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I read Level Up Your Life this weekend and was super-inspired to work out. Unfortunately, I'm having trouble breathing due to a (temporary!) lung infection, so I thought about Other Quests. One of my Quests is to make my current home a place I really enjoy being in. I'm a visual artist, and it's important to me for my space to reflect/channel my sensibilities. The book talks a lot about abandoning one's possessions in order to Level Up, but my house is really important to me. I can afford it. It doesn't hold me back from the other things I want to do. I bought the house three years ago, and, after a pre-move-in flurry of painting (three rooms), and installing a gallery wall... I just stopped. And there's a crap-ton of work to be done on it. There is: a horrible yellow hallway, a pathetic pastel yellow bathroom, a pile of grit-sadness instead of a patio under the deck, a walkway that's falling apart, a garden that doesn't think boundaries are a thing, a huge pile of art that needs a wall, an unpaved driveway, and no carport. All of which are First World Problems, I know. So I decided that the first step to a nice house would be dealing with the Lemony Hallway. It's both my biggest annoyance and the easiest fix. It's the main artery of the house, and it's Big Bird Yellow. I bought a few paint samples, slapped a few patches onto the hallway, conferred with my husband, and got started! I'll post shots after it's done and I've hung artwork on it. Has anyone else done any DIY level-ups on their Shires?

Vincent van Bro, formerly known as Curl Brogo, is an American painter, powerlifter, and Adonis with bat wing lats and biceps big as your head. Partly a renaissance man, he paints meditative, impressionistic still life and landscape, surrealistic allegorical depictions of small animals, and abstract expressionist paintings and drawings depicting musical ideas. He lives and works in Indianapolis. There's my Wikipedia intro paragraph. I've made up my mind to go back to school and study art in the spring, end goal being an MFA. So this challenge will be centered on preparing for that, while improving my health and fitness... and lats and biceps. Goal 1: Hunger. Carrying over from previous challenges. Eat only when the thought of steamed broccoli and fish makes me drool. Goal 2: Pickup the barbell 6 days a week. Pretty straightforward. I'll do whatever feels right. As long as I do a set of something. Expect bear complexes. Goal 3: one morning walk each weekend. I just want to put a couple miles on my shoes each weekend to avoid stagnating over the weekend. LUYL goals: Art school prep Basically a list Sidequests to prepare for school. Assemble a portfolio: I need 18-25 works for the MFA application. 10 to start the undergrad/transition. -- Create new works -- gather old work -- Take photos Complete application steps: -- meeting with art school admissions (Sept. 19) -- complete school application -- browse courses Roommate search: I want to stay put, but I'll need some financial relief. I have an empty second bedroom, might as well get a roommate and cut the rent in half. -- talk to leasing office -- make an ad -- spread ad on various media/networks