Help me decide on a project...

December 22, 2005 9:35 PM

Help me decide on a project...

I need to find a project, hobby or a business to start. I'm a reasonably intelligent person with interests ranging from graphic/web design, music, art (digital and traditional), computers and trying to cook up the next big idea. I used to run a local music website that was fairly popular for a few years, but I eventually closed it due to lack of participation.

I've got a huge itch I need to scratch. My brain is hungry.

I devoted a huge amount of time to my old site, and now I have this void in which I feel I need to create something. Past endeavors somewhat interest me (freelance design, fixing computers, photography, even rock climbing) but I find that I'm just too varied in the different things I want to do and try.

Give me some suggestions, or help point me in the right direction. I know this is a bit vague but I am very much at a loss.

posted by jackofsaxons to sports, hobbies, & recreation (12 comments total)

make yr own guitar.
posted by herrdoktor at 9:40 PM on December 22, 2005

Build your own MAME cabinet.
posted by mr.dan at 9:57 PM on December 22, 2005

Actually I've considered both of those... the guitar I was going to make out of concrete, and if it sounded horrible, sell it as a piece of art, and the Mame cabinet, well I'm the IT admin at agraphics printing company, so I've considered printing up the graphics for my own arcade cabinet...
posted by jackofsaxons at 10:04 PM on December 22, 2005

What excites you so much it makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck? Do that.

If the answer is 'nothing', then your project, should you choose to accept it, is 'find it'.
posted by unSane at 10:10 PM on December 22, 2005

I don't know about you, so here's what I'm doing to keep my brain occupied. YMMV.

I'm a student at the University of Washington, studying Electrical Engineering and Molecular Biology (hoping to switch into Neuroscience). I ran across the same problem myself, I've solved it by loading on the lab research, being system architect on electronic systems for the human powered submarine, starting my own business (online retailer - surprisingly fun, I do all my own programming for the site and customize like crazy; office products, takes the tiniest bit of willpower not to plug it here :-) ).

My two favorite things though are educational outreach - going into schools and teaching about biomaterials; and being the "sound guy" for a really good local band.

Again, YMMV.
posted by arrhn at 10:55 PM on December 22, 2005

Start up a class teaching computers to kids and adults who don't have access to them them at home. Be aware that you'll only spend about 50% of your time teaching the kids, though...

Related idea: set up a community internet cafe.
posted by blag at 3:36 AM on December 23, 2005

You can browse around inventionDB until a crazy idea pops up in your head
posted by Sharcho at 5:29 AM on December 23, 2005

I got into Internet Radio recently. Minimal costs for hardware (though they can spiral quickly out of control if you're not careful) and it's a hell of a lot of fun. Be a DJ whenever you want. Automate the rest of the time.
posted by TeamBilly at 7:53 AM on December 23, 2005

A local music website, eh? I still run one!

Are you a programmer at all? I've got a project that might interest you if you're into coding... it's kinda hard core coding though... what's your background?
posted by twiggy at 10:39 AM on December 23, 2005

Unfortunately my coding skills aren't as strong as I'd like, so I'm not sure how I could help you twiggy.. but then again that might give me something to learn.

I've done the internet radio thing, heck I've done regular radio ( I was a DJ, then the Program Director, then the General Manager at a local college station).

I really want to do something that will help alot of people. I was thinking maybe a ruggized mesh wireless network. It would be rechargeable (handcrankable, and solar), you could drop it out of airplanes/helicopters. It could provide voice and internet capabilities on it, and it could also be a captive portal, so it would be a location based website (perfect for rescue operations oor areas with no communications infrastructure like New Orleans).
posted by jackofsaxons at 12:02 PM on December 23, 2005

BelAir Networks is about as rugged as you can get, although I think the rechargeable is pretty cool and interesting. You can actually chain these suckers. Talk to them about that project - definitely worthy.

I don't work for them, but I have used their stuff and some of my customers use their stuff and it's pretty freakin' awesome...
posted by TeamBilly at 4:31 PM on December 23, 2005

For your mind, take up Go. For the body, learn how to juggle (either toss or contact). Between the two of them I don't think I've learnt and developed more since I figured out cause and effect at three months old.
posted by ny_scotsman at 5:16 PM on December 23, 2005