NAHFTS — an archive of illustrations, comics, and ramblings by Alex van Rossum.https://nahfts.com/https://nahfts.com/nothing-is-a-waste-of-time-even-things-that-are-a-waste-of-time/https://nahfts.com/nothing-is-a-waste-of-time-even-things-that-are-a-waste-of-time/I recently realized my relationship with productivity has become warped, leading to an internal conflict between my sense of self-worth and the value I assign to various activities. From productiveWed, 01 May 2024 10:37:48 GMThttps://nahfts.com/tab-pocalypse-lets-talk-about-browser-tabs/https://nahfts.com/tab-pocalypse-lets-talk-about-browser-tabs/Discover the secret to battling browser tab overload: embracing "breakpoints" to close everything and start fresh, enhancing focus and productivity.Fri, 23 Feb 2024 16:33:35 GMThttps://nahfts.com/turning-pages-to-tapping-screens-my-evolution-of-choose-your-own-adventure/https://nahfts.com/turning-pages-to-tapping-screens-my-evolution-of-choose-your-own-adventure/The year is a blisteringly ancient 1992. I am somewhere around 10 years old, socially awkward, and more or less living in a library, buried in books either at the sacred building, or digging throughSun, 18 Feb 2024 07:00:00 GMThttps://nahfts.com/new-work-on-canvas-depth/https://nahfts.com/new-work-on-canvas-depth/Struggling to focus amid many interests, I consistently return to painting, currently with quick-dry acrylics and geometric precision. My new piece "Depth" uses dichromatic palettes and clean linesWed, 14 Feb 2024 00:07:26 GMThttps://nahfts.com/navigating-adhd-staying-on-track-with-the-pace-method/https://nahfts.com/navigating-adhd-staying-on-track-with-the-pace-method/One of the more difficult aspects of dealing with ADHD is the unexpected spiral of distraction. The PACE method may help you stay on track.Mon, 12 Feb 2024 23:51:41 GMThttps://nahfts.com/overcoming-perfectionism-love-what-you-create-even-if-you-dont/https://nahfts.com/overcoming-perfectionism-love-what-you-create-even-if-you-dont/Embracing imperfections in our creative endeavors is essential for liberation and joy in the creative process, and a key step in overcoming perfectionism. This post explores the challenges ofSat, 02 Dec 2023 22:36:18 GMThttps://nahfts.com/the-art-of-patience-embracing-the-journey-of-incremental-mastery/https://nahfts.com/the-art-of-patience-embracing-the-journey-of-incremental-mastery/Diving into the nuances of self-control and the richness of nurturing multiple skills, this post explores how mastering self-discipline and embracing a diverse skillset can profoundly impact personalMon, 20 Nov 2023 09:22:24 GMThttps://nahfts.com/swimming-through-soup-staying-afloat-amidst-executive-function-paralysis/https://nahfts.com/swimming-through-soup-staying-afloat-amidst-executive-function-paralysis/Struggling with Executive Function Paralysis? You're not alone. Join me on my personal journey through the murky waters of EFP. Discover how creativity, mindfulness apps, and innovative VR tools likeFri, 17 Nov 2023 17:57:20 GMThttps://nahfts.com/eureka-how-i-simplified-my-alt-tag-writing-process-with-chatgpt-for-accessibility-and-seo/https://nahfts.com/eureka-how-i-simplified-my-alt-tag-writing-process-with-chatgpt-for-accessibility-and-seo/Discover the simple yet game-changing way to use ChatGPT+ for crafting alt tags that cater to accessibility and SEO, turning the tedious task into a content creator's dream. Plus, get the scoop onSat, 11 Nov 2023 12:08:36 GMThttps://nahfts.com/the-uncelebrated-triumph-of-almost-a-journey-without-regret/https://nahfts.com/the-uncelebrated-triumph-of-almost-a-journey-without-regret/In this article, I dismantle the paralyzing grip of regret and self-doubt, exploring why a multi-faceted and diverse history of experiences and focuses might actually be your greatest asset.Wed, 01 Nov 2023 23:21:44 GMThttps://nahfts.com/navigating-the-restless-mind-how-to-cope-with-i-should-be-doing-something-else/https://nahfts.com/navigating-the-restless-mind-how-to-cope-with-i-should-be-doing-something-else/Ever feel the pressure to do ‘something else’ with your life? Engage the restless itch within us all and navigate its push and pull.Sat, 28 Oct 2023 00:40:59 GMThttps://nahfts.com/the-shadow-of-inspiration-facing-the-pressure-of-daily-creation/https://nahfts.com/the-shadow-of-inspiration-facing-the-pressure-of-daily-creation/I’m sitting at my desk, Pages open on my iPad, cursor blinking expectantly, but the words just won’t come.  I’ve got plenty to talk about, so much I want to say, yet the opening paragraph eludes me.Wed, 25 Oct 2023 16:48:48 GMThttps://nahfts.com/how-one-word-is-shifting-my-perspective-from-defeatism-to-optimism/https://nahfts.com/how-one-word-is-shifting-my-perspective-from-defeatism-to-optimism/A recurring sentiment that often punctuates my pursuits is “Why bother. I’m not good enough. This is pointless.” It’s not really a surprise to me that this usually seems to happen right before theFri, 20 Oct 2023 10:02:58 GMThttps://nahfts.com/im-not-a-jack-of-all-trades-im-a-curator-of-abandoned-hobbies/https://nahfts.com/im-not-a-jack-of-all-trades-im-a-curator-of-abandoned-hobbies/Picture this. I’ve just found something I like to do - maybe that’s drawing, or collecting rocks that are a specific shade of blue, or collecting sixteenth century rag dolls. Doesn’t matter, this isSat, 14 Oct 2023 00:21:56 GMThttps://nahfts.com/i-keep-coming-up-with-other-peoples-ideas-and-thats-ok/https://nahfts.com/i-keep-coming-up-with-other-peoples-ideas-and-thats-ok/Have you ever had a ‘eureka’ moment, only to find out later that your groundbreaking, earth-shattering idea is centuries old? Yea - I’ve been there - from philosophy to science I’ve ‘discovered’Thu, 12 Oct 2023 01:50:19 GMThttps://nahfts.com/monkey-fog-executive-dysfunction-decision-paralysis-and-anxiety/https://nahfts.com/monkey-fog-executive-dysfunction-decision-paralysis-and-anxiety/I have this feeling that i call “Monkey fog” - and I’ve decided that there’s really no better name for the experience. What happens is this: i get this feeling of extreme brain fog, where there are aTue, 10 Oct 2023 22:34:23 GMThttps://nahfts.com/youre-up-to-something-i-can-feel-it/https://nahfts.com/youre-up-to-something-i-can-feel-it/A couple of years ago (wait hold on its been how long? 12 years ‽ ) I had a webcomic called ISAC and Dem and it was about two robots. They resembled these two only in stature, though Dem did have aTue, 10 Oct 2023 01:44:03 GMThttps://nahfts.com/there-just-isnt-enough-bleeping-time/https://nahfts.com/there-just-isnt-enough-bleeping-time/Get up. Shower. Make Breakfast. Go to work. Grind. Lunch. Grind some more. Go home. Make dinner. Get the kids to bed. Clean the kitchen. Do some housework, maybe. Well, hell, it’s 10PM, I guess I’llMon, 09 Oct 2023 18:09:20 GMThttps://nahfts.com/whatre-you-so-happy-about-anyway/https://nahfts.com/whatre-you-so-happy-about-anyway/What side of the question are you on? Do you find yourself drifting toward an attitude of general positivity, or are you more of a "glass-half-empty kind of optimist?" Do you fluctuate between theFri, 06 Oct 2023 11:52:58 GMThttps://nahfts.com/the-ripple-when-a-friends-depression-becomes-your-struggle-too/https://nahfts.com/the-ripple-when-a-friends-depression-becomes-your-struggle-too/I was recently having a conversation with a friend, about one of their friends, who is going through a lot right now. The meat of the conversation often focused on how difficult it can be to be in aSun, 01 Oct 2023 16:40:43 GMThttps://nahfts.com/carrying-on-when-the-future-is-uncertain/https://nahfts.com/carrying-on-when-the-future-is-uncertain/For what it’s worth, my context here is “the world at large” and not a specific incident or issue in my own life. I mean, other than the fact that the world is, well, you know, insane. Also, to beMon, 25 Sep 2023 16:09:21 GMThttps://nahfts.com/existence-is-absurd/https://nahfts.com/existence-is-absurd/I’ve been listening to a lot of Great Courses lectures on Audible lately, mostly with a preference on history, physics, metaphysics, psychology, and the human condition in general, and it’s been aMon, 25 Sep 2023 11:08:54 GMThttps://nahfts.com/ok-so-lets-try-selling-things/https://nahfts.com/ok-so-lets-try-selling-things/I'm drawing a boat load of these things every week. One for each kid's lunch every day they go to school, and a bunch of others that are little more than doodles, and are destined for the recycle binMon, 14 Nov 2022 00:47:43 GMThttps://nahfts.com/i-am-my-happy-place/https://nahfts.com/i-am-my-happy-place/Man that’s self helpy and a little saccharine, isn’t it? that’s another thing I wouldn’t ever see myself doing or saying - and it’s all part of this grand experiment to try new things. And yet, IWed, 07 Sep 2022 11:17:15 GMThttps://nahfts.com/keep-it-weird/https://nahfts.com/keep-it-weird/What would it mean to you to keep it weird? I don’t mean like “being weird” - mooing like a deranged cow every time someone says “hour” is certainly weird and if that’s your thing, well, you do you.Tue, 06 Sep 2022 13:18:50 GMThttps://nahfts.com/uh-oh-i-think-i-might-be-creating-a-brand/https://nahfts.com/uh-oh-i-think-i-might-be-creating-a-brand/Bit by bit this all seems to be coming together! I have characters that I love (even if they are reminiscent of ISAC and Dem!) I’ve decided on a fairly limited color palette of black tombow brush orSun, 04 Sep 2022 00:22:56 GMThttps://nahfts.com/just-hangin/https://nahfts.com/just-hangin/I’m starting to think I should maybe work on creating some stickers. I really love these little guys and I want to see them all around and if even love to write a book or something. Today we took theSat, 03 Sep 2022 15:34:06 GMThttps://nahfts.com/some-days-you-need-a-little-brain-tape/https://nahfts.com/some-days-you-need-a-little-brain-tape/You ever have one of those days where it feels like your brain is simply too goopy and you are just struggling to hold it all in your skull? Focusing is painful - not like headache painful - butWed, 31 Aug 2022 11:41:34 GMThttps://nahfts.com/and-away-we-go/https://nahfts.com/and-away-we-go/One of my biggest hang ups, creatively, is the idea of permanence - that all art is permanent and that means it needs to be perfect. This is unfortunate for me, then, because every time I look atTue, 30 Aug 2022 16:31:47 GMThttps://nahfts.com/and-it-returns/https://nahfts.com/and-it-returns/It's been almost three years, and I haven't posted anything here. Part of that is because I never really had a clear image of what this site was supposed to be, other than a location where I wouldTue, 30 Aug 2022 00:03:29 GMThttps://nahfts.com/my-dromedary-is-in-the-shop/https://nahfts.com/my-dromedary-is-in-the-shop/I’m not sure where I found this creature but I think I like himMon, 16 Dec 2019 09:05:56 GMThttps://nahfts.com/you-can-run-from-your-problems-forever-if-you-have-a-time-machine/https://nahfts.com/you-can-run-from-your-problems-forever-if-you-have-a-time-machine/But be careful you you might find that you have a whole host of new problems once you get to whenever you are goingThu, 12 Dec 2019 21:05:30 GMThttps://nahfts.com/i-am-really-not-having-a-good-time/https://nahfts.com/i-am-really-not-having-a-good-time/I don’t know why I thought it would be a good idea to build a me sized pinball machineMon, 09 Dec 2019 09:05:05 GMThttps://nahfts.com/i-am-not-trained-for-this/https://nahfts.com/i-am-not-trained-for-this/Oh no what do I do it needs to be up in a hour yet I think I might be enjoying thisThu, 05 Dec 2019 09:00:11 GMThttps://nahfts.com/and-away-i-go/https://nahfts.com/and-away-i-go/Do you know how hard it is to get a sheet of paper that is 18 feet wide and 28 feet long it’s not easy I can tell you thatMon, 02 Dec 2019 13:00:04 GMThttps://nahfts.com/tell-me-your-secrets-little-city/https://nahfts.com/tell-me-your-secrets-little-city/OH NO DO NOT RUN I MEAN YOU NO HARMThu, 28 Nov 2019 13:40:15 GMThttps://nahfts.com/i-think-it-is-time-that-i-retired/https://nahfts.com/i-think-it-is-time-that-i-retired/I can’t do this anymore it is exhausting and nothing ever endsMon, 25 Nov 2019 13:35:00 GMThttps://nahfts.com/what-if-i-just-make-my-own-reality/https://nahfts.com/what-if-i-just-make-my-own-reality/Something something quantum computingThu, 21 Nov 2019 13:30:23 GMThttps://nahfts.com/get-it-off-get-it-off-get-it-off/https://nahfts.com/get-it-off-get-it-off-get-it-off/The slime it’s everywhere runMon, 18 Nov 2019 13:40:15 GMThttps://nahfts.com/the-monster-behind-me-is-the-monster-inside-me/https://nahfts.com/the-monster-behind-me-is-the-monster-inside-me/Do you let it out or do you let it in or do you run from everythingThu, 14 Nov 2019 13:10:49 GMThttps://nahfts.com/i-think-i-let-it-wander-too-far/https://nahfts.com/i-think-i-let-it-wander-too-far/Oh no what do I do now I can’t think of anythingMon, 11 Nov 2019 13:10:53 GMThttps://nahfts.com/sometimes-you-should-let-it-wander/https://nahfts.com/sometimes-you-should-let-it-wander/You never know what it might bring backThu, 07 Nov 2019 13:00:08 GMThttps://nahfts.com/is-it-free/https://nahfts.com/is-it-free/They say that if you don’t pay for something you value it lessMon, 04 Nov 2019 13:15:34 GMThttps://nahfts.com/well-you-have-to-start-somewhere/https://nahfts.com/well-you-have-to-start-somewhere/Even if the destination isn’t what you had in mind or expected there is always a beginning to every journey and you might as well get goingThu, 31 Oct 2019 13:00:51 GMThttps://nahfts.com/this-music-makes-my-bones-tingle/https://nahfts.com/this-music-makes-my-bones-tingle/Does this mean I want to dance or do I just need to use the bathroomMon, 28 Oct 2019 12:15:49 GMThttps://nahfts.com/i-built-him-he-is-mine/https://nahfts.com/i-built-him-he-is-mine/But I won’t tell you where I got the parts that might get me in troubleThu, 24 Oct 2019 12:40:24 GMThttps://nahfts.com/oh-no-ive-done-it-again/https://nahfts.com/oh-no-ive-done-it-again/Is it metaphorical or allegorical or is it just something that I heard someone say onceMon, 21 Oct 2019 12:25:05 GMThttps://nahfts.com/sometimes-i-like-to-let-the-words-flow/https://nahfts.com/sometimes-i-like-to-let-the-words-flow/When I can’t think of what to say I don’t say anything but when I have an opinion you had better believe I will be sharing it with you and others aroundThu, 17 Oct 2019 12:45:55 GMThttps://nahfts.com/what-will-the-future-think/https://nahfts.com/what-will-the-future-think/The narrator silently beckons for you to create your own dialogueMon, 14 Oct 2019 12:35:25 GMThttps://nahfts.com/i-need-more-information/https://nahfts.com/i-need-more-information/If you follow the clues long enough and deep enough you will find that the conspiracy was inside you the whole time Here’s another that started differently. Here’s the original Amateur hourThu, 10 Oct 2019 08:00:11 GMThttps://nahfts.com/oh-no-everything-is-on-fire/https://nahfts.com/oh-no-everything-is-on-fire/Sometimes you do not realize that it is really your glasses that are on fire and not the everything that you thought it was before it’s like rose tint only more burney Here’s another that startedMon, 07 Oct 2019 12:00:21 GMThttps://nahfts.com/i-honestly-thought-there-would-be-more-robots/https://nahfts.com/i-honestly-thought-there-would-be-more-robots/What kind of future is this anyway I want my robot butler and my electric sheep instead all I got was this lousy climate change good job boomers thanks a lotThu, 03 Oct 2019 12:40:49 GMThttps://nahfts.com/there-will-always-be-haters/https://nahfts.com/there-will-always-be-haters/Such is lifeWed, 02 Oct 2019 21:03:44 GMThttps://nahfts.com/i-really-cant-dance-so-ill-just-cheer-you-on-instead/https://nahfts.com/i-really-cant-dance-so-ill-just-cheer-you-on-instead/I think we’ll all be better off that way This is another one that originally looked very very different Super early on, yea?Mon, 30 Sep 2019 07:55:23 GMThttps://nahfts.com/the-lake-is-a-long-way-from-here/https://nahfts.com/the-lake-is-a-long-way-from-here/Over hill over dale through bush through briar over park over pale through flood through fire through time through space through dimensions through string theory Fun fact: this is actually versionThu, 26 Sep 2019 12:45:30 GMThttps://nahfts.com/everyone-was-busy-so-i-went-to-the-movies-by-myself/https://nahfts.com/everyone-was-busy-so-i-went-to-the-movies-by-myself/The popcorn is the best part.Mon, 23 Sep 2019 08:38:38 GMThttps://nahfts.com/ok-so-what-is-art-anyway/https://nahfts.com/ok-so-what-is-art-anyway/Here's something I like to tell myself every time i draw something "Oh that's not good you're not an artist no one will like what you are doing who do you think you are anyway?" I mean I don't likeSun, 22 Sep 2019 18:38:03 GMThttps://nahfts.com/oh-dear-i-think-someone-has-stolen-my-tea/https://nahfts.com/oh-dear-i-think-someone-has-stolen-my-tea/No one stole my tea for real but the man in this image looks kind of like a jalapeno.Thu, 19 Sep 2019 20:15:05 GMT