Christmas, 2010, a short unrelated rant, and thanks!

Today was a day of contemplation while puttering on various house things.  The snow came down thick for a few hours this morning adding to the timeless, floating feel of the day.  My friend Connie phoned from Ontario and we talked about benchmarks of life, of her ailing father and friends in common we don’t see enough. 

The Christmas season has always been a bit of a puzzle for me.  Why the christian church chose to adopt a pagan celebration and heap so much significance on it eluded me.  Still does.  The commercial exploitation of this holiday that fuels this country’s consumer reflex to a frenzied state angers me.  Lately we have chosen to focus more on the annual family celebration it is.  Simply enjoying gathering together, making great food and creating new memories.  
The work of my company is evolving and this year has seen the most dramatic shift.  What was mostly project work for clients continues but product development, marketing and strategic social media work are becoming more prominent.  I’m looking forward to 2011 when some of these projects will mature and begin to hit their stride as we know they can.  The Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission continues to be an anchor client and this diverse outreach and project work repeatedly teaches me that there is always more than one road to the selected goal.

The growing online trend that concerns me is seeing so many examples of I-can-do-it-on-my-own websites.  I applaud those who choose to take on the challenge and know how rewarding it is to produce something online.  When the public face of an organization is at stake though, it becomes a home project taken too far.  It reminds me of the time when Microsoft launched Publisher and everyone began creating their own newsletters.  Heck, we all did!  Most of them redefined ugly and much valuable staff time was wasted on hobbyish productions.  There are scads of do-it-yourself website templates available - some great, many quite limiting.  Keep in mind that most web developers will not charge for an initial consultation and can help you focus your efforts effectively.  

I have been privileged to work with some very talented people this past year. We have produced excellent projects that achieved or surpassed the goals set for us by the client.  I am successful in this because of the people who partner with me in life and in work.  Thank you for an excellent year!