A short retrospective

If 2020 made one thing very clear to me, it’s the importance to look after yourself.
If you don’t do that, chances are you slave away in a dayjob that you think you need, but that doesn’t need you and if you get sick and can’t perform anymore, nobody will thank you for it. Few people will probably even listen to you if you say something has to change. You may realize it too late when you burned yourself out for nothing.
If you see someone doing just that, ask if they are okay and listen.

The year was full of mixed messages that painted a very confusing picture. On a big scale a lot on the news was scary, frustrating, even infuriating.
The politicians were always going back and forth between what the economy wants and what the health system can take.
When it comes to shopping, public transportation or spare-time there is always that low percentage of very visible people who go crazy, with no regard to the well-being of others. They make it worse for everyone, but who knows what lives they lead? They’re probably in miserable situations and can’t help themselves. Maybe they slave away in shitty jobs with no regard for their health and don’t see why they should follow any rules in their spare-time then.
I believe the greater part of people stayed at home and took precautions though.
It’s easy to overlook all the small things you can do, to feel better or help others.

Here in Germany in any higher education or any community context, people are very aware of the pandemic and have a humane approach. It’s inspirational. Cutting people slack when they can’t be at the top of their game. Caring and supporting each other as best they can. There is awareness about the mental weight of the current situation.

Politicians on TV talk about the economy and doing what’s best for it.
Excluding small shops and anything related to the arts. Lots of small restaurants, theatres, book stores, you name it, had to close repeatedly and some had to give up entirely.
One might dream of a universal basic income, which got a lot of publicity this year and would revolutionize the way we all think about work, but which will probably stay a dream. (But dreaming is a start.)

If you are an artist who relies on any sort of live-events you’re in serious trouble.

But when I look at the big-money economy, or rather the slice I have insight into, I’ve experienced the drastic opposite. It’s business as usual, if not more profitable, because people have little else to do right now.
How crazy is this „economy vs. people‘s lives“ discussion?
Several people I know got sick in their office workplace, because others were reckless. Can you believe it?

On a personal level

Each year I look back and think about what that year meant on my personal journey.
It’s a lot of time passed, lots of books read, usually good novel progress and a few stories written, some published.
This year I published my first novel and saw how well selfpublishing is suited to me and that I can do it on a professional level. It was even made into an amazing audiobook. One of my stories was published in a reputable German literary magazine.
I didn’t get much writing done, though. I read 19 books, a total of about 6000 pages, which is my lowest in 7 years.
Most of the year I was stressed out about my dayjob up to the point where I couldn’t sleep anymore. Even when I finally got my vacation in November, things didn’t get better. Yesterday was my last day. I can’t yet put into words how glad I am that part is over. It’s a pity though I can’t take good colleagues with me on my journey into the new year.
What else?
I connected with lots of great readers, bloggers and authors who enjoyed my novel and talked about it. Thank you all so much!
I reconnected with old indie game development friends and I translated a cool Indie game from English into German. (Contact me if you would like my help with your game.)

I feel very thankful for everyone I met (online) this year, who was there, encouraged me and helped create a sense of connectedness in these difficult times.
It’s not a worry-free start into the new year for me, but I will take one day at a time and now that my head is free of all that daily office nonsense, I can return to my old routine and start each day with creative time.

There are great stories (and games) ahead.