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Soft Skills, Big Feels

Stories, tips, and perks to help people working in technology flex their human skills.

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Big news! You might notice that the newsletter looks a little different; cleaner, more minimalistic. I gave everything an overhaul, including the website! That ol' website was me just getting something out there, into the void, but now I've had a moment to start working towards something very important to me. I've slowly been working my way towards creating a community, and this overhaul marks Step #1. What is The Party? After seeing so many folks in tech worn out, stressed, and isolated (and...

In this mosaic-like painting, vertical bbrushstrokes creating shifting patterns of light upward. In the top right, there's a shimmering patch of red, yellow, and orange the glows like the sun

Happy Black History Month! This month, I found fresh inspiration at the Art Institute of Chicago's Project a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica exhibition. It imagines a supercontinent brought together by African cultures across the globe to create a future of solidarity, equality, and freedom. Some pieces were deeply moving, and others were heartbreaking but I noticed one thread wove them all together - authenticity. It reminded me that reclaiming one's voice is a radical act,...

Text on a dark background that reads: "Beautiful, boring, and without soul. What could be more important in life than how you make people feel? Written by Steyn Viljoen". Above the text are navigation buttons labeled "Articles" and "Design & Society".

Hey You! It's been a long month. - Let's talk about it. It feels like there has been more news in January than in all of 2024. Every day, there's something else going on that could have national or worldwide implications. As a result, we're now 83 days into January. Luckily, it is officially coming to an end and we can look forward to February. Or can we? Things might get a lot worse before they get better, which is why it's important that we take care of ourselves and our energy for the...

Hey You! Happy holidays! - The year is quickly coming to an end December has been a whirlwind of activity for so many. On top of all the action, this month I had my gallbladder yoinked. It was my first surgery and I was so scared! But it was over in no time at all. Somewhere in the space time continuum, I met Rick Gage over at the Center for a Loving Workplace, a nonprofit with the mission to make love the core of the workplace. He asked me "What do you think about love in the workplace?" At...