Play - Craig Jamieson

RIP Boosted Boards

Today it the owners of Boosted Boards put out this post on the companies blog that they have had to let a bunch of their employees go and the company is for sale as they have suffered financially for the past year and a half due to trade issues between the US & China.

I have wanted one since I first gave it a try in a sporting store in NYC in 2017. It was pricy and I had heard there were issues with travelling with it on the plane. So ever since then, I check in with the company all the time to find out when they would start shipping to SA. Unfortunately that’s not an option now.

I feel really sad like I want to shed a tear 😢 because I’m going to miss out on owning and getting miles of joy on what was the best electric skateboard on the market.

LEGO Masters

There’s a new reality show on CBS called LEGO Masters. It’s like INK Master, but with LEGO. There’s a whole host of celebrities involved and some pretty smart LEGO builders.

It’s American. So they keep saying LEGOS, which annoys me, it’s LEGO, singular. Otherwise pretty excited to watcht eh show!

Lego minifigure display

I have been inspired to build a Lego Minifigure display for many years and started collecting Minifigures back in late 2013. I have a collection of over 550 and I used almost 400 of them this weekend on my display. I bought a 2m x 1m white chipboard, stuck on 390 white 2×2 bricks with hot glue and painstakingly added them, followed by the Minifigures. Now we have this beautiful Lego Minifigure display in my room to admire this amazing collection.

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Intentions for 2017

I am looking forward to 2017 as an opportunity to continue to grow even more than I did in 2016, which was an incredible year of personal growth. Here are a few things I am setting as my intentions for this year.

Happiness. As I learned last year, the only personal truly responsible for your own happiness is you.
Tattoos. I have big plans for getting inked this year, time to start covering my body again and filling in all the gaps.
Afrika Burn. I missed last years burn, despite having a ticket, so this year I am making it my mission to make my way to Tankwa.
Leadership. I wish to be a genius maker and less of a dictator. I have made mistakes but learned from them too. Here’s to leading a wonderful team, projects, driving the vision and leading the charge.
Relationships. When I’m single, I’m very open to all sorts of experience, but I want to be in love and I am holding space for a very special person in my life.
Vibration. Every day I will continue to raise my vibration and continually grow.
Less sugar. I really want to shake this addiction this year. I know I have a problem, so I am putting it out there that I must stop. A swear, it’s the only thing holding me back from washboard abs.
More sleep. If there’s one thing I never got enough of in 2016, it’s sleep. I have struggled to sleep for years now, and I am making it a goal to get a full 7 hours sleep a night.
Self love. Nope, not that type of self-love, you filthy animals. Love for myself, it’s something I have had to learn to do and I believe it is why I have been attracting so much love in my life.
Travel. I have been very lucky to live at the coast, work in Hong Kong, visit places like China and Macau. But I need to travel more in 2017. Especially over the holidays, I’m not spending another year in Joburg over December. I’m thinking Bali!
Lemon. I only drink water, tea, coffee, coconut water, milk or freshly squeezed fruit juice, but this year I want to give my body the boost it needs every day by adding more lemon every day. Warm water with lemon in the mornings and lemon in my water bottle all day.
Drink more water. While I don’t have a problem with drinking water, I don’t think I drink enough of it. Time to hydrate properly.
Reduce coffee. I have started drinking far too much coffee and this year I plan on keeping it to a minimum, it’s probably the biggest reason I have too much sugar in my diet.
Write it down. I often advise this, but don’t do it enough myself. This year I am writing things down with pen and paper and I know my dreams will come true.
Be kind. It costs nothing, sprinkle that shit everywhere.
Be generous. Don’t be such a tight ass, pay full price for things you value, give willingly of yourself and give abundantly when you do.
Squat. I honestly think this is the single best exercise you can do to build stronger legs, by shape that ass, burn more fat and overall work your body. You don;t always have to go heavy, but try and add squats several times a week. I do them every day.
Kefir. I cannot recommend any single probiotic more than this fermented culture. Get that gut-brain connection going with this biotic treat.
Reward myself. I have worked for many years, mostly buying what I need, not what I want. I have hustled hard and I think it’s time to start rewarding myself. Being back in Joburg I drive a whole lot more than I did in Cape Town, so I’m thinking about spoiling myself with a new car.
Learn. You are never too old to learn something new. I enjoy learning new things and this year I really want to keep my skills sharp and my brain full of new and exciting learnings.
Get out. Nope not in da club, but out in nature. In order to give back, you should learn to appreciate how beautiful nature really is. Heres to many new outdoor adventures.
Get social. I am the first to admit that I’m really introverted and quite anti-social. This year I want to say yes to more invites to go out and spend time with friends and make new ones.
Go green. I don’t eat vegetables but know it’s what’s lacking in my diet. I want a juicer and some organic veg and I plan in getting my green juice on.
Walk Joburg. Yes, that’s right, I simply don’t work enough in the city of gold, so I plan on making it my mission to walk more around and certainly find more places to walk in nature.
Digital diet. I have tried for years to reduce the amount of time on my devices, and given my career, it is really hard. But I am guilty of being on my phone a lot more than I should, so it’s time to start being disciplined about putting the phone away and really enjoying the moment.
Work hard, play harder. Honestly for me, work is like play, it’s what I love doing most of the time. But I am happy to kick ass in the workplace and at the same time, live my life to the fullest.
Don’t take myself so seriously. I don’t drink, I hug trees, I manage teams at a very serious corporate company, I take my health super seriously and I am hard on myself about being able to provide for my son. Truth is I’m human, I need to be gentle with myself, remember to laugh more and do what I can do, without sweating the small stuff.
Be less me. I have been told that I come across as aloof or above other people, this does not offend me, I know I’m just really quiet in social environments, it’s just my awkward nature. But hearing this is exactly what I need to break out of my comfort zone and be a little warmer, we can all do that, it just takes some effort.
Skate. I have been trying to get better at skating for ages, spent the money decking out one of my boards and just haven’t done enough of it. So this year I will try my best to get my skate on.
Paint, Sketch and Make. I am artistic, it’s a natural gift other people wish they had and I neglect this talent. Doing things that seem natural to you is the way to finding purpose in your life. Time for some art classes to shake off the rust. Looking forward to some exploration, making and creating!
Perfection. I do aim for perfection in most things I’m interested in doing. I sometimes tell myself you cannot be perfect, but you can try to be as perfect as possible and strive for perfection. That’s the key, at least try and do your best, I was not made to half-ass things.
Cook. I’ve never applied myself in the kitchen, but I think I’d like to try. I think it could be very romantic to cook for or with someone I love. My son also needs to learn that a man has a place in the kitchen, so I might as well learn and be able to teach him a thing or two. I deserve to feed myself this way too, after all, it’s a sign of self-respect.
Be grateful. Gratitude is one of the quickest ways I know to make yourself realise how much you really have, never stop being thankful for the wonderful gifts of this life.
New site. I have not redesigned a site of my own for a while and the truth is my portfolio is outdated and not the best representation online of who I am. It’s time for a refresh and given that I am constantly learning new skills, I might as well apply them to my own site.
Mentor. I am very grateful that I have had the good fortune to meet some wonderful people who see me as an inspiration and are willing to confide in me and at least listen to my advice. Please feel free to reach out to me if you need some mentorship in your life.
Watch the sunrise. I don’t need a silent disco as an excuse to take in a beautiful sunrise, all you need is to be up or wake up early enough to appreciate the magic of a new day beginning.
Cape Town. The mother city stole my heart and I will frequent this magic place as often as possible until I am able to move back down there.
Freelance. I am capable of doing so many things when it comes to design, so I am absolutely going to take on some freelance projects, both for the financial reward and to also keep my skills sharp. Feel free to contact me if you have an opportunity to work together.
Teach. I aim to share my skills and knowledge through teaching. The industry is changing so fast, and knowing what to learn to be current is more important than where you learn. Let me teach those who wish to learn.
Dance. We all need to shake that booty, lets dance!
Be interested. If you want to be interesting, be interested. Be enthusiastic about all things, discover the new, spot the trends, listen to their stories and borrow from to create your own.
Less meat. I will probably never be a full blown anything, so I won’t deny myself a lamb chop from the braai or a mouthful of biltong, but reducing the amount of meat consumed is not only good for your diet, but great for the environment.
More sunshine. I want to bath in the beautiful sun. Get my tan on. Be outside. Get some vitamin D. I don’t want to stay in the shade all day, appreciate the thing very thing we revolve around.
Yoga. I got to do yoga last year in some amazingly beautiful places, and while I have a long way to go, I look forward to practicing this technique for keeping me balanced, stretched and centered. Namaste bitches!
Be brave. Put you whole damn self out there for everyone to see. Don’t apologise for who you are, be weird, be yourself and be free. The bravest person you can be, is your true self.
Music. Got to keep discovering and appreciate more music this year. Download new tunes, stream some mixes, go to parties and join the crowds at concerts, however it’s consumed, we all need a soundtrack to our life.
Climb. A tree, a mountain or an indoor climbing wall. I loved climbing stuff as a kid, and given that it gave me so much innocent joy, despite my fear of heights, I want more of that feelings again.
Share the joy. Take photos to inspire, drag people along, write about it, do whatever you can to let people experience your joy, we all need to celebrate this life.
Read. I spend a lot of. time reading reference books, but it’s time to start reading stories to take my mind on journeys of all sorts of things from fantasy, mystery to poetry and history. Word.
Laugh. The type of laughing that makes your tummy hurt, that makes tears roll down your face and makes your face hurt you’re smiling so much.
Art. Appreciate the work of others, be inspired, respect their craft and open your mind to new ways of appreciating self-expression.
Arrive. When you show up, be your best self. Dress smart, smell good and leave people glad they met you.

There are just so many things to do in 2017. The time is now to live your best life!

50 Things 2016

The past year was not all doom and gloom for me and I thought I’d mention a few things I appreciated about 2016 and I hope to continue adding this sort of good stuff into 2017.

Gratitude. I have been practicing giving thanks for the things I do have and I really believe it makes all the difference. I can get lost thinking about all the things I am grateful for.
Cape Town. I moved down in February and returned in August. But still, the Mother City was a special experience and certainly helped shape who I am today.
Secret Sunrise. My favorite thing to do, well maybe my second favorite thing to do in the morning, was getting my groove on with the no danger diary crew in some of the most amazing locations, with some of the coolest people to some of the most gorgeous sunrises I’ve ever seen.
Kidz Banking. Secretly for the past year I was working on a banking app for Standard Bank and launched after I had left the company and not completed as I would have liked, their app was finally released later this year.
Lego Minifigures. I still have not built my lego display, despite my most recent efforts, but I am excited to now have over 500 Minifigures in my collection. Almost 300 of them are from the series, which looks to be growing in early 2017 with the superheroes series being released in January.
Creative Mornings. I was delighted to be asked to talk at Creative Mornings in Cape Town in October on the subject of transparency.
Probiotics. I started drinking kombucha and kefir early in 2016 and what it has done for my body is incredible. Adding live food sources into my body has really helped my anxiety, my digestion and overall well being like nothing I have experienced before.
Dexter. My beautiful boy turned 8 this year and he is turning out to be such a kind, well mannered and gentle human. I love you, my boy.
Surfing. I never got to surf enough to say I can actually surf, but I loved every moment of paddling in the ocean and I have not given up on my dream to learn and surf waves around the globe.
Friends. I have reconnected with old friends, continued with many of the same friends and made many new friends this year. Thank you to each and every one of you for contributing in your own way to my life.
Sacred teacher plants. As I continue to raise my vibration, teacher plants like Ayahuasca and San Pedro have really opened my mind, taught me so much and done much healing.
Road trips. I got to drive up and down to Cape Town, on my own twice this year and while road tripping with friends is great, a little solitude on the road can be equally rewarding.
Romance. I have loved and lost like no other time in my life this past year. To every one of the beautiful people who shared time with me, giving me a chance and sharing yourselves with me, thank you. Guys be a little braver, there are some beauties out there. You know who you are, thank you for the love.
Joburg. I left you and returned, but I came back a better man and given my career opportunities I’m here to stay, so I’m ready to take on the city of gold in all it’s glory in 2017.
Prom walks. Long walks, great talks and the most fantastic views. Nothing beats a good prom walk at the end of the day.
Coconut oil. The say that if you have 99 problems, coconut oil will solve about 80 something of them. Eat it, cook with it, moisturize your skin with it or use it as lubricant, this magic stuff will seriously add value to your life.
Roommates. I got to be roomies with a lovely couple in Cape Town for a couple of months and with a great friend in Joburg and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed living with people, especially when they are so damn cool. Thanks guys.
Yoga hike. Two of my favorite things to do, go on a hike, followed by some yoga made for some of my favorite outings.
Hiker. Some call him Superdawg, others hikey, but the coolest dog on the prom was hikey, the bergie dog I got look after whenever John was out of town, much love little guy.
UFC. Conor McGregor, stole the show. But selling the UFC for 4+ Billion was pretty impressive too.
Nedbank. In-house agencies are the new black, that’s why I am proud to have joined the Nedbank team as their Creative Director in what will be an exciting new opportunity to do some amazing work.
Day Parties. I went to a couple of day parties which was something new for me as I have not been going out as much. They were not huge events, just big enough to have a good time and some sunshine.
Love. I have learned how to love myself, how to give love and receive love. It’s abundant, just like kindness, sprinkle that shit everywhere.
CrossFit. I trained at a new box in Cape Town and really got my technique improved, but I am happy to be training at my original box again at B4C. When I can;t get there, I have built up a home gym that’s great for getting a workout in.
Forest Bathing. Or more commonly known as Shinrin-yoku in Japan is kinda like forest therapy. I have literally soaked up the trees and literally become a tree hugger.
21 for the 20th time. I turned 41 and I couldn’t feel more alive than I do now. Age really is just a number and being in my 40’s is great.
Table Top Tuesdays. Every Tuesday, weather permitting I got to work with some of my colleagues from Treeshake and their friends on top of Table Mountain.
Friends of Design. I got to give a really great talk to start the term off at this awesome design school. Thanks for the opportunity to share my knowledge.
Farmers Market. My Saturday routine always started with a trip to the Oranjezicht farmers market to eat good food, drink great coffee, enjoy great conversation and take home the best pastries and organic fruit.
Being present. I learned this year how to not focus on the past or worry about the future as much and really just be present. I learned that you only have energy for today, so stop worrying about tomorrow.
Secret Sunset. If dancing at sunrise was not cool enough, we got to enjoy a silent disco on the beach at sunset, which was absolutely epic. After some meditation, we rocked out to thunderstruck along with hundreds of beautiful ladies. Thank you no danger diaries!
Training. I would do yoga in the morning, crossfit in the afternoon, gym in the evenings, throw in a prom walk at sunset and that I generally cycled everywhere during the day. My training was great and I have really shed the Joburg armor and I’m feeling so much more comfortable in my own skin.
Airbrn. I joined a great partnership in a gamification platform for business, which will hopefully launch early this year and I am super excited about.
One meal a day. I generally only eat one cooked meal a day now, snacking in between on kefir and fruit and I feel better fueled than I have been for many years where I was over-eating. Don’t believe the hype in all those meals, eat when you’re hungry, listen to your body.
Netflix. Local Netflix is not as great as international, but it’s still great to chill and their original shows have been pretty impressive.
Simplicity. The ultimate luxury is simplicity. I have purged so much in my life and I have proven that I need little more than what I can fit in my car. Yes, I have a storage locker, but that really just some basic furniture. Keep it simple.
Time. It’s the one thing you are never getting back, but it’s also something that is an art to manage. Time is art, it’s the only true currency. Make it count.
Letting go. If it comes, let it, if it goes, let it. Don’t try and hold onto to anything that does not want to be part of your life or that is taking up time or space.
Hiking. I have gotten to climb mountains, forests, and velt. Being out in nature is one of the best ways I can show mother earth that I appreciate her in all her glory.
Good health. I have not been sick more than a headache once or twice or an upset stomach. Through lots of training, excellent diet and great mental space, I have had the healthiest year of my life.
Design thinking. We have moved out of the pushing pixels around phase of design and gone into using design thinking to really solve problems.
Movies. It’s been a great year on the screen and 2017 looks like there will be even bigger films coming our way.
Less social media. I literally only have facebook and Instagram on my phone now. I occasionally visit twitter and LinkedIn, but I have successfully managed to eliminate all the social media addiction and focus on living my life away from social media.
Podcasts. The best way to not be bothered by traffic, listen to podcasts. There’s just about every topic on earth discussed and there’s something for you. I have really learned so much during the times I’d usually be frustrated driving my car.
eBooks. I literally cannot keep up with all the incredible eBooks released. But it’s simply the easiest way I know to read books I’d never be able to get locally and for a reasonable price … oh and I’m saving trees.
Coffee. I got to drink some of the best cups of coffee and while I will need to kick the addiction, I enjoyed so many great roasts at places like Giovannis, Origin, Bootleggers and my local favorite Seattle.
Fashion. I switched up my wardrobe a bit this past year, found the most comfortable well-cut chinos, stylish sneakers and comfortable sweaters. While summer is all board shorts and slops, winter I arrived a whole bunch cooler. Next, some tailored suits, not because I work at a corporate, but because I want to feel slick and really show up. Besides, I’m tired of dressing casually all the time.
Sunsets. I probably took more photos of sunsets than anything else this past year, the most beautiful part of the end of a day. On the promenade, I literally took one great photo after another and used to struggle to choose which I’d post.
Purpose. I have truly started gravitating towards what I believe to be the purpose of my life, by simply moving towards the things that make me the most excited.
Sharing. I know I don’t have all the answers, but I have learned so much this past year and I feel no greater joy than being able to share with people. Maybe not everyone, but someone can learn from the things you know, nothing could be more generous than sharing your stuff, giving talks, teaching, blogging, mentoring or any other way, please share!

Wishing you all the best for 2017!

Hello 2016

I’m not one who overly conforms to social norms, so something like new years resolutions are not my thing, I believe if you are going to make a change, anytime is a good time to start, but I’m also not a buzz kill, theres a renewed energy that comes with a new year, so let me attempt to explore my intent for 2016.

Love myself more. Not through vanity, but rather I intend to love myself, respect myself and be myself a lot more. How could I possibly expect others to love me, if I don;t love myself first.

Tell the people in my life how much I value them. I have lived with regret for things I should have said and I know I need to tell people how important and special they are to me.

Dance. I don’t care to ‘klap a jol’ and I don’t expect I’ll be frequenting dance classes, but I will certainly shake my ass at social events like Secret Sunrise. I’m on the lookout for similar experiences, so hit me up if you know of something.

Afrika Burn. This is more of a bucket list type thing. Burning Man is the true experience, but I’m totally up for going local this year and as it happens, I have already made plans with friends to get there.

Camp. Whether it be at an event like Afrika Burn, on a beach or under the stars, I intend on taking my new appreciation for nature to the next level. I have spent the past year or so mostly in hotel rooms, so I can think of nothing better than hitting the road, finding a beach along the coast and crash on a beach for the night.

Eat well. I don’t call if you call it a lifestyle, a diet, bunting or anything else, I call it eating well. Reduce sugar, processed foods, meat, eating out and general waste. Not only is it a waste of money, harmful to the environment, it is also pretty bad for your health. Despite all the training I do, nothing will keep me lean, in good health and mindfulness, than fresh natural foods as I need it, not as society believes I should conform.

Drink well. I am already doing this pretty well, but it’s my intention to stay on this path. I generally drink water, freshly squeezed juice, smoothies and occasionally tea and coffee. Thats right, I have stopped drinking as much tea and coffee and I plan on cutting it out completely, as I have energy drinks, fizzy drinks, alcohol and the likes.

Stay fit. I go to CrossFit, hike up the mountain, frequent the gym, enjoy long walks and I’m generally pretty active and I’ve reduced my weight and increased my fitness. But I can do more and 2016 I intend on pushing myself harder, not as a punishment because I hate my body or being out of breath, but rather because I love myself enough to exercise my muscles. I see no need to be big, I want to be smaller, tighter and fitter so I can enjoy things like surfing, hiking etc without struggling and carrying any excess baggage around with me. I want to be healthy, young and strong.

Reduce debt. While I’m far from actually reducing debt, my first step is to simply not add debt. I have all I need.

Get rich. I have had a bad relationship with money and its probably why I have none. A good friend has been coaching me into changing my mindset about money and I intend to stop feeling guilty about making lots of it. While I’m not obsessed with it, I certainly believe I deserve to live a life where I am not constantly living in fear on not having enough. I am also kind and know that if I was to get rich, I’d be able to afford to do more for others.

Actively pursue my passions. I am passionate about many things, surfing, skating, hiking, CrossFit etc. Instead of loafing on the couch, I intend to take advantage of the opportunity these sorts of activities. I can do them on my own or with others and simply being passionate isn’t enough, I’m energetic, I can find the time and I want to do these sorts of things.

Progress, not perfection. As a virgo, I am quite a perfectionist and it’s actually stopped me from doing many things. I am striving to be more consistent, and rather make progress every day, instead of trying to always be perfect.

Unlearn to learn. Above I said I was a virgo. Well thats something I have been programmed to believe. I am anything I want to be, I do not need to be defined by anything. So in order to be my best self, I need to unlearn a lot of things.

Love nature. I am in no position to do very much to save the earth, I am already quite conscious and do my thing here and there, but I strongly believe that one of the greatest things we can do, is appreciate what we have by bathing in it’s beauty and project our love back towards the world.

Love life. I have a new appreciation for life, so I need to take advantage of it. I have so many things I want to do, learn, experience and achieve. So stop being in my own head and limiting myself, if I want to do it, I need to stay hungry and go get it.

Laugh more. When you laugh, nothing else matters, you are purely living in the moment. So find things that make you laugh, laugh with friends, laugh a lot and laugh loud.

I am excited about all the possibilities ahead of me and ready to embrace each moment to the fullest.

Happy New Year, wishing you and yours the best in 2016!

15 epic moments in 2015

A video posted by Craig Jamieson (@craigjamieson) on Dec 31, 2015 at 8:44am PST