Sarah Kate Sweeney, Physics & Astrophysics Student and Pianist
- How has your passion for Piano helped you maintain a positive work-life balance through the pandemic?
I started university during the pandemic, so a lot of my time has been spent studying. I love maths and physics, but music has been a very welcome break from all the science. Thankfully, I’m back playing at Hayfield Manor. I really enjoy playing there – the people and the atmosphere are wonderful. Happy as I am to spend hours pouring over a physics problem, there has to be some kind of balance.
When I play, I go into a sort of meditative state – maybe that’s why people say my music relaxes them. It’s nice to take a few hours out every week to play, and I think the guests appreciate the return of live music just as much as I do. I honestly think it’s helping me with my studies. Actually, a project I’m working on for one of my classes has to do with the physics of the piano – how the hammer strikes the strings, the resonance within the harp. I’m having so much fun researching it!
- Do you have any new pastimes you’d like to try (or goals you’d like to achieve) in 2022?
While I am still playing publicly, university work has taken up much of my time – I haven’t had the opportunity to branch out into things like original compositions or recording my music. Some of my classmates are also very talented musicians, and once things have settled down with our exams, we’d like to play together. As a pianist, I seldom get to play with other musicians, so a few duets or trios sound like a lot of fun!
Sarah’s Original Article: https://otia.io/2021/03/05/sarah-kate-sweeney-physics-astrophysics-student-and-pianist/
Luke Connelly, Student in Computer Science on Filmmaking & Music
- How has your passion for Filmmaking & Music helped you maintain a positive work-life balance through the pandemic?
While the pandemic has been a massive challenge, it’s also provided a good opportunity for practice and innovation. When you’re limited, it forces you out of your comfort zone and into trying new things to stave off boredom. After watching some of the fantastic art that’s been created through lockdown, you can see that there’s been a burst of creativity and some really important ideas being highlighted – I hope and think that it will make musicians and filmmakers stronger in years to come.
Personally, music and film (both others’ and my own) have been a great source of escapism – when you’re truly engaged with something, I find there’s not much room to think of much else. If nothing else, it’s been the perfect year for getting movies off my watchlist!
- Do you have any new pastimes you’d like to try (or goals you’d like to achieve) in 2022?
I’m dying to make another film – I have really been inspired by some of the art I’ve seen through lockdown, so I’ve been working on a script. Hopefully, in the New Year, I can finish it and get it produced!
Luke’s Original Article: https://otia.io/2020/10/15/luke-connelly-student-in-computer-science-on-filmmaking-music/
Tanja Lauri-Oja, Civil Engineer and Photographer
- Has your passion for Photography helped you maintain a positive work-life balance through the pandemic?
If possible, I have spent even more time in nature during pandemics (of course, with my camera). Moving outdoors has eased the effects of restrictions on my psyche. Here in Lapland, we have space to be and live, and I love it. It makes life easier at the moment. Now, when many other things are hard to achieve, nature is always an easy place to go to.
- Do you have any new pastimes you’d like to try (or goals you’d like to achieve) in 2022?
I love my job as a photographer, so it’s also a pastime for me. Next year’s goal is to spend more time on photography projects that are currently in progress. I am also studying for a master’s degree, so advancing my studies is my goal. Finally, my new mountain bike is waiting for the rider, so I need to pick up my butt and start that hobby again!
Tanja’s Original Article: https://otia.io/2020/12/17/tanja-lauri-oja-civil-engineer-and-photographer/
Denis Timofijuk, Survey Framework Developer and Photographer
- Has your passion for Photography helped you maintain a positive work-life balance through the pandemic?
This year, I have a new big task to do in my life: I’m building a house. All my free time and resources are going towards that, so there’s not much time left for photography. This year, I only took a few pictures (I tried to capture Aurora Borealis in Lithuania, which is a rare thing here!).
- Do you have any new pastimes you’d like to try (or goals you’d like to achieve) in 2022?
As for new pastimes, I have a goal to raise my programming skills, since I have a potion for this as well 🙂
Denis’ Original Article: https://otia.io/2021/03/19/denis-timofijuk-survey-framework-developer-and-photographer/
Alexander Polupanov, Software Engineer on Dancing & Piano
- How has your passion for Dance & Piano helped you maintain a positive work-life balance through the pandemic?
I still dance and play my piano at home. I keep gathering friends every Friday evening – we eat, sing, share experiences, and talk about eternal things 🙂
- Do you have any new pastimes you’d like to try (or goals you’d like to achieve) in 2022?
My new pastime is running. I now run almost every morning, no matter whether it is raining or snowing or -17°! I run to the seaside with my Mp3 player, listen to a selection of motivational speeches, and work out on the bars. I then run back home, take a cold shower, and go to work full of positive energy. This new “hobby” helps me be very strong and positive, no matter what 🙂
Alexander’s Original Article: https://otia.io/2021/04/16/alexander-polupanov-software-engineer-on-dancing-piano/
Mantas Masiulis, Software Engineer on Photography & Cooking
- How has your passion for Photography & Cooking helped you maintain a positive work-life balance through the pandemic?
The first pandemic lockdown back in the spring of 2020 gave me a respite and a specific goal to spend more time outside in nature. When lockdown began and our company issued a work-from-home policy, I returned to my parents’ homestead, which is far in the countryside and surrounded by nature. My brothers and I had also planted a small patch of forest 15 years ago near our homestead, so I have been wandering there with my camera, trying to keep my mind off all “clickbait” and “sensational” news about the pandemic – and it worked very well.
The pandemic also helped me to improve my home cooking skills too – it gave me a good kick to experiment more with a variety of different cultured foods and more difficult recipes. As I am still working from home 4 days a week, cooking dinner allows me to transition from work to leisure time with a wonderful belly full of tasty food (and it allows me to rest my eyes, which is especially important for tech people).
- Do you have any new pastimes you’d like to try (or goals you’d like to achieve) in 2022?
For 2022, I will try to incorporate more sports into my life. As much as it sounds banal, it is important, as all the tasty food I have made during this autumn/winter took some toll on my physical shape (I guess you can call it one of the cons of having cooking as a pastime). Even though my girlfriend and I love hiking (every weekend, we went to a different trail; we have a huge number of them here in Lithuania), it is a little bit harder to do it in autumn/winter.
In fact, I am also getting interested in gardening – it’s about time to start growing the ingredients for the meals I am cooking instead of bringing them from my parents’ homestead. For starters, I am trying to grow some herbs for the seasoning (thyme, rosemary) – in time, I think I will move on to the bigger plants.
Mantas’ Original Article: https://otia.io/2021/03/19/mantas-masiulis-software-engineer-on-photography-cooking/
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