: Constantly trying to put out into the world what’s in my head sonically and visually. I like to try and create art and music that’s personal and organic even when its a job for someone else.

WHAT DOES YOUR HUSTLE MEAN TO YOU: It’s my whole being. Creating things is what I like to do all the time whether I’m getting paid or not. I think I hustle myself the hardest. I am constantly moving. I just finished animating a video for someone today, now I am practicing to go on tour on Friday. I get bored really easily so I think making art and music keeps me going. I also just want to get better and better at what I do, so I’m always working. I definitely do it for myself rather than ever pleasing anyone else (maybe that’s a bad thing, haha). It makes commercial jobs hard until you find the right people to work for, which I have been fortunate to find this past year.

IF YOU COULD HAVE ONLY THREE TOOLS FOR YOUR HUSTLE, WHAT WOULD THEY BE: My family since they pushed me to start my hustle and also keep me afloat in my hustle today. A black pen, so I can always draw or take notes on things that I like. Gretel, my dog, because she is my escape from the hustle; even when I am stressed and working on something, I have to step out of my head to take her for a walk or to the beach. Everyone needs something like this in your hustle.

A WORD OF ADVICE TO WANNABE HUSTLERS IN YOUR FIELD: I think as a lady working in skateboarding and also the music industry and going on tour with a bunch of dudes, you gotta be tough and stand by what you create even when people doubt you. It always turns out okay. Also, make sure you’re having fun in your hustle, because if you’re not, there is no point.

abbyportner.blogspot.com
abzdrawlings.tumblr.com

OCCUPATION: Energy focusing

LOCATION: Los Angeles

WHAT’S YOUR HUSTLE: Life support

WHAT DOES YOUR HUSTLE MEAN TO YOU: I am investigating cultural destiny.

IF YOU COULD HAVE ONLY THREE TOOLS FOR YOUR HUSTLE, WHAT WOULD THEY BE: Hands, eyes, experience.

A WORD OF ADVICE TO WANNABE HUSTLERS IN YOUR FIELD: Learn to say “no.”

witchhat.biz
teenageteardrops.com

And as if sitting second row (in front of Jerry Springer) wasn’t enough, Randy actually got insulted by Rickles and invited on stage for a silly and appropriately inappropriate skit! We were thrilled. But, most of all, above all, it was Don Rickles’ overwhelming gratitude and thankful spirit that night that touched me most and moved me to tears. At the wise old age of 85, he spoke about how much he loved his life and all of his experiences. He talked about his upbringing and beginnings as a comic running with the Rat Pack. He talked about his friends, his family, his wife and his mother, and just how much he has loved them all and how important it is to love on another. And I absolutely loved it. It reminded me how much I love my life and my friends and my family and everything that has brought me to today and everything that’s ahead.

So, today, on this day of thanks, I thank you and I love you. Yep, all of you. You, you and you!