30-day Free Trial to link to my new curated Skillshare class: https://skl.sh/3lrjsn8

Curated Drawing Class
Since around May, I'd been working on trying to share the simple, expressive drawing techniques I picked up in architecture school as simply as possible.

So, I developed the class outline with my baby sister, borrowed LED lights from my other sister & filmed the whole thing at home—featuring nearby construction bosses and all.

But I finally uploaded the class to Skillshare two weeks ago & on Friday night, I recieved an email from them.
They added my class to their list of chosen course uploads, or Staff Picks.

This is the first among my three classes to be picked like this, so that was nice.
Frankly, it made me feel less stupid for having poured out so much energy into a single project.

And if you want to see a bit of what it's about, you can watch the introduction video here: https://youtu.be/7U-d2TYfHWY.

The link here also takes you to a 30-day free-trial link to the class (which would also give you access to the rest of Skillshare): https://skl.sh/3AM1UMd

I'd be honored if you joined me in making simple diagrams/sketches. To drawing together 🍻

Have a lovely Sunday,
—w

Yesterday, I put out this short piece on something that had been bothering me while I 'promoted' my work online lately.

I might be overthinking the whole thing. I don't know. —w

https://wintaassefa.medium.com/calculated-vulnerability-the-currency-of-parasocial-relationships-b7921abddfda?sk=74b4aa9fae916025d3c242ead3e2fa8a

2023
Good morning,
I hope you've gotten the chance to rest well this weekend. I don't know about you, but the last few days of the past year felt extra long to me.

Now, 2022 was rough—one of my most difficult orbits around the sun for me. But when I saw Medium's invitation to write an article about the year, I wanted to submit one which wasn't laden with all the heavy stuff.

So, I went to my phone gallery and found many snapshots of moments (and random things) that I'm grateful for. And my Medium piece ended up just being a highlight reel with photo(s) from every month with short descriptions. You can take a look at it here.

I hope you have a wonderfully blessed new year. And may 2023 not have any of last year's shenanigans—for you and me both.

Yours,
—w

Work with me, real-time video

Is there a project you want to finish but have subconsciously avoided like the plague lately?
Do you have an exam you need to study for, a passion project you started and abandoned, or something work-related that you haven't been making a lot of progress on?

For me, it's an awesome book project that I'm doing with several people I look up to. That's what I was working on in this real-time work/study-with-me video.

I was hoping this camera (and you guys, by extension) shame me into working on it more quickly—and that this inspires you to sit down and work on whatever you need to do as well.

If you put in 1 hour now, and another later, and so on, the hours will stack up. Then before you know it, the intimidating project you had to tackle would be a much smaller monster to take down.
At least, that's how I see it :)

Yours,
—w

https://youtu.be/GQap-raQpb0

Journalling in 2023

Whenever I tell people a bit about my journaling habit, I feel like they get the impression that it's 'a writers' thing'.

But I don't see journaling as primarily a writing exercise — I see it as a thinking practice. I think it could deepen anyone's experiences & help us keep track of the changes in our internal monologue.

So, here's the journaling template I've been using for the past couple of years. It's in this piece that just got published on Medium's Better Humans.
All you need to start the habit is a Notes app (like Google Keep) and a device to write on (preferably something you always carry around, like a smartphone or iPad). When it comes to keeping journaling habits, I don't think it gets much simpler than this.

I hope this technique gives you as much value as it'd given me for some time now.
Have a delightful rest of the day (and year).

Yours
—w


The piece: https://medium.com/better-humans/use-my-free-foolproof-template-to-journal-in-2023-f9cab24cb62e

Hey there,
This 5-min piece is for the writers among you—and I think it's one of my favorites on Medium yet. I hope it serves as a prompt for you to make a mental list of why you do this thing too.
Yours,
—w

.
https://wintaassefa.medium.com/another-why-i-write-essay-201a1de56c7

To writers:
There'll be this free online workshop on Google Meet on Saturday (28.1.23).

I like the writers who'll be leading it, so I suggest you check it out (even with your video off).
If you want to check out a couple of the people who'll be running the show, Google Kern Carter & Jessica Duenas.

https://meet.google.com/hhn-nmed-jwx

Yours,
—w

A Conversation
My friend Agnes Agada is a young data analyst, African enthusiast, visionary, avid traveler, lifelong learner, and so much more.

She visited Ethiopia for the first time in years, spent this night at my place, and we shot this video the morning after.

We had a blast—and I hope you get something from this conversation as well.

https://youtu.be/X7Lt7n1CtMw

Yours,
—w

'This Service is Not Available in Your Country'

After all the hype I've been hearing, I tried to open ChatGPT & was hit with that 'service not available' message. That immediately pushed me to write a rant about it at 4 a.m.

If you’re in a Third World nation, being unable to access vast swaths of the internet is the norm.

In this piece, I share a few more examples like the ChatGPT one and what effect that sort of digital segregation can have on young folks.

And I hope it nags the right person somewhere.

Yours,
—w

https://wintaassefa.medium.com/must-our-digital-spaces-reflect-our-worlds-inequalities-b097c6c5f2d4

Hi, my name is Michaela, German designer and consultant living and working in Ethiopia since 2016.

Over the years I become part of AAP - Addis Animal Project, a group of passionate people, who volunteer to save cats and dogs in urgent need, give them medical treatment and are always doing their very best to find foster families and loving forever homes. 

Yet, in our current situation, we are a drop on a hot stone - we have to make a change for those animals that are still suffering and surely will suffer if society won't change their perception and behaviour.

I have set up a fundraiser on #fundrazr as we are now taking steps to set up a proper animal rescue and sanctuary in Ethiopia to be able to save more animal's lives and educate people about animal welfare.
🐕🐎🐄🐽🐈
Any donation is appreciatedand helps us moving a step closer to our goal.

Share and care for those sweet creatures.

https://fundrazr.com/ethiopiananimalrescuesanctuary?ref=sh_8C5832_ab_6ye0KOidMaM6ye0KOidMaM

Writing planner & tracker
This free planner one is also for the writers among you.
It's been immensely useful for me, and I hope it can help guide your writing practice as well.

Yours,
—w

https://betterhumans.pub/try-out-my-free-writing-planner-progress-tracker-3a0d604681e0

Daylight only becomes broad if a crime is committed in it.

Contest for English Teachers
You can participae if you teach English in a classroom, or know someone who does.
https://twc.submittable.com/submit/244324/2023-bechtel-prize

What Skillshare is Like
Over the past couple of years, you might have heard me babble about Skillshare quite a lot.

And some of you have asked me what that platform is like and whether it's worth it. I hope this piece answers your questions on that.
You can read it for free through this 'friend link'.

Yours,
—w

https://medium.com/the-side-hustle-club/ive-been-on-skillshare-since-2020-here-s-how-much-i-earned-what-i-learned-so-far-cafe433454c8?sk=6531b359672c2c887d80f5f824ba2a8d

Yep, You Can Draw
Drawing, even when it's in the form of silly, mindless doodling, has been one of the most fun and life-enriching 'skills' I picked up over the years.
And this short piece is a condensed version of the Staff Picked Skillshare class I released late last year.

If you want to give these super-simple exercises a go, you're invited to do so through this friend link.
Happy drawing,

—w
https://betterhumans.pub/yes-you-can-draw-3-silly-exercises-to-loosen-up-your-hand-b031b9098f6a?sk=ce77f7a665093f8ddcc171ffd292e5df

Free Tools for 'Content Creators'

Here, I compiled three different tools I've been using to store, catalog and search for my ideas and files in the past few years.

If you're new to this 'content creation' thing, I believe you'll find these useful as well.

—w

https://medium.com/the-side-hustle-club/are-you-starting-your-online-content-creation-journey-in-2023-take-advantage-of-these-3-free-tools-22c82ae000a5?sk=ba32b3a833f1a0714e4f3f56d6c3f67a

Learning Amharic

Those who know me will probably highly disagree with calling me a fluent Amharic speaker, but I've gotten good enough to laugh at those worse at the language than me.

Anyway, here's my short piece on how I picked up Amharic through 'immersive learning.'

Yours,
—w
@wintaassefa1

https://betterhumans.pub/how-i-became-fluent-in-a-new-language-as-an-adult-a956183f654a?sk=9b1f47a4253ed2677e0d4b2ed653d3f3

I believe you'll only need to bring your ID to attend this. There are a lot of preparations being made for it. --w