Archive

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You’re getting this email because you’re awesome. And because you signed up for it on taptapkaboom.com. You can unsubscribe (|UNSUB|) or share with others. (https://ttkb.me/blast)

Hey 👋 Changing something today by a single degree may not look like much tomorrow. Or the next day. But in a few weeks or months? Possibly a massive difference. The continued effort that a ‘single degree of difference’ takes is not much. The benefit it brings, however, grows and grows and grows as time goes on.

Our single degree has been doing weekly and monthly planning sessions—think me dancing around writing on a whiteboard. It feels like a revolution! Why did no one tell me about this earlier? It’s made a huge difference already.

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You’re getting this email because you’re awesome. And because you signed up for it on taptapkaboom.com. You can unsubscribe (|UNSUB|) or share with others. (https://ttkb.me/blast)

Hey! We’ve been hard at work over the past week setting up our new studio. We wanted our space to feel comfortable and inspire creative action. We’ve opted to purchase a lot of IKEA stuff—because it’s simple, colourful, easy to acquire, and easy to replace—it doesn’t matter if we smudge paint or charcoal on it. Also, it looks pretty good. And we’ve got a whiteboard—which we’ve used a ton already.

There’s still much to do! But, as you may have heard elsewhere, 80% of the work can be done in 20% of the time. Environment plays a massive role in how we feel and think—and thus how we create and work.

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You’re getting this email because you’re awesome. And because you signed up for it on taptapkaboom.com. You can unsubscribe (|UNSUB|) or share with others. (https://ttkb.me/blast)

Hey you awesome member of the Homo Sapiens species! Last week I wrote about how your environment affects you. (https://mailchi.mp/taptapkaboom/a-creative-environment) But environment is more than just a physical space you’re sitting in. It’s the totality of what’s surrounding you.

It’s how others treat you. It’s how you treat yourself. It’s what you let into your mind. It’s what you think about on repeat. It’s the people you hang out with. It’s what’s going on with the world. It’s the room your mind and heart are sitting in.

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You’re getting this email because you’re awesome. And because you signed up for it on taptapkaboom.com. You can unsubscribe (|UNSUB|) or share with others. (https://ttkb.me/blast)

Hellloooo from our new studio! We moved in last weekend! We’re still waiting for a bunch of stuff! And it will take some time to make it feel like ‘home’—but different from home, since that’s where we moved from. I’m super excited about the massive whiteboard! Ideating. Planning. Space. Freedom! Chantelle is pumped about the couch we set up yesterday—afternoon naps!

One of the things we’ll be adjusting to is the separation between work and home. After working from home for 8 years, I expect this to take longer than a few days. I’m hoping it will help make us more effective and creative at work, and more relaxed and gezellig (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gezelligheid) (a rad Dutch word) at home. Environment plays a big role in what you do and how you do it.

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You’re getting this email because you’re awesome. And because you signed up for it on taptapkaboom.com. You can unsubscribe (|UNSUB|) or share with others. (https://ttkb.me/blast)

Hello! I love it when people change something in their lives—they get a new job, decide to freelance, move into a smaller place, start eating vegan, move across the world! Changing something because you want to means you’re thinking and in control. Sure, it comes with risks, it’s scary, and a bunch of people may think you’re crazy. But not changing something in your life may also seem crazy—making music instead of getting a ‘real’ job, serving your customers instead of exploiting them, staying small instead of growing. But choosing not to change is different from not changing because you haven’t thought about it.

Choice is a luxury. Where you can, make sure that YOU are choosing who you are, where you are, what you do, and how you do it. Don’t wait for change to happen to you. Don’t simply accept things as they are. Choose. Decide. A series of intentional choices and decisions will define your future.

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You’re getting this email because you’re awesome. And because you signed up for it on taptapkaboom.com. You can unsubscribe (|UNSUB|) or share with others. (https://ttkb.me/blast)

Hey |IF:FNAME||FNAME| 👋|ELSE:|awesome human!|END:IF| I’ve been thinking a lot about what life was like as a kid. I remember spending hours in imaginary worlds. Playing outside—even in the freezing cold (and then burning my toes in the bathwater). I remember building forts. Sitting on the floor playing TV games. Climbing trees. Painting at my little white art table. Building Lego. Being a kid was awesome, and I’m fortunate to have had an amazing childhood.

What’s been occupying my mind is how I did it all with reckless abandon. I would get intensely into whatever I was doing—and wholly lost in that moment. Time flew by. I didn’t care what other people thought of me. I didn’t care about money or tax or looking the part. I just did what I felt like doing—with all my heart. I want to return to creating with this childlike absorption.

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You’re getting this email because you’re awesome. And because you signed up for it on taptapkaboom.com. You can unsubscribe (|UNSUB|) or share with others. (https://ttkb.me/blast)

Let me start today’s email with a story. I once cut an orange in half, saw that it was red on the inside, amd assumed it was an abomination of a fruit called a grapefruit. But I decided not to be wasteful—I braced myself for the disgusting taste, and bit into it with a scowl on my face. It was the most amazing grapefruit I’d ever tasted! Why!? Because it was an orange—a blood orange.

What’s this got to do with creating, making, and creativity? Well, we often try to be grapefruit. I’m talking metaphorically of course. Because ‘everyone’ thinks they want grapefruit. And they keep on searching for the best grapefruit ever. And we become so despondent because we can never reach first-class grapefruit status. But what everyone seldom realises is that an orange, even a small blotchy thick-skinned orange, is a much better version of a grapefruit. And you’re most probably a better orange than a grapefruit. So maybe spend more time becoming a better orange than trying to become a better grapefruit—because even the best grapefruits taste disgusting. People want oranges—they just don’t know that. You’ve got to let them taste.

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You’re getting this email because you’re awesome. And because you signed up for it on taptapkaboom.com. You can unsubscribe (|UNSUB|) or share with others. (https://ttkb.me/blast)

Hello you amazing human! This is part 3 of the Juggling Act series of emails. In part 1 (https://mailchi.mp/taptapkaboom/juggling-act-part-1) I explained the idea of writing down everything that’s on your mind. In part 2 (https://mailchi.mp/taptapkaboom/juggling-act-part-2) I covered assigning a reason why each item is on your list, the difference it will make, and the amount of time it will cost you. But how do we decide what’s part of our act and what’s not? We cannot say Yes to everything—there’s not enough time. Based on the the list I made last week I like to do the following:

1) I draw/write out my weekly schedule, and fill it with things currently in my juggling act, no matter how small. This is to give me a better understanding of what I’m currently juggling—it often reveals a lot.

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You’re getting this email because you’re awesome. And because you signed up for it on taptapkaboom.com. You can unsubscribe (|UNSUB|) or share with others. (https://ttkb.me/blast)

Hello awesome human! This is part 2 of the Juggling Act series of emails. Last week (https://mailchi.mp/taptapkaboom/juggling-act-part-1) I began the series with the idea of writing down everything that’s on your mind.

I just wrapped up an intense UX/UI project with a remote team across 6 countries. I dropped some balls so I could work on it—and it’s been super fun! Now I’m going through the process of deciding what to add back into my juggling act. I’ve made a massive list of all the things I want to do. This is a great first step, but now what? I like to jot down some things next to each item:

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You’re getting this email because you’re awesome. And because you signed up for it on taptapkaboom.com. You can unsubscribe (|UNSUB|) or share with others. (https://ttkb.me/blast)

Let’s talk juggling. And yes, it’s a metaphor—for life, for work, for relationships. Actually, for anything you’d like to spend time on.

When life changes (pandemics, babies, job losses, big projects) it’s normal for our juggling acts to be affected. We drop balls. Other balls disappear—poof! Flaming chainsaws get added to our act 🔥 We get thrown off balance. We drop more balls.

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You’re getting this email because you’re awesome. And because you signed up for it on taptapkaboom.com. You can unsubscribe (|UNSUB|) or share with others. (https://ttkb.me/blast)

Hello fine human! Most of us are more in control of our time than ever before. And it’s mostly up to us to choose and stick to a routine—what we do, when we do it. The thing is, we’re often not so good at this. We work too much but get little done, or relax too much but don’t feel rested. We stop being effective. So here’s a quick exercise you can do that may help.

Write down 1 thing that you really really want to do each day, or each week. Next, pick a time, place (bedroom, kitchen, etc.) and duration for when you want to do this thing—even if it’s a short amount of time.

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You’re getting this email because you’re awesome. And because you signed up for it on taptapkaboom.com. You can unsubscribe (|UNSUB|) or share with others. (https://ttkb.me/blast)

Are you feeling out of control, out of routine, or out of sorts in this lockdown season? I have. I’ve found it difficult to focus. I’ve had tons of thoughts spinning around in my head, and I haven’t been able to work at my best. And it’s probably to do with not giving myself time to think, reflect, and come up with ideas—all things I used to do at cafés, on the train, and when meeting with friends. So what I’ve done is return to a practice I swore by a few years ago—working with a journal in front of me. Why? Let me tell you!

📝 Let’s start with paper. Paper, for me, is like an extension of my brain. I have tons of it around me. I use big sheets and small sheets. For all kinds of things. Paper is like having a dedicated screen for all the important stuff I need to access right now—and one that I don’t need to switch tabs or apps to access. It doesn’t crash. I can jot on it. I can doodle on it. I can quickly glance at it and see what I need. And it’s all separate from where I’m doing the work—on a real screen.

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You’re getting this email because you’re awesome. And because you signed up for it on taptapkaboom.com. You can unsubscribe (|UNSUB|) or share with others. (https://ttkb.me/blast)

Hey 👋 It dawned on me how fragile my future is. Maybe you’ve already gone through this?

🧠 Then I got thinking about how amazing it is that my brain can remember ‘the past’ and visualise ‘the future’—all while being here, right now. It sounds like time travel.

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You’re getting this email because you’re awesome. And because you signed up for it on taptapkaboom.com. You can unsubscribe (|UNSUB|) or share with others. (https://ttkb.me/blast)

Hello human 🤙 Is it Muesday? or Funday? Perhaps it’s Tonday? Are the days blending into one another for you, as they are for me?

To add to the weirdness, I’ve started working on a client project where their week starts on a Sunday! This project has been amazing. Not because of the work. But because of all the revelations I’ve had about myself and creating. Have you ever experienced this?

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You’re getting this email because you’re awesome. And because you signed up for it on taptapkaboom.com. You can unsubscribe (|UNSUB|) or share with others. (https://ttkb.me/blast)

Hello human 🖖

In the last few days, I’ve seen humans helping one another. This is rare. Keeping in touch. Making things. Teaching. Offering services and products for free. There is always a silver lining. What are you enjoying about how life has changed? And when life resumes a more normal course, how might you retain this new found goodness?

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You’re getting this email because you’re awesome. And because you signed up for it on taptapkaboom.com. You can unsubscribe (|UNSUB|) or share with others. (https://ttkb.me/blast)

As an experiment, I have recorded a video-version (https://youtu.be/0e21PaakdkA) of this blast. Let me know what you think!

Hello human!

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You’re getting this email because you’re awesome. And because you signed up for it on taptapkaboom.com. You can unsubscribe (|UNSUB|) or share with others. (https://ttkb.me/blast) 100 Web Characters book

Hey|IF:MMERGE1| |MMERGE1| |END:IF| 👋

I have great news! My 100 Web Characters book and eBook are available for pre-order. It’s been a labour of love ❤️ I’ve massively enjoyed the process so far. And because you’re a TapTapKaboom Blast subscriber (a TapTapKaboom blaster?) you get €5 off on both print and eBook versions (use the links below). * Read more about it. (https://ttkb.me/100webchars) * Pre-order the hardcover version. (https://ttkb.me/e4033) * Pre-order the eBook version. (https://ttkb.me/f85a2)

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** Change + Class Recommendations

You’re getting this email because you’re awesome. And because you signed up for it on taptapkaboom.com. You can unsubscribe (|UNSUB|) or share with others. (https://ttkb.me/blast) This week’s blast is all about change. Also, I have some class recommendations. So here goes!

Hey|IF:MMERGE1| |MMERGE1| |END:IF| 👋 I’m always changing things. Testing things. Experimenting. I genuinely think it’s healthy—especially for what we create and how we create. But I try things out in all areas of my life.

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Hey!

I’ve recently reached a significant milestone: over 15 thousand people have taken one of my classes on Skillshare. It’s crazy. It’s humbling. And it’s wonderful. I couldn’t have predicted this would’ve happened 3 years ago when I posted my first Skillshare class. Since then I’ve created 20 more classes and am currently working on another. I’ve learned a lot – about creating classes, myself, and especially about helping others create and be creative.

The reviews I receive and the conversations I have over email and on Instagram are heart-warming and smile-inducing. I absolutely love what I do. I love using a mixture of my skills to produce something that empowers others to create better and to create more often. With more freedom, understanding and confidence.

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Hey!

Procreate for iPad (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/procreate/id425073498?mt=8) is an amazing tool. I’m falling more in love with it weekly. Not only can you do awesome digital marbling on it, crazy digital art, and lovely textured illustrations, but you can use it for animation too! It’s not often that such a powerful set of illustration features are packed into an animation tool. But that’s what Procreate offers! Procreate is Awesome. Animation is Amazing. So, Procreate Animation is Awezing!

I’ve created a free class that shows you how to create short looping animations in Procreate. It’s called Procreate Animation: Make Fun GIFs & Videos. (https://ttkb.me/procreate-animation) Follow this link to access the class for free https://ttkb.me/procreate-animation and feel free to share it with your friends and colleagues.

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Hey!

In case you missed it or forgot about it, a whole bunch of people are partaking in the 2019 edition of The Free Sketchbook Revival Online Workshop. (https://ttkb.me/sb-revival) And I don’t want you to miss out. Obviously.

The Sketchbook Revival Online Workshop has kicked off and it’s not too late to join. We aim to inspire you and show you practically what’s possible in our sketch books. Or in my case, what’s possible on a post-it! Sessions are led by talented fine artists, illustrators, art journalers, intuitive artists, designers, and expressive artists (and others) from around the world.

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Hey!

I’ve been leaving hints here and there about my involvement in the 2019 edition of The Free Sketchbook Revival Online Workshop. (https://ttkb.me/sb-revival) So here’s where I spill the beans.

The Sketchbook Revival Online Workshop is where a bunch of awesome people (including me this year) talk about creating daily. Watercolour. Pencil Acrylics. Collage. Ink. Charcoal. Sketching. Doodling. Painting. Whatever. We aim to inspire you and show you practically what this may look like. Sessions are led by talented fine artists, illustrators, art journalers, intuitive artists, designers, and expressive artists (to name a few) from around the world.

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Hey!

I launched my latest class The Perfect 100 Day Project: Your Guide to Explosive Creative Growth (https://ttkb.me/perfect-100-day-proj) . It’s only 29 minutes long. And it’s just in time for this year’s official 100 Day Project (https://www.the100dayproject.org/) – which begins on April 2nd!

If you don’t know what a 100 Day Project is, check out the class! And share the free class link with anyone you want – https://ttkb.me/perfect-100-day-proj. It’s much better doing a 100 Day Project with someone, or a group of people.

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Hello! Hey! Hoi!

A few quick things from me: * Skillshare (https://ttkb.me/sk-invite) is running a contest! Post a project in any class during May and you could win a Skillshare membership. * If you haven’t had a chance to checkout my Digital Marbling in Procreate class, have a look at what some students have created so far. (https://www.instagram.com/p/BunXoPIFor2/) It’s also been given the ‘Staff Pick’ badge, and had some great reviews! And because you’re in the fan club you get access to some digital marbling goodies. (https://ttkb.me/5f09d) * I’ve been challenged recently about who my art is for. I like some pieces waaay more than others. Yet for other people, it’s the polar opposite. So I’ve been encouraged to make stuff and ship it. Because it might be someone else’s best thing ever. * I wrote a post about working for free. (https://ttkb.me/working-for-nothing) And when not to. Give it a read. * I’m involved in this year’s Sketchbook revival (https://www.karenabend.com/sketchbook-revival/) . More details to come! * I’m beginning work on a new class. It’s all about explosive growth during that thing called the 100 day project. (https://www.the100dayproject.org/) If you’ve done a 100 day project let me know! I’d love to chat!

Keep creating. Keep making. Keep rocking!

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Hello!

The wait is over! I’ve published my Digital Marbling class! (https://ttkb.me/digital-marbling-sk) Heck yes! The official name is Digital Marbling: Create Stunning Abstract Art in Procreate. And I believe you can. It’s fun. Its relaxing. And it’s really easy.

And because you’re a Tap Tap Kaboom fan, I made you a special digital marbling goodie bag! It includes some wallpapers (for your digital devices), timelapses, hi-res black and white liquid backgrounds to use for free in your projects, and my favourite Procreate brush for digital marbling! Download it here. (https://ttkb.me/5f09d)

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Hey.

While I was on holiday I kindof stumbled onto something awesome (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu7mkTNNhOY) , and I’m gonna keep on (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEQhIcf1u84) playing around (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs7D_h3IDrQ) with it. I’m trying a new way of working, exploring, and showing my work (and how I make classes). I’m posting updates on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/taptapkaboom) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/taptapkaboom/) , and I’ll be giving you (as a member of the fan club) exclusive content and behind the scenes stuff. Aaaaand I’ll be making a Skillshare class on it – hopefully soon!

If you’re keen on creating and learning, and don’t have a community, watch this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e73_M6UI9JY) , or read this article. (https://taptapkaboom.com/posts/why-skillshare) I finally figured out why Skillshare rocks so much.

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Hey/Hoi/Hi

Happy 2019! Thank you for all the love and support you gave me in 2018. It’s been a fantastic year for my wife and I. And it’s because of you. You rock big time!

We were quiet in the last quarter of 2018 because of a few things: * We moved into our new apartment just outside of Amsterdam, and have been doing a lot of DIY. It’s been crazy fun and rewarding. * We made a long trek to South Africa, where we’ve been reconnecting with family and friends. We’re currently at a beach cottage enjoying the sun and sea. * We were working on, and then reworking on, a new class. It’s called Explorative Design: Develop Your Style Rapidly and Sustainably. (https://skl.sh/2CLXqbC) It started as a short fun Illustrator class. But then it turned into a much longer class. It’s still fun, yet hopefully much more useful and beneficial! The class has a lot of my face in it, plus a lot of me developing my style in Adobe Illustrator. And it got published today – check it out. (https://skl.sh/2CLXqbC) I hope you enjoy!

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October is here Winter not quite I feel it at night My blanket is near

I wrote a short poem about the weather :) Discussing the weather is a very Dutch thing to do. I’m getting much better at it.

A few quick updates before I get back to treating my newly sanded pine floors: 1. Candice was the winner of the Paper doodling contest! Super congratulations to her! She got a Dribbble invite + Skillshare membership. Check out her project (https://www.skillshare.com/projects/my-abstract-organic-iPad-doodle/157446?via=class-details-projects-page) – it’s super bright and super awesome. I love it! 2. I’ve repurposed my Skillshare group (https://skl.sh/2zLXkit) to make it all about coding + creativity. Come check it out! I’m trying to drive up some interest in creating with code! 3. I launched a new class. (https://skl.sh/2xOtAPM) It’s called Demystifying Parallax. It’s about creating an interactive Parallax experience with JavaScript – and it’s already been voted as a staff pick by Skillshare! It’s packed with theoretical and practical videos. If you haven’t taken my previous HTML (http://skl.sh/2lzLHlT) , CSS (http://skl.sh/2FKWcgJ) and JavaScript (http://skl.sh/2kqPeSz) classes, it may be good for you to start there if you’ve never done any coding before. 4. My wife and I bought an apartment just outside of Amsterdam! And we’re busy renovating it ourselves – I’m having a lot of fun away from my computer!

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Hey everyone! I’m picking winners of the Dribbble invite + Skillshare membership contest on Tuesday 11 September. So, if you want to enter, you’ve got this weekend to post a project in the class! Here’s a link to the class – https://skl.sh/2OuSyvm (https://t.co/NwjRLlvRpX)

Also, happy September + happy weeeeeekend!

– Rich

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Hello fans! I imagine myself standing before you all and shouting that. And then getting a load roar as a response. Anyway 🤦‍♂️ This email is all about experiments.

** Experiment 1.1

I published a class that was out of my comfort zone. It was an experiment. I had to buy lights and more things to clip onto my desk. And I had to let my students see my hands. We’ll see how it goes. I’ve written about the process. (https://taptapkaboom.com/posts/behind-the-scenes-of-the-abstract-organic-ipad-doodling-class)

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Hello fans and welcome to June. It’s gloriously hot in Amsterdam. And almost never-ever dark. I have some news!

I made an app – The Random Word Doodle. (https://itunes.apple.com/app/random-word-doodle/id1381334988) It’s on iOS and it’s free. I’d appreciate your downloads and comments and shares. An Android version is coming soon.

I finished my Dutch course. I’m a master! That translates to me being able to read Dutch fairly well. It means I can speak it moderately okay. It means that I still am not so good at listening. But maybe that’s me in general. I thought it meant that I would have more time, but it seems the whole world has been waiting for me to finish so that they can give me stuff to do. So, I’m in super-busy doing-mode for the next little while.

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I’m sure everyone else has already told you all about the Gorilla Dance Party Retreat. Now it’s my turn.

I’m Rich Armstrong from Tap Tap Kaboom (https://taptapkaboom.com/) and I have your email address. I have it because you gave it to me. You gave it to me because you were interested in something I’m making: * My Super Online Classes (https://taptapkaboom.com/classes) * The Gizz Gizz Machine app (http://bit.ly/2I4HNfu) (still coming) * Destroy Today book (still coming)

I only intend to email you about these things (and mandatory gorilla dance retreats). My policy is that I do not share when it comes to email addresses. And neither does Mailchimp (the sweet marketing automation platform I use). Check their privacy policy (https://mailchimp.com/legal/privacy/) and a terms of use. (https://mailchimp.com/legal/terms/)

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Hey! Welcome to the fan club! I sent this out earlier today :)

Great things happen when you’re consistent – tap tap tapping leads to kabooming. This guy, Simon Sinek, says it way better. (https://vimeo.com/257717109) Give it a listen/watch. Here are some longer-term projects you can get involved in: * 36 Days of Type (http://www.36daysoftype.com/) (starts 3 April) * The 100 Day Project (https://www.the100dayproject.org/) by Elle Luna is in its fifth year and is pretty big (starts 3 April) * 100 Days of UI (http://www.dailyui.co/) (start anytime) * 100 Days of Code (http://www.100daysofcode.com/) (start anytime) * #randomWordDoodle (http://skl.sh/2kBWDhI) is my class on doodling from a list of random words. Some awesome people are dangerously close to 100 days at the moment!

You can also create your own 100 days of ______. And it doesn’t even have to be 100 days – but it is a sweet milestone.

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Great things happen when you’re consistent – tap tap tapping leads to kabooming. This guy, Simon Sinek, says it way better. (https://vimeo.com/257717109) Give it a listen/watch. Here are some longer-term projects you can get involved in: * 36 Days of Type (http://www.36daysoftype.com/) (starts 3 April) * The 100 Day Project (https://www.the100dayproject.org/) by Elle Luna is in its fifth year and is pretty big (starts 3 April) * 100 Days of UI (http://www.dailyui.co/) (start anytime) * 100 Days of Code (http://www.100daysofcode.com/) (start anytime) * #randomWordDoodle (http://skl.sh/2kBWDhI) is my class on doodling from a list of random words. Some awesome people are dangerously close to 100 days at the moment!

You can also create your own 100 days of ______. And it doesn’t even have to be 100 days – but it is a sweet milestone.

When you’re trying to be consistent you should make a goal (like getting better at typography) and an action plan (how you’re going to get better at it) and then revisit your goal and action plan every 2 weeks. Make adjustments. Make notes of your learnings. Make time for it everyday and have fun doing it. There’s a really good 10 day email course (https://gohighbrow.com/portfolio/how-to-change-any-habit-and-make-it-stick/) I recently completed on creating and eliminating habits.

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I finally published a new class! (http://skl.sh/2FKWcgJ) Thanks for being patient. It’s called The Basics of Web-Design Layout: Learn How To Describe Your Design With HTML & CSS. It includes doodles, fun characters, HTML & CSS theory, and a bunch of examples. I think (and hope) you’ll like it! Check it out on Skillshare (http://skl.sh/2FKWcgJ) or Udemy. (https://www.udemy.com/the-basics-of-web-design-layout/?couponCode=TTKBFANCLUB)

Besides the above, this email’s purpose is to say a quick hi and keep you in the loop of what’s happened since my last email: * I turned 30! This is huuuuge for me. It feels so good to have got it out the way. * I saw frozen canals in Amsterdam (and went cycling in the coldest weather ever). * My Mesmogif class (http://skl.sh/2kKa68a) reached over 1k in students! I’m super happy about this. * I took over Skillshare’s Instagram page for a weekend (and got to do a few other things as their ambassador). * I can now have a fairly decent conversation in Dutch (7 weeks of my course left). After this course I get my life back. * One of my students, Deja, started a YouTube Channel. (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTofcCRhIrGxiEJLiQyxqXw) I think it’s awesome. Check it out. * I stopped mentoring people on RookieUp (http://bit.ly/2AyvchS) (until the end of my Dutch course) to focus on making classes, but the results of these mentoring sessions have been awesome! You should consider (http://bit.ly/2D3HRxJ) doing (http://bit.ly/2D6gqDD) one (http://bit.ly/2qSZtXy) of their bootcamps. (http://bit.ly/2D2V35U) The sheer amount of resources available is worth it alone.

I’ve got a new class planned for April, as well as tons of other ideas. Here’s something to get you curious:

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Boom! 2018!

I like January. A lot. It comes after feasting and family, and it’s my birthday month – I’m 30 this year – so it’s even better than usual. January is also the most acceptable month for reflecting, reading, thinking, planning, and dreaming – I love this stuff. So I do a lot of it while it’s considered normal to do so. I’ve made plans. I’ve dreamt dreams. This year is going to rock. You just wait and see.

One thing I want to do more of is help people. If life was a bunch of steps I want to help others get from a lower step to a higher one. This means more teaching, more writing, more inspiring, and more risky decisions for me. I had a lot of fun mentoring and teaching last year!

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Winter is here (or summer). And so is Christmas.

This year has sped by. And I haven’t released a class in months! I haven’t achieved as much as I wanted to this year, but I’m feeling really really happy. What I have been doing a lot of is mentoring people and learning Dutch. Helping people on a personal level has been fun and rewarding. I’ve been doing web, illustration, and animation projects with people through RookieUp. (https://www.rookieup.com/richarmstrong/)

This is an illustration style Abriel’s been working on! We’re now working on her web portfolio.

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Hello and happy October!

It’s the tenth month. Already. Winter is coming. Christmas is coming. And the memories of a holiday in the South of France are fading. A lot has happened since that 10 day holiday. I’ve worked on a FinTech project, I’ve spilled ginger beer on my laptop, I’ve fallen in love with Apple’s App Store UI design, my 3D After Effects class is up on Designers.how (https://designers.how/courses/animate-with-depth-after-effects?autoplay=1?utm_source=TapTapKaboom.com&utm_campaign=animate-with-depth-ae&utm_medium=Referral&utm_content=taptapkaboom) , and I know what it means for me to learn Dutch (or anything else) – I explain below.

Saying Yes means saying No

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Hello and happy Monday! Can Mondays be happy? Yes. I’m on my way to Nice (https://www.google.com/maps/place/Nice,+France/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x12cdd0106a852d31:0x40819a5fd979a70?sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj2j5Wlx4TWAhXNblAKHUAbC8YQ8gEIlAEwEQ) this very Monday. Happy indeed!

September has been good. And busy. Here’s a few things that happened. 1. My Synthetic Stop-motion class is on Designers.how. (https://designers.how/episodes/easy-peasy-stop-motion?autoplay=1?utm_source=TapTapKaboom&utm_campaign=stop-motion-ae&utm_medium=Referral&utm_content=taptapkaboom) This is pretty rad (and a first for me). The class is also on Skillshare (http://skl.sh/2tTgYGO) and Udemy. (https://www.udemy.com/synthetic-stop-motion-in-after-effects/?couponCode=TAPTAPKABOOM) Yes I am a class whore. 2. I’ve created my first 2 coding-related classes in a while – they’re here to make you code better (if you code). The first class is all about Emmet, which makes you write HTML & CSS super fast (on Skillshare (http://skl.sh/2vMvcub) & Udemy (https://www.udemy.com/emmet-write-htmlcss-like-a-ninja/?couponCode=TAPTAPKABOOM) ). The second is a class on how to customise Sublime Text – one of the best coding editors out there (also on Skillshare (http://skl.sh/2wqklVd) & Udemy (https://www.udemy.com/customizing-sublime-text/?couponCode=TAPTAPKABOOM) ). 3. Illusions of Depth (http://skl.sh/2kXDavm) hit 3000 students on Skillshare! I made a special video (https://www.instagram.com/p/BYGl5_agb52/?taken-by=taptapkaboom) for that. 4. I got featured on the Society 6 Friday Five blog. (https://blog.society6.com/friday-five-8-18-17/) They liked my Playful Pinks series, which I produced on my iPad (because doodling everyday makes me a nicer person). You can buy prints on S6 and see them on Bēhance (https://www.behance.net/gallery/55646959/Playful-Pinks) too. I got pretty stoked with this piece of news. 5. I updated the TTKb site (https://taptapkaboom.com/) a bit – I made a cool new banner image and made it move for my Dribbble (https://dribbble.com/shots/3770124-Welcome-to-Tap-Tap-Kaboom) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/p/BYZCYe2AFlp/?taken-by=taptapkaboom) fans.

See. A lot of stuff went down in August. And a lot of links. Hope you had a good summer. Now, winter is coming (if you live north of the equator). What are you going to make/create/do/learn next?

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** Productive Coding

** Hey Tap Tap Kaboom Fans!

I’ve just released my first code-related class in a while!

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** Hello August!

** Hi Tap Tap Kaboom Fans!

I’m in the midst of my second summer in Amsterdam. It’s the best. I’m also in a new studio. It’s cheap, has great views and makes me more productive – wins all round. I plan to paint that guitar one Friday. My Studio View from the 1 window Rad views. It’s like a corner office but better. View from the other window I’ve changed the site (https://taptapkaboom.com) slightly, and plan to give it some more update love later this month. You should see a new posts section. I plan to write more – there’s some class supplements up there at the moment. http://skl.sh/2tTgYGO

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** It’s new class time!!!

Synthetic Stop-Motion in After Effects: Quick and Easy Techniques for Hand-made Animations.

** Hey!

** Whoop! A New Class!

Animate with Depth: Cameras, Lights and 3D Layers in After Effects

** Well, hello there!

It’s almost summer (officially) in the Northern Hemisphere! And the reason I’ve been so quiet is that, besides attending the Pictoplasma character conference in Berlin, I’ve been working on a new class called Animate with Depth: Cameras, Lights and 3D Layers in After Effects. And now it’s live and ready for you to watch. (http://skl.sh/2s69v3T) Let me tell you more.

** The First GizzGizz Protoype!

** Whoop! GizzGizz 0.1 is out!

I’ve been hard at work during this #100dayproject thing. I’ve made quite a few different GizzGizz patterns. They’re all animated gifs, which you can find on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/taptapkaboom/) and Ello (https://ello.co/taptapkaboom) . But now there’s a peg in the ground – the v0.1 prototype. It’s animated. It’s quite big in filesize. But you can get yourself Gizzed!

** Test It Out!! Leave Feedback 👊🏻👊🏻💥

** 100 Day Project Starts Today!

** Hello Again!

You may remember me from my weekly Friday emails called Inbox Love. They were fun, but now I’m focusing my efforts on teaching and experimenting with design, animation, and interaction. And this is Tap Tap Kaboom!

With this in mind I’d like to tell/remind you of Elle Luna’s 100 day project (https://the100dayproject.org/) , which starts today! Read more about it here. (https://the100dayproject.org/what-is-the100dayproject-fbb4d1754a90) I think it’s a super rad and awesome thing to do. I’m doing it. And that’s the point of this email. What I’m doing for 100 consecutive days is creating a weird app called The GizzGizz Machine and writing a book called Destroy Today. I’ll be posting daily updates on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/taptapkaboom/) , Dribbble (https://dribbble.com/taptapkaboom) , and Ello (https://ello.co/taptapkaboom) , and sending major app updates and chapter previews over email during the next 3 months. The GizzGizz Machine Logo

** 100 Day Project Starts Today!

** Hi there!

This email may feel similar to hitting a tennis ball over the wall and four months later getting a return shot. Im the guy who was going to create an awesome JavaScript course called Yellowbelt JavaScript. (https://mrra.co/yellowbelt-js/) Unfortunately, that course isn’t going to be ready anytime soon. But I have been and will be creating other courses – and experimenting with design, animation, and interaction. This is Tap Tap Kaboom.

With this in mind I’d like to tell/remind you of Elle Luna’s 100 day project (https://the100dayproject.org/) , which starts today! Read more about it here. (https://the100dayproject.org/what-is-the100dayproject-fbb4d1754a90) I think it’s a super rad and awesome thing to do. I’m doing it. And that’s the point of this email. What I’m doing for 100 consecutive days is creating a weird app called The GizzGizz Machine and writing a book called Destroy Today. I’ll be posting daily updates on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/taptapkaboom/) , Dribbble (https://dribbble.com/taptapkaboom) , and Ello (https://ello.co/taptapkaboom) , and sending major app updates and chapter previews over email during the next 3 months. The GizzGizz Machine Logo

** 100 Day Project Starts Today!

** Hello Hello!

Welcome to the Tap Tap Kaboom fan club! I’m stoked you’re reading this. I’m all about creating and getting other people creating!

With this in mind I’d like to tell/remind you of Elle Luna’s 100 day project (https://the100dayproject.org/) , which starts today! Read more about it here. (https://the100dayproject.org/what-is-the100dayproject-fbb4d1754a90) I think it’s a super rad and awesome thing to do. I’m doing it. And that’s the point of this email. What I’m doing for 100 consecutive days is creating a weird app called The GizzGizz Machine and writing a book called Destroy Today. I’ll be posting daily updates on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/taptapkaboom/) , Dribbble (https://dribbble.com/taptapkaboom) , and Ello (https://ello.co/taptapkaboom) , and sending major app updates and chapter previews over email during the next 3 months. The GizzGizz Machine Logo

Hi!

You signed up to receive updates on a course called Yellowbelt JavaScript not soooo long ago.

This is the first update. I’ll keep it short.

I’m trying to make the bestest-everest JavaScript course for beginners, and it’s taking a long time. I should be ready by the end of the year.