Backing rewards

Over the last few years I've had a lot of fun - and received some sweet rewards - backing projects on Kickstarter, Pozible, and Pledgeme.

Dylan playing with the Nesting Twitter Founders dolls from Kickstarter.com

Dylan playing with the Nesting Twitter Founders dolls from Kickstarter.com

My current state of backing includes a children's book on programming, a video series about an intelligent caveman dealing with the superstitions of his primitive society, and helping a Melbournian artist fly to Finland to participate in an art residency - and all from the comfort of my couch.

It seems my favourite kind of project to fund is the “cool gadget” variety. I’ve backed the Lomography Smartphone Film Scanner, The Choosatron (interactive fiction arcade machine), meMini (wearable camera). While we’re still waiting for the Choosatron and meMini to ship, the Smartphone Film Scanner arrived and works brilliantly.

These organised crowding funding schemes are an easy way to feel good about myself while getting some cool loot for the effort.

My absolute highlight in the world of supporting makers has been backing the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra’s PledgeMe fund to get them to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. I backed them as big as I could and my reward was a video that just blew my tiny mind. As if that wasn’t enough, when I went to see them play here in Auckland before Christmas, they remembered me and were all hugs and handshakes (introducing me as "The" Michelle) after the show which made me feel so special.

Kick off 2015 with useful courses

Going with the gusto associated with idea of a clean slate, I’ve been looking for useful online courses to learn new things and challenge myself in January 2015.

Not sure about your start to the new year, but typically for me I have a little extra time. Work is busy but not consuming, and the warm weather means longer days to get more done.

If you’re making resolutions about organisation, creativity, or fitness, some of these links might be useful and help you get your groove on and kick learning new things off in the new year:

Get organised:

Get creative:

Get challenged:

Get moving:

Some of these courses and challenges kick-off on January 1st so if you're quick, you can still sign up and start tomorrow. Others are self-paced and you can start your learning at any time.

I'll let you know how I go with my January Cure and Sketchbook Skool courses as they unfold over the next month. Have you signed up for anything online or in your local community? Do you feel the urge to start and try new things with the new year? Let me know if any of your resolutions involve learning new things.

*Didn't realise how out-of-date Wonderwalkers.co.nz was - there's some good info there and a lot of the walks in your region are valid - but most of the dated posts are from 2013 which is a real shame.

Zen and the art of Secret Santa

This year I was involved in three organised Secret Santa gift-giving groups. Over the years I've been in many more and listened to a ton of people complain about their gifts.  So here is my sage advice based on my experience with giving and receiving Secret Santa gifts; being a Good Santa; realising I have been a Bad Santa; being thanked; and with being ignored.

In case you’re not sure what Secret Santa is - it’s a game or ritual held at Christmas-time where a name is drawn from a group of people and a gift is given by that person anonymously to one person in that group. This type of gift-giving is popular in larger family groups and with people who work together.

Here’s a round up of what I’ve learned over years of playing Secret Santa to help you and your team-mates have a safe and happy one next time you play.

Giving Secret Santa gifts

The most important part of any Secret Santa is meeting any and all deadlines.

If you miss the cut-off point for posting your gift or putting it under the corporate Christmas tree, you are automatically branded a Bad Santa. Not only will you feel bad, your recipient will be disappointed and colleagues or family members will never forget that you were the Bad Santa that year.

Pro-tip: Be thoughtful with gift wrapping - include a card and message - throw in some chocolate too because nearly everyone loves chocolate. If the gift is fragile, make sure it travels safely: bubble-wrap is your friend.

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Being a good Santa

The key to being a good Secret Santa is threefold:

  1. do some research
  2. stick to the agreed budget
  3. being genuine and thoughtful

If you have drawn someone you know, think back over conversations or instances from the recent past and tie the gift in with something you know about your recipient. For instance, for my work Secret Santa, I remembered a very small comment she had made a month or so before where she critiqued a donut. Such a small thing, but it meant I remembered that she had high standards for donuts. With that in mind, I made her a book to record her donut critiques as well as a list of places to visit and find Auckland’s best donuts.

In the case of online Secret Santa projects, it’s very unlikely that you will know your recipient, so a bit of Googling and Face-stalking will be in order. If your Secret Santa has locked accounts, as mine did this year, then you’ll need to try a little harder.

After looking at my recipients Twitter profile picture and her follower count (both visible even on protected accounts), I figured she was either very new to Twitter and still in High School. I bought her a book about being an explorer in her every-day world, a card, and some chocolate. I thought the book would be something she could do in her school holidays and maybe give her stuff to tweet about. Also included a list of age-appropriate Twitter accounts she could follow to grow her confidence on the network.

Being a bad Santa

This is to be avoided at all costs because people remember dud Secret Santa experiences their entire lives; plus, you will feel bad well past the Christmas period. There are really only a couple of ways you can be a Bad Santa, but the legend of that fateful mistake will live on much longer:

  1. If you miss the deadline to getting your Secret Santa in the post, or under the tree, your recipient is going to miss out on a present and then both of you will feel bad.
  2. If you do not put enough thought into the present. If you just grab a bar of LUX soap (my Secret Santa present from a work colleague in 1980; oh yes, I do still remember) or spend well below the agreed budget (a $5 gift card when the limit was $15; a story from last year’s NZ Secret Santa) then you are a Bad Santa and you should never have signed up to play.

If you can't meet the budget or the deadlines: don't play.

In saying that, you do need to be prepared for the possibility that you end up being a Bad Santa. For instance, maybe you did put a lot of effort into researching your recipient’s likes and life; maybe you worked very hard to match the budget and get the gift into the post in time. You might still end up being the accidental Bad Santa when you see how bang-on the gift was that you received and maybe yours was off the mark.

I experienced that this year when I saw how well my Blog Secret Santa crafted guest posts for thejamjar.com. I had worked hard on my guest posts as a Blog Secret Santa but had not been as selfless with the articles I had sent to my recipients. I can attest that it's a horrible feeling to have not done as thoughtful as I could have and one which I intend to not repeat next year.

Receiving gifts

Give thanks for your gift. It’s easy if you really do love your gift and it will take an amount grace and diplomacy if you don’t. If it’s the later, say thank you and find something nice to say about the thoughtfulness of the experience.

Online Santa like to hear a Tweet or two of thanks. Hug thanks if you can reach your Secret Santa.

To play this game is to be kind, remain nice, be gracious and say thanks. Secret Santa about giving - sometimes we forget that in the anticipation of our gift. One of the big lessons consider is that you can’t expect to sign up to a Secret Santa and get a guarantee of a great gift. Not all Bad Santa mean to be bad and the tables can turn pretty fast if you decide to be a ungrateful.

Pro-tip: playing with or using your gift immediately will make your Secret Santa happy. This year I received a Knit Your Own Bunny from a work colleague and was very happy to cast on and start knitting at our Christmas lunch. Also - Tweet photos of your gift or video the unwrapping - online Santa love that kinda thing.

Being ignored

If your recipient didn’t let you know that they liked their gift let it slide. Just be quiet about being ignored. After following the #nzsecretsanta Twitter feed I can tell you that bleating on social media about how your recipient didn't let you know how great you were for sending them a gift doesn't make you look good. 

You played - you gave - you were gracious. That’s all that was required of you to be a Good Secret Santa.