2024 in Review
I promise I won't talk about inflation.
Another year has come and gone. It’s the time when everyone starts posting their Spotify wrapped and sending out emails talking about their "Best of" and "Biggest Moments" and that’s not even including the stampede of "Preparing for the New Year" emails and posts.
It’s been a rough couple (half-decade) of years, even moreso than usual for many, especially marginalized and targeted individuals in our larger communities. I do truly hope 2025 is a better year for everyone, though I can’t say I’m particularly optimistic given the current political climate….
MY YEAR IN REVIEW
In the spirit of wrapping up the year and preparing for the new, I have prepared a brief summary of my 2024.
Instead of a rambling reflection this year, I'm embracing brevity (for me, at least), and hitting you with a list. It's a mix of year end accountability/transparency and reflection: since I'm self-employed, I have no real boss to whom I must report. Really, my clients are my boss, and since most of the people on this email list are clients (current, former, hopefully potential at some point 😜), I think I owe it to y'all to let you know where your money goes—it might surprise you that it's not all to my luxury sweatpant collection.
HIGHTLIGHTS
Biggest highlight of the year is that I went back to training in a public gym. I became an independent contractor working out of Prism Moves in north Portland. I’m very picky about the sort of environment that I bring my clients into, and Prism has not disappointed. It helps that it is a non-profit facility that is trying to bring equitable and inclusive fitness to the Portland area, specifically focusing on BIPOC and Queer folks, which is a mission I can fully get behind.
It’s been nice to be out amongst the people again and trade ideas with other trainers, though I have once again become a commuter, slogging it amongst the other working stiffs down I-84. It’s worth it for the space, people, and dogs.
Other highlights of the year include some travel (Florida, Wisconsin, New York, and London), which I haven’t done much of in the last couple years. It’s been nice to be out and about again, though travel still does come with some risks in the “post” Covid era.
I played a lot of games and published a few things (which I’ll discuss later), but the other big highlight is a dream brought to reality by Ryan J. Pitts from Stronger Grip: a giant, loadable 20-sided die:
You can watch a video of me rolling it here
It started with a gimmick image I asked my friend Liam to make: what if we took a photo of me lifting an atlas stone and photoshopped a giant die in for the atlas stone? He, of course, came through with flying colors:
I used this photo for years as a bio pic and social media content, but people always asked “is it real?” and I’d have to sheepishly admit that no, it was photoshopped.
Until the summer of this year, when Ryan figured out a way to make a giant d20 and I knew I had to get one. I bought one, waited with baited breath for him to finish, bought a bunch of steel shot, and it finally arrived in early December.
I immediately began to load it with as much steel shot as possible and tried to roll it across my gym floor. I managed to get it up to just under 250lbs (249.5/113.4kg), and promptly rolled a 14 (appropo of nothing, just seems like worth mentioning).
As far as I can tell, it’s the world’s heaviest 20-sided die, so at least I have that going for me.
WHAT ELSE?
Other than that, I've:
Made 47 Instagram posts
34 Tik Tok posts
54 Substack posts (not including this one)
Coached over 700 client hours
Worked directly with roughly 100 individuals through classes, training sessions, and online training
Built and distributed upwards of 300 individual programs
Said "good, good" and "great job!" roughly one billion times (and meant it every time!)
Wrote and released 3 tabletop roleplaying games: Iron Gods, Ex Inferis, and Most Muscular Minis. Ex Inferis won the Liminal Horror Twisted Classics Jam and will be getting a print release from Space Penguin Ink in 2025 (joining MMM which got a SPI print run in 2024)
Released an updated edition of my Arcane Exercise core rulebook which included updated language, clarifications, additional material, dice rolling movement game Aloft, pre-generated character sheets, and more.
In other Arcane Exercise news, I also released 2 AE supplements digitally and in print (there’s still copies left!): Oblique Movement Strategies and 100 Movement Mini Quests
Tabled and spoke at 6 different markets and conventions, including Rose City Comic Con, Corvallis Game Con, and Books with Pictures Mini-con.
IS THAT ALL?
Well, yeah, I think that about wraps it up. It's been a real roller coaster of a year, for sure, but I'm happy with it. I truly appreciate all the support my clients and community have given me this year. I tried to pay forward this support by donating just over $200 throughout the year to a variety of mutual and and community outreach programs. If you are able, I encourage you to do the same.
In 2025 I plan on continuing to train at Prism Moves, hopefully teach a few workshops, and continue to build my online business. I'm currently accepting online clients, so if you or someone you know could benefit from my offerings, please contact me!
I also have a brand new project slated for release in early 2025 called The Adventurer’s Guide to Exercise that I’m very excited about. It’s a collaboration with client, friend, and artist Graham Barey and I think you’re going to love it.
Keep your eyes peeled for that and a bunch more coming down the pipeline.
And again, thank you all so much for your attention and support. It means so much to me.
See you all in 2025!