Getting Creative: Sometimes April 15th Feels Like the REAL "New Year"

OK, so I am well aware that time is a pretty arbitrary thing; a construct we humans have created so we can show up at the dentist's "on time" rather than at any odd time.

So, as part of our rituals of "Being Human" we celebrate the New Year in January 1st each year.

I'm good with that. Really.

Spring Feels Like the New Year

That said, for as long as I can remember — or at least for all of my adult life — April 15th (or somewhere within a few days) has always felt more like the start of the "New Year" to me. Far more so that January 1st.

Whether it's because I can finally stop worrying about "doing taxes" (at least true for many here in the USA where April 15th marks "tax day"), or because things suddenly "start growing" and I have to mow the lawn every three days, this time of the year really feels like the new year.

Without even thinking about it, I started a couple of new creative projects yesterday — one inside, one out in the yard — and then realized today that I was back to my "it feels like the new year!" schedule of years past.

It also reminded me why I have never been a fan of so-called "New Years' Resolutions," because I have never really felt like taking on much of anything new in the middle of the winter. In spring? That's a whole other kettle of fish!

Life Must Accommodate US — not Vice-Versa!

Many years ago when I was still trapped in the world of the IT Industry, there was often a debate raging over the relationship between developers and end users.

Inherent in this, there was always a significant number of developers who felt that users "should adapt" to the way the software was designed. It was a rather "technology-centric" approach; part of a bigger philosophy that subtly hinted at the possibility that humans needed to serve the technology, rather than the technology serve the humans. 

Being one of the ones who worked in Usability and Human Factors, I was often at odds with the developers. More than once, I pissed off a developer by insisting their work only existed because it needed to serve an end users life, and NOT "because you want to write clever/elegant code."

Those debates popped into my head again, as I realized that it serves me to think of April 15th as the beginning of a New Year... and whereas I recognize the chronological need to regard January 1st as the New Year, for the purposes of my existence — and starting projects — I feel renewed and refreshed around April 15th.

How About YOU? Do you tend to create your own paradigm or schedule when it suits you best? Or do you follow the "accepted norm" on most things? When you sit and think about it, in depth, does the societal standard genuinely serve your needs? If not, what would you like to change? Leave a comment-- share your experiences-- be part of the conversation!

created by @zord189

(As usual, all text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is original content, created expressly for Steemit)
Created at 180416 16:24 PDT