As we enter the new year, I find myself comforted by the following sentence: “A day well spent is a life well lived.”

Having come across this in Hwang Bo-Reum’s debut book ‘Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop’ that I have just finished - I smile, knowing in my heart of hearts, that indeed, how we spend our days determine the quality of our life (or how we view our lives) and could even be how we decide how “successful” we think we are (or not).

After finishing this novel, I read some reviews and came across the term ‘healing fiction’, which seems spot-on. I felt healed after reading this book, as I entered the Hyunam-Dong bookshop, sat down for a coffee, and explored the world of the characters within. It was one of those books that made me feel connected, united to others through shared universal experiences.
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And so, in this spirit of feeling connected - through calm and slow moments that truly make up the meaningful times of our day - I say to myself, and to all, here’s to a 2025 with days well spent.

​Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending the Istanbul meet-up of "Grow Local, Grow Equal" at The Consulate General of the Netherlands, hosted by Kreşendo.

Kreşendo is one of only two cultural institutions in Turkey to be awarded UNESCO’s International Fund for Cultural Diversity. This fund, established under the 2005 Convention, supports projects that safeguard and celebrate the diversity of cultural expressions. The "Grow Local, Grow Equal" project is designed to strengthen and promote equality within Turkey’s music industry through conducting research on the needs and challenges of music industry, organising sector meetings and online training programs in pilot cities, and producing a policy report aimed at contributing to the development of sustainable cultural policies in the music sector will be prepared.

Throughout the event—attended by musicians and industry leaders alike—Kreşendo’s founder, Beril Sarıaltun, along with speakers like Özlem Ece, Merve Eryürük, Metin Uzelli, Bülent Forta, and Liza Blanning, discussed how Turkey’s music industry can become more inclusive, fair, and sustainable. 

One powerful insight was the recognition of how digital platforms have democratized music, providing artists new opportunities to reach global audiences. Yet, as we heard in discussions, there are persistent barriers around equitable earnings, fair copyright practices, and the commercialisation of culture. Traditional structures in the industry, like are being pushed to adapt, while artists often find themselves navigating complex, sometimes restrictive systems that limit their control and earnings.

Another thought-provoking theme was the influence of technology and digital shifts on the industry’s landscape. With mobile access, AI, and streaming services, music has become highly accessible, but this accessibility comes with its own challenges: artists now carry the burden of self-promotion and engagement to sustain visibility and income. As the world becomes a "global village," there’s also a rise in cynical audiences and competitive pressures that make it even harder to stand out authentically. With almost 100,000 songs being added to streaming platforms weekly, it is indeed a crowded market. 

As a jaded musician who has been a part of this industry for over 10 years, I was excited by the sense of collectivism in the room. I could sense that we were on the brink of something new and exciting. Something that I'm eager and excited to be a part of. 

Just finished “The Get Things Done” book by Mikael Krogerus and Roman Tschäppeler. What I loved about it:

1️⃣ It’s not just another book to “help you be more productive” but more to help you focus on what is more meaningful and important to you, as well as what can create more value for you and others.

2️⃣ It’s full of practical tips that you can try out straight away and implement in your daily work or personal life.

For example, I loved the 5-25 rule which helps you answer the following questions:

1. Have I fulfilled my potential?
2. Have I spent my life doing something I love?
3. Have I got my priorities right?

What you need to do is write down 25 things you want to achieve. Then pick only 5 and strikethrough the rest. Now focus on those 5! We can’t do everything.

You can use this for life plans or year long work plans etc. It helps you prioritize what you really want to achieve and work on.

Thoroughly recommend for anyone looking to see how they can do things differently and more effectively.

​So, I joined another game jam recently (again by Spinoff) and this time I came 3rd! I'm well chuffed about this turned out given the limited amount of time I've had recently. These also include my new experimentations on Procreate as well. 

Give it a play below :)

So, I've created a mini interactive story for a Game Jam using the app Spinoff! It's called "Under Water" and it's my first ever submission to a game jam. 

If you do happen to play it, and happen to have an itch account, I would be grateful for some positive ratings as we are currently in the "public voting" phase. :)

As a side note: this was incredibly fun to make; I've always been interested in "interactive fiction" and have a dream to create my own game one day, so, here's me "starting small".
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I downloaded Aseprite the other day to start experimenting further with Pixel art. I posted back in November about how I started experimenting with Pixel Art (take a look here) and today I watched a brilliant 30 minute tutorial by AdamCYounis on YouTube about how to get started with the Aseprite tool, and voila, below you can find my first animated scene. I'm quite pleased with it to be honest, as a starting point. It was fun either way :)

I don't know how I randomly ended up with the idea of an apple falling from a tree on a mountain near some crows. But hey! That's what's half the fun of experimenting with new ways of creativity. Just wanted to share an update!

Let me know what you think; and if you have any tips on your journey as a pixel artist, would love to hear them!

I'm just here to say, I made this recipe by Richa; and it was really simple and quite tasty. You should definitely check it out.

Voila: