
## Boulder, Colorado

My fiancée Miranda has accepted an associate's role in Boulder, and we're moving on out there!! It's my first time living outside of Texas _ever!_ I'm thrilled for the new adventure. I can't wait to wake up to [mountains](/goosecreek) every day.

## Software

Still doing it, still working at [AptAmigo](https://www.aptamigo.com), still loving it.

AI is a thing. I've appreciated having it as a resource. Meanwhile, like wine, I'm trying to be mindful not to overdo it.

Still dabbling in side projects in my free time. At this moment, I'm spending time with React Native. Mobile development has been fun to explore! Currently working on a toy app, ~~soon to be revealed.~~ [Bird Box](/birdbox) is now live!!

You can keep up with my tech articles through [the tech tag on my blog](blog/tech). You can also [find me on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisdpadilla/).

## Music

<figure>

![🌊](https://padilla-media.s3.amazonaws.com/albums/covers/amethyst.jpg)

<figcaption>_A sample of what I'm writing — [Amethyst](/amethyst)_</figcaption>

</figure>

Still jumping between playing guitar, piano, and writing my own music. I simply love how they talk to each other.

These days, I'm zero'd in on jazz transcriptions on piano and guitar. The harmony is so rich, I don't mind all that much practicing slowly. Even just [two chords at a time](/twochords).

As far as writing goes, I've been really nostalgic for tech-related music, and how technology can intersect with music. [Amethyst](/amethyst) linked above is a great example. Liquid Drum and Bass paired with early CG visuals are very evocative in my mind.

You can browse my [mini albums here](/music). You can keep up with my guitar and piano playing through the [music tag on my blog](/blog/music). I'm also sharing recordings on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/c.d.padilla/).

## Art

![🐸🍩🌊](https://padilla-media.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/art/sketches-2025-01-25.jpg)

For the past couple of years, I've been pursuing a long-time dream of making art. This last year [I focused on color and digital art](/lessonsfrompainting2024). It's been a blast, and I'm amazed at how the horizon spans infinitely off in the distance. There's so much to explore here!

I've since [dabbled some with Blender](/learning3d). CG is a wicked fun medium! Though I feel myself still fascinated by 2D styles.

We'll see where I go from here. Now that I've drilled some fundamentals, I'm trying to keep things open. Leading with curiosity here!

You can see what I've made so far through [the Art tag on my blog](/blog/art). I'm also sharing drawings on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/c.d.padilla/).

## Blogging

I do it when I can! All of the above makes it here, of course, though writing is a medium unto itself. I continually enjoy having a stage to openly reflect and share on. It keeps me honest. I like to think, perhaps, it's helpful to the stray lurker here and there.

In this climate, I can't help but think a fully-made-by-a-human-website is something worth cultivating. A flower poking out between the cracks of a sidewalk in a concrete jungle.

Thanks for stopping by!

## 👋


The Haps - May 2025


We move pretty quick at work. With code completion and fine-tuned IDE autocompletion, it's easy to really skate through writing software. I love it, it's a thrill to move so rapidly and to be firing on all cylinders.

At the end of the day, I need something to balance it out. A reflex-based video game is not much of a respite.

It's part of why I still play instruments. There's a great deal of [repetition involved](/repetitionandmeditation). Not only that, but it often takes zooming into fine details and spending time dialed in. A nice counter to the day after GitHub Copilot is encouraging me to let it handle the details.

Recently, I started learning a new tune on guitar. After smoothing out the easier sections, I dialed into two chords. G sus 2 and A sus 4. Back and forth, adjusting my hand position, listening to see if all strings rang out, coordinating my strumming. Back and forth. It's painful at first, shifting down to a lower gear. Eventually, though, it's soothing. Even at a fraction of the speed, the sound of these chords together is dazzling.

I wrapped up my practice session. My ears were now awake. A bird sang as it flew by the window. G sharp to A sharp, down to F sharp.


Two Chords


![Woohoo!](https://padilla-media.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/art/sketches-2024-04-27.jpg)

Celebrated several things these past few weeks — including Miranda's white coat ceremony!!


White Coat


Mmmh, Apples! 🍎

![An apple a day keeps the telemarketers away](https://padilla-media.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/art/sketches-2023-04-30.jpg)


Apples

Faber - Energico!


My training is primarily in _Classical Music_, a _high_ and _sophisticated_ art form. 🎩

There's immeasurable value in it, just like classical literature and the impressionist paintings of [Cézanne](https://www.theartstory.org/artist/cezanne-paul/). [It's art that transcends the dizzying pace of change](/transcience).

These days, though, I love folk music.

I think a lot of what's being made today falls into that category, even beyond music: Blog posts, podcasts, videos, illustrations, games...

It's not really the latest and greatest, or the most sophisticated that's exciting. Most nights, I just want to lay back and hear someone preach the truth to me.

[Rebecca Solnit](https://harpers.org/archive/2017/11/preaching-to-the-choir/), by way of discovery for me by [Austin Kleon](https://austinkleon.com/2023/03/13/on-preaching-to-the-choir/):

> Adults, like children, love hearing the great stories more than once, and most religions have prayers and narratives, hymns and songs that are seen as wells of meaning that never run dry. You can go lay down your sword and shield by the riverside one more time; there are always more ways to say how once you were blind and now can see.

High art typically has an emphasis on correctness, style, and form. Precision and training are required.

What makes folk music really good is that the bar for entry is lower. It doesn't take much to start a blog. Nowadays, you can grab your computer mic or camera and start talking on your opinions, sharing your own twist on something you read today, or a conversation you had.

On top of that, it's much more communal in that way. There's more room for personal expression when the form is simple. But a shared story or theme ties the choir together. No need to chose between joining in or expressing authentically, there's space for both.

If you have a way of sharing online, you have a way of making your own folk music. If you have a guitar and know three chords, you can start singing along.


We're All Just Making Folk Music


There are a few why's behind my [recent drawing habit](/blog/art). Here are a few:

- I grew up with [an artist in the family](https://www.jennpadilla.com/)
- [My](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Neighbor_Totoro) [favorite](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beauty_and_the_Beast_(1991_film)>) [stories](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Your_Name) [are](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiki%27s_Delivery_Service) [told](http://drmcninja.com/) [through](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar:_The_Last_Airbender) [pictures](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin_and_Hobbes)
- Drawing as a medium has one of the widest spectrums for style
- Drawing, as a whole, [has personal creativity baked in more](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80yhjO8yLeE&ab_channel=Proko) so than music

Each of those points deserve a post for another day!

One of my biggest drivers, though:

**I draw for my kids**

I don't have any yet! Miranda and I haven't even tied the knot yet. But that is what's in mind as I'm exploring a new medium.

I'm aiming to embody a few things:

- Leading with Curiosity
- Creation driving learning
- Expanding dreams

A tall order for just messing around with a pencil. It's goofy, it's silly, I don't have chops, and it's one of the most important things I do everyday - along with music, software, and even blogging!

While I love arts and music education, it can fall short in these areas. Teaching to a curriculum squashes curiosity. Personal creation is an afterthought in band classrooms. And, by trading personal creativity and curiosity for curriculum, personal dreams are tossed.

That's not the case with _all_ programs. But, as a parent, there's no one better to model the things that I believe are most important in art and music than, well, the parents.

## Leading with Curiosity

We're hard wired to be curious about the world we live in. There's wonder and awe around every corner.

How often, though, are we limited by identity, fear of wasting time, or are simply too distracted?

Drawing was one of those things for me. "I can never do that!," "I'm a musician, not an artist," and "I won't ever be any good" were all limiting stories. But I loved it all the same and wanted to explore that love.

Maybe my kids won't feel the same about drawing. (Kids, generally, don't have that baggage.) As they continue to grow, though, I want to be someone who can firmly model following a thread of curiosity, even at the risk of looking amateur.

## Creation Driving Learning

We're also all naturally creative. If you've ever uttered the phrase "I don't have a creative bone in my body," you're probably only thinking of a limited spectrum of creativity. Sure, drawing a picture is creative. But so is software. And so is marketing. And so is teaching. And so are spreadsheets. So is cooking.

We've all got it! It can be easy to shy away from it in new territory, though! The same limiting stories from above come in and can discourage.

One of the biggest lessons I've learned through drawing, piano, guitar, and writing music is this: **You don't have to be good for it to be enjoyable.** Being some level of competent helps with flow. But, before that, the process of gaining new skills easily replaces the pleasure of being in flow! My favorite sessions playing piano have been those where I'm absolutely _stumbling_ through a new tune, but I'm getting to explore new chords, melodies, and the configuration of my hands at the keys. I'm reminding myself that every time I draw, and want that to be a driver in what ever my kids get hooked on.

Maybe you're worried about friends and colleagues seeing what you make and embarrassing yourself. Wonderful news - the people that actually matter, typically, are more concerned with the spirit rather than the form. A loose drawing of a friend is probably more endearing than a commissioned oil painting, because it captures the spirit of the maker.

With my kiddos, I want them to feel confident in their ability to bring something new into the world, even if it's with tools they're not as familiar with.

## Expanding Dreams

Like I said — maybe my kids will think drawing is for lame Dads. But that's not the point in the long term.

At some point as we grow up, dreams of becoming astronauts evaporate into realistic plans of becoming an english teacher. In some ways, that's all fine and well. Rubber has to meet the road at some point.

Art, music, storytelling, acting - pretty much any creative craft, though, brings dreams to reality right away at a young age. My 7 year old son may not be able to practice being an astronaut at that age, but if he loves drawing, he can practice art and grow up learning to be a real artist with real craft.

That early seed of making a dream _real_ sets the stage for a lifetime of confidence in their own ability to do just that with even more vision.

Once a given dream is realized, then there's what's next. Probably you've been fortunate enough to experience that - "I finally got my dream job!! ...now what? Is this it?"

No, I may not raise the next [Aaron Blaise](https://creatureartteacher.com/), but that's not at all the point. What ever it is, if I can be a model and help my children pursue and realize their dreams at a young age, that's a gift that will compound over their lives. Because their dreams will grow. "Being a cartoonist" evolves into "being an art teacher" evolves into "working in fundraising" evolves into "creating an arts education non-profit that serves their local community" - or any number of alternate paths.

By modeling that in my own life - by allowing even my tiniest seeds of my personal dreams to draw, to play instruments, make music, develop software, write essays, and serve people - I stand in a good position to help nurture what ever that looks like in the lives of my children.


Nurturing Curiosity


TypeScript is MOSTLY just a way of bringing C# methodology to building applications in JavaScript.

Call me Captain Obvious! They _are_ both Microsoft products.

But I've been learning C# and the similarities have been interesting!

Here are the things that are really nice about working in C# so far:

1. It's a compiled language. SO there are some errors that are caught at compile time, like undeclared variables.
2. Intelisense is strong here. Typing values right out the gate makes that all the easier.
3. Self documentation is pretty wicked in Visual Studio. Opening up the Assembly Browser gives you access to ALL the properties and methods for objects and classes that are used in your project.
4. [Enums](https://www.typescriptlang.org/docs/handbook/enums.html)! From the TypeScript docs: "Enums are one of the few features TypeScript has which is not a type-level extension of JavaScript."
5. Interfaces and Generic Types also are a borrowed C# concept!

The only exception might be that C# is a classic object oriented programming language where JavaScript and TypeScript mostly fake that part, being much more dynamic. Arguably, though, some of the tooling already gets you pretty close — component based frameworks, for example.

The "TypeScript is just JavaScript" sentiment has strangely made TypeScript difficult to learn for me. Similar to Node vs ES6 — the fact that they're so similar makes it difficult to remember that your brain needs to work in a different paradigm. It helps when I'm learning about Types in a language that is strongly typed from the get-go.

So I'll say this much: learning C# has been a really fun way to also learn TypeScript.


Chris Padilla/Blog

On This Day