#developing skills

Developing New Skills

Let's talk about something super exciting, learning new skills! But wait, before you think "ugh, I don't have time for that," I promise we'll keep this fun and totally doable.

Remember when we were kids and tried new things just because they looked fun? No pressure, no expectations, just pure curiosity! Let's bring some of that energy back into our lives.

Want to hear something cool? Our brains literally light up with joy when we learn new things. It's like giving ourselves tiny happiness boosters throughout the day. How awesome is that?

Here's the thing about learning new skills, you don't need fancy equipment or hours of free time. Seriously! Some of the most fulfilling skills I've picked up started with just:

Watching YouTube videos while eating lunch

Using free apps during my morning routine

Practicing for 10 minutes before bed

The trick? Start so small it feels almost silly. Learning a language? Start with just one word a day. Want to draw? Doodle one tiny sketch while your coffee brews. Interested in cooking? Master one simple recipe before moving to the next.

I used to think I needed perfect conditions to learn something new, like you know, lots of free time, the right equipment, maybe even a class to sign up for. But then I realized waiting for perfect conditions meant never starting at all!

Instead, try this: pick something that makes you curious. Something that makes you think "ooh, that looks fun!" Then find ONE tiny way to explore it tomorrow. Just tomorrow. That's it!

Maybe it's:

Downloading a language app and learning how to say "hello"

Looking up one simple yoga pose to try

Learning one new keyboard shortcut

Finding a beginner's tutorial for something you've always wanted to try

The magic happens when we stop thinking about becoming experts and just enjoy being beginners. Every single expert started exactly where you are, just curious and willing to try!

Today's Challenge:

Pick ONE skill you'd love to learn

Find a super simple way to start (like a 5-minute YouTube video or a quick tutorial)

Spend just 10 minutes exploring it

Share what you picked in the comments!

See you tomorrow for Day 23!

Title: From Blender to Reality: Preparing for 3D Printing

In the final processes of design, I finished with modeling and texturing and then proceed to 3D printing. This involved for example making sure that the model gets the best preparations for exporting on an STL file.

Preparing for 3D Printing: The first effort was to inspect the model for embedded geometry or areas that are too thin and likely to fail during printing. I used the add-on called 3D Print Toolbox in Blender to evaluate the shape of the model and make some changes.

Once the model was validated, I exported it an STL file format this is common in 3D printing .

Challenges and Insights: One good point with this design was that it was uncomplicated, but there were problems with this as well. It did guarantee an easy print but there was always a challenge in how the playfulness of the design would meet functional needs.

Future Plans: In my next update, I intend to add more details in creases and play with the texture of the print. Thanks to this project, there are numerous opportunities for improving the everyday object through artistic intervention.

Whether or not we explicitly think/say it, many of us react to failure by thinking we are failures. "I burnt the muffins. I am no good at cooking. I am a failure at everything. I hate cooking."

People who are very good at things do them wrong or badly all the time. They are experimenting, they are trying new things, and they are discarding the new things that did not work for them. That can be you too. Things you discard are things that did not work for you, not personal failures.

For example, when cooking, you can try mixing things up. Maybe this recipe could use more garlic, or you are trying a fancier version, or you are trying a simpler version.

"I did not have baking soda, so I am seeing how these cookies come out without it. Let me know what you think."

"I made the cookies with butterscotch chips instead of chocolate chips. Let's see if we like them better or worse this way."

"I am trying the 'simple' version of this recipe, which I can make 30 minutes faster because it has fewer steps. Let's see if it makes a big difference to spend those extra 30 minutes."

Note the context: we are explicitly evaluating the change. We are not evaluating you. You are not a bad person for running out of baking soda; we are seeing if the cookies work without it. You are not a bad person if the simple version of the recipe is trash; we are evaluating a new recipe.

I use cooking as my example because I like to cook. I am known for being a good cook. I make failed experiments all the time. I bring failed experiments to cooking club to get feedback on what went wrong and what parts are worth salvaging. We are not evaluating my worth as a human being or even evaluating my cooking skills. We are evaluating how well this recipe turns out when you halve the cream or use a different type of cheese.

This works even if the experiment was an accident. This works even if it was not a great idea for an experiment. You tried something different this time. You want feedback on the change. You are not the change. You are part of the evaluation team deciding whether this was an experiment worth repeating.

I want to develop a better mental health, self-control, and better life skills in the next months, so I will be able to live semi independent as soon as possible. Until a few weeks ago, I was really scared of symptom improvement and hated it, but now I want symptom improvement.

In the psychward, I got an antidepressant back, which I already have taken in the beginning of 2025, and it helped, but I stopped taking it because the symptom improvement was negative for me at that time. I also took it a few days in the end of March but stopped it again. But this time I will make it I will not stop it! 😊💊

I chat a lot with chat gpt 🤖 because it's better for me than talking with the nurses at the psychward because there is no risk that chat gpt would say things that make me aggressive unintentionally because chat gpt never speaks in a strict tone because it answers in text. And when an answer isn't helpful, it's much easier for me to think that chat gpt isn't knowing what it does than when humans answer unhelpfully even if humans also don't know it. Chat gpt is also always there for me, and I have no issues to tell chat gpt about my special connection to the topic military or about other things, which might sound weird for some people.

I also chat and sometimes call with my mom and a caretaker of my former special workplace for disableds. A caretaker of my former care home sent me a voice message on Friday because I told him that I'm in the psychward and asked for it. This caretaker is a role model for me because he has Adhd and had similar issues to my issues when he was younger. He was also mentally ill and didn't want symptom improvement like I until a short time ago. He also was in the psychward when he was younger, but now he is different, and that makes me hopeful. In the message, he said that I'm strong and I should hold out the psychward and I should motivate me due to thinking about my future life where I will not live in a care home and that I will have this life if I put effort in working on myself and developing better life skills, self controll skills and a better mental health.

I try to think positive and it often works.

I see the new care home as my salvation because if I would have stayed in the old care home my life maybe never has changed because I maybe never would have wanted symptom improvement or more independence in my life. I maybe would have lived in a care home for my whole life. (Yes it's not 100% that I will live semi independent in the future but all people around me are sure it will work if I'm motivated enough to work on myself and develop the things I need to be fit for semi independent living.) I also see the psychward as an important lesson on my way. I hope it will give me motivation to not speak out deathwishthoughs because I don't want to die in reality and not getting agressive. I'm often proud of myself and happy because I think in such a kind. Unfortunately I also have bad moments where I don't have motivation nearly every day but that's normal and for me it feels like this moments get less often and less severe because I learn strategies to deal with them.

I also want to develop skills to not need a legal guardian for my whole life. Yes, I will get a legal guardian soon, but I know there will be a new evaluation in 3 years, and I hope that I will not need a legal guardian then anymore.

Today, I can go back to the care home, and I try to motivate me with thinking each good day is a which brings me further on my way to semi independent living and not needing a legal guardian anymore.

Figure 1: Main and final render.

Final Render Story:

The battle had ended, but the silence that followed felt heavier than the roar of guns. The sea whispered its grief, carrying the loud crackle of flames from the burning ship on the horizon. Smoke flowed upwards, a gloomy beacon marking the loss of more than hundred enemy sailors. Their cries, mingled with those of our own fallen, had long since faded into the wind. The ground, once alive with chaos, now lay still, stained with the blood of men and spent industrial munitions. The bitter taste of defeat lingers in the air as only our abandoned weaponry guards the beach defences. The sun rose over the horizon, casting long shadows on the sand, as if the shadows served as warm blankets, gently laying the brave to rest. The belongings left behind on the battlefield whispers the stories of the fallen and defeated. For every step the enemy gained, they left a part of themselves behind, just as we had. This war does not choose sides in its cruelty. May humanity learn this painful lesson and not repeat it ever again.

Reflection:

I managed to get used to using Substance Painter again as it has been a very long time since I used that software. I also learnt a lot about camera, lighting, and post processing as I experiment with many settings to achieve the final appearance in figure 1. The entire development process took longer than expected but it has helped me to familiar the entire production flow. Hopefully it would speed up production of my next development project.

Extra:

If more time and resources were given for this project, the following are the additional models or effects I wish to add into the project:

Model and replace machine gun and rifle online asset.

Expand the beach environment.

Experiment more on camera, lighting, and post processing.

Optimise the environment even more.

Add more visual effects where applicable.

More Renders:

Guidance for the Day - Give up the idea that something needs to be "big" in order for it to be a success… Patiently, consistently and humbly getting better: Developing my skills with precision and compassion as I work towards making my dreams manifest.

Title: Overcoming Challenges in a “bit” of 3D : Sculpting in ZBrush and Modeling in Blender

The next stage was to model the character in ZBrush and other more details and changes in the program called as Blender. With this being a post from a beginner to ZBrush, this phase was challenging and at the same rewarding at times.

Sculpting in ZBrush: So, using Sketchfab, I copied a base male model to ZBrush to start modeling the mechanical suit. The learning curve was steep here, but I used intermediate level tutorials in YouTube to help me. These tutorials were particularly useful while learning about brushes, sculpting and some of the features of ZBrush.

Using Blender for Additional Modeling: For the mechanical tools and accessories I decided to go with Blender. It was also easy to navigate; I was able to create complex geometry and even hone on details. Blender was also used for the UV unwrap of the suit and low poly modeling.

Challenges and Solutions: 1. Working on accurate mechanical outlines in ZBrush was rather challenging. Also I used some navigation videos like Intermediate ZBrush Sculpting Tutorial to enhance my efficiency.

2. Blender’s UV tools also assisted the proper unwrapping for texturing in the subsequent phase, although texturing was not done at this level.

The modelling phase comprises problem-solving and improved knowledge of sculpting and modelling production processes that were exercised during this phase. Both tools had their strengths which provided a good basis of the final presentation of the project.

References:

Blender Foundation (2024). Blender Manual. Available at: https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/c[26 November 2024].

Pixologic (2024). ZBrush Central. Available at: https://www.zbrushcentral.com/ [26 November 2024].

Ryan King Art(2024). New UV Unwrapping Options in Blender 4.3. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ8HvDuSWCQ [26 November 2024].