Another year almost over and looking back I still have a bundle of projects that I never got around to doing. However this year has made me think about the future much more, or perhaps I’m getting closer to my sixtieth birthday in a few years. I’ve tried to be much more focussed this year but again I’ve been jumping about from project to project although finally towards the end of the year I have a much more defined outlook for 2026.

For over 20 years I’ve been involved in digital media and design, mostly on a part time basis and eventually Big Blue Scribble was born, it’s been very successful but it’s still not quite what I’d planned for the company. A majority of our work is web sites, specifically WordPress which I love to do but I’d hoped to focus on other things. So I’ve made the decision that as a rule we’ll not take on any new web clients (unless they’re specifically of interest to us) and Big Blue Scribble will focus much more on content, writing and publishing; as I’d originally intended.

I’ve got a batch of shows to do during December both with One Day More and with The Christmas Chronicles then in 2026 my Sondheim show All About Sondheim will tour along with recording and producing the album as well as a schedule of concerts and recording sessions with Rhovan. I’ve promised myself that I’ll be far more focussed on my own writing career, this year has seen me finish some old projects which I never thought would see the light of day however both will be published early in 2026; Hit The Right Note: Crafting Your Sustainable Career in the Music Industry along with my first business book The Pyjama Guild (originally entitled The Pyjama Club).

For the past few years I’ve been trying to downsize but it’s never worked. Making everything happen on a single laptop just doesn’t work for me nor does trying to work from home all the time. Even my little office in Edinburgh has become too small so I’m looking for another workspace, somewhere to set up my studio to record and rehearse as well as my writing and other digital work. Despite years of nomadic lifestyle I’m enjoying having a permanent base and real home, it’s time to get all my work out of the house and create a firm divide between my work life and personal life.

My main dual monitor workstation with my audio gear, monitoring, recording and scoring is in fact in my bedroom which now looks less like a bedroom and more like a music studio. I have a workspace at the back of my living room with my digital keyboards and a separate desk/workstation where I write from as well as recording, radio and podcasting and even my kitchen how has a standing workstation with a 48″ monitor on the wall. The only space I don’t have any workspace is the hallway and the bathroom. I need a dedicated space again.

For those that know me will tell you that my living environment is never top of my list; friends say that they could come in and change all my furniture and I’d probably never notice or even care. But recently I’ve started to notice, I’ve been looking at furniture, got some plants, throws, new bedding, starting caring about the decor, ideas when the music gear finally moves away, made plans for the kitchen, looking at dining tables for that space in the living room. Maybe it’s age or maybe I’m changing; but my new burnt orange throw for the sofa looks amazing with my blue tartan carpet.