In my opinion everyone needs some alternative outlets and goals in their life. We all need to balance our work life from our life. We basically need to take breaks every once in a while or even change directions once and a while. Sometimes I need a break from the day in and day out work that I call work. Don’t get me wrong I love technology, computers and the whole bit, but I also love the outdoors as well as other things besides developing web sites. We must make time for ourselves simply to relieve stress so that when we do come back to what we call work, we are fresh and motivated. It’s also smart to clear your head once in a while when you might be stuck on a certain problem. Here are some of my outlets that help me to relieve stress and free my mind.

Yes I know. I’m still on the computer, but this time I’m drawing, painting and having fun with Painter 11 and PhotoShop. I recently upgraded from some poorly made graphics tablets to the new Intuos4 tablet by Wacom. I must say that it makes a huge difference. I have also taken a liken to the illustration section of Illustration Toolbox. This showcases mostly digital painting, which I’m really trying to get into. This has been my inspiration lately.

I’ve become somewhat obsessive with this sport called disc golf over the past year and half. I can’t get enough. It’s probably the coolest thing, in my opinion, to do outside in Dallas. Some of the courses make you feel like you’re truly out of the city. This was me making a long putt at BB Owen on hole 17. My goal is to start playing some rec division tournaments this year.

I have also started a music project this past year with a good friend of mine. We call ourselves WAM (Water After Midnight). I play on the electronic set, my friend sings and plays electric guitar, and then we program the bass lines and any other instruments/effects we want into Ableton Live. We then play on top of Ableton Live, which has made our timing much better. The computer never gets off tempo. This is continuing to be a very rewarding effort and I’m enjoying every minute of it. That’s the electronic drum kit I have also. You can see it in more detail here at Roland.

Last, but not least, I’ve been working out at La Fitness for the past 8 months and I feel better than ever. I honestly would rather be playing disc golf and don’t necessarily like working out, but it’s so worth it because of how good I feel afterward. This is also an easy way to zone out and fight off any sort of stress you may have.

How do you blow off steam? What do you do to take breaks from your daily work? What makes you more creative and feeling good about life?

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