#ThinkKit11 Day 22: Influences of 2011 ...

Apologies for yesterday and being a touch late today ... guess I get to do two blog entries today. No matter. Parents are still shopping/wrapping, and the homemade Chex mix is in the oven, so ... let's get bloggin' ... 

Thursday, Dec 22: Influence
Obama? Oprah? Mom? A furry friend? Who made a difference for you this year? 

In short - I don't know.

Hold up. What the %$&@ kinda answer is that? Well ... it's a tough answer, to be honest, because there really hasn't been a single, true inspiration I can look back on this year and say "That's my inspiration". However, in fairness:

• Camber. After hard days at school, whether attending late night courses, spending oodles of time in the library, or conducting intense HCI testing sessions ... there have been many MANY days I wondered whether all the work, all the unknowns about employment, and the directions I am taking in my career (and my life) ... is it all worth it? Coming home to a warm face, a wagging tail, and usually an appetite. Yeah - it's worth it.

• Dr. Davide Bolchini. In grad school, you will always have one professor that stands out to you, because of his passion for a particular subject. For me, that's Dr. Bolchini. He came to IUPUI in 2008 from Italy and has immediately established roots here in Indianapolis. He has an innate passion for HCI, but more importantly, he has a passion for educating people and it reverberates in each of his presentations and his research efforts. If anyone gets a chance to attend one course or lecture with Dr. Bolchini, do so - well worth your time.

• INDYCAR fans. Just before starting my capstone (in Sept. 2010), I received an email (from the series) stating it might not be a good idea. Little did I know about the Verizon agreement. Regardless, I "tweeted" out a pre-project questionnaire link to my Twitter followers if they had ideas. The response was not only overwhelming, but also quite inspiring. It was like I struck a nerve in fans, and they wanted to see what I could do with an idea. They kept me inspired through the entire project, because without the end users wants & needs, I don't have Masters #2.

Sometimes, inspiration come at you like a ton of bricks. Other times, it just from a look, a though, or a dream - nothing truly physical, but still tangible. Those are the ones you remember, because they touch you, they resonate, they influence - not just now, but for years to come.