Looking back @ '08 - '09

2008 / 2009 were interesting years although not as earth shattering in terms of measured success as I had hoped. I spent most of my time and energy on a couple of projects:


HCJ:  a “work” project – for art jewellery.
ESC: a “hobby” project – for English speakers in Cologne Germany.

Both projects are a “call to action” targeted at a niche demographic:

Handmade Contemporary Jewellery

• HCJ targeted jewellery artists and galleries: It aimed to provide a democratically controlled platform to centralize information (e.g. art jewellery exhibition information), and to redistribute the submitted information to other sites through embeddable gadgets, making an “add here be seen everywhere” system reaching larger audiences with reduced effort, time and cost for artists and galleries.
  

It did not take off as I'd hoped.

1. I worked alone for too long.
2. Didn't “reach” people effectively.
3. Over estimated other people's technical abilities and their interest in “working together” towards a mutual goal.

I knew the concept was not an easy option for artists but didn't see that as a problem. I had rather an “if you build it they will come” mentality. I now see that easy / short term wins over long term goals: especially ones which is are not “well sold”.

English Speaking Cologne

• ESC : a social hub for the English speaking community in and around Cologne.

ESC has a number of advantages as a project over HCJ.

1. Easier to understand. English speakers from in and around Cologne like to establish connections with the wider English speaking community and do / can meet up in the real world: so it does / can have a measurable / tangible impact on their lives.
2. I get to speak to a few people about what I'm trying to do, and a few people have liked the idea enough to help ESC grow.

2010 will be an interesting year for me and both projects: because of my new job I won't be spending so much time on them, but will still be providing as much help as I can to those who want the project(s) to grow.
It'll be the year where "my toddlers" walk (or not). Whichever it is it will be interesting!

image credit: HikingArtist.com