Heyaa
Itās Sundayā¦ another Sunday, 8.31 AM, as Iām writing. The tall, 3-storey-tall, yellow building outside my window is dazzling in the bright sunlight. Only that the heat has died now.
In a few more days, itās winter. The water is already cold in the morning.
Anyway, it feels good to be back.
I spent a few days off from home during Durga Pujo (or Dussehra/Navratri, whatever you know it as). I was in Kolkata, on the outskirts actually.
Did I enjoy? Donāt know.
I stayed in my routine somewhatā¦ tried to. With my usual reading and writing. Didnāt work a lot, though.
It wasnāt any fun. Still, it felt different. Maybe the Pujo vibes in the air. I like those days for some reason.
You know, this random thought resonated with many people. I posted it on the gram, and itās my best-performing Reel so far.
The off time went well, almost pleasant, if you say. I slept a lot during my off, like 12 hoursā¦ Yes, half of the day.
My usual is 7-8 hours of sleep a day.
Still disorientedā¦ currently in the recovery period. You think you donāt need a week-long recovery period from vacation? You need a whack on the head to think straightā¦ right now!
Wait, let me put up something to listen to.
OK, this will do.
So, I was sayingā¦ My vacay went well.
I learnt a new thing, too.
Actually, it's an old thing that I long forgot. And that is: I can read on and on if thereās nothing to distract me. I realised thatās how I used to finish 200-page novels in one sitting.
I read for an hour-plus straight during a 1.5-hour-long flight. Maybe I should addā¦ comfortably. But I could finish only three books in October.
Now, that reminds me of audiobooks. I gave up on listening, again. It was a good three-week run. But itās not for me.
There were a few problems I noticed, again.
Skipping parts is difficult in audiobooks.
For example, while reading, if a part is monotonous, I skip a few sentences. Then, a few paragraphs and even a few pages while scanning if something interesting catches my eye. Then, I continue reading from that point.
In audiobooks, you canāt do that. You canāt jump to a specific part, making them painfully slow.
It makes referencing troublesome, too. You canāt jump back to check something from the earlier parts. You donāt know where it actually is.
And one issue is specific to visual people. Iām a visual learner. I can memorise (and feel) things better by seeing them.
I can imagine an entire town while reading about it. Itās tough to do so while listening.
So, back to book again. Reading them. Devouring them whole.
One interesting update from my Pujo vacation is that I designed and created a landing page for a client.
Earlier, I have written content, created layouts and suggested design ideas as well for clients. But complete design and creation was a first.
In fact, it was more design than writing. The client had much of the content from an earlier page. So, quite a refreshing detour from my usual projects.
It has been a gradual upskilling, with hundreds of unnoticeable steps in between. Sometimes, all you need is 2 pinches of confidence. To take the next step. The next easy step, and next.
If I had to build a landing page two years ago, my brain would have frozen shut. I donāt know, by the way, where I learnt any of it. I donāt even know how I learnt to write. I just try.Ā
So, what gave the 2 pinch of confidence?
I guess itās Carrd. Building with Carrd gave me confidence. Itās the easiest (as well as affordable) page builder I have come across. I started with my own newsletter sign-up pages.
Playing with it, taking inspiration from its templates, I got the hang of landing page designs.
And two years later, I used it to design a page for a client.
The story of getting this āclientā is also interesting. We met in a book group and then connected due to a mutual affinity for tech. Had some casual, mostly professional chit-chat.
One day, he asked if I knew someone who could make a landing page for him. I pitched myself. Yeah, Iām that shameless. Not shy at all. Introvert, but not shy.
We discussed a few ways we can approach the project. And I ended up agreeing to content editing, page design and development (with Carrd).
Now, the initial feedback has been positive. I made the changes as asked. Itās still to go live, though.
Carrd has been a saviour, I know. What I also know is that now I can make proper landing pages if needed.
I even squeezed my twenty-something-page portfolio website into a simple page. Here it is if you want to see it.
Itās plain currently, but it gets the job doneā¦ the job of being an online platform to hold my best works. Also, itās easier to update.
Heard the quote: a lazy person will always look for the easy way out? Well, you now know itās cent percent true. Reminds me of a guest post I did a few years ago: Iām Lazy And I Own It
Iām leaving you with that today.
Bidding adieu.
Live long and prosper.
See you next week, with another story.