@Shobhit Thank you so much for the compliments! I painted the piece by subject - so, I started with the clouds, then did one mountain peak at a time, then the trees, and then the water. I learned the hard way that it is really difficult to keep colors consistent across such a big canvas, so you appreciation means a lot 

I am a distance runner and just completed my first marathon in January.  It’s taught me a lot of skills that I can use in both my professional and personal life, like perseverance, discipline,  and how to break large goals into smaller everyday ones.  It’s also a great way to destress after a long day!  The picture below is from the first half I completed in Disney 2017.  I will say that race is one of the three things in my life I am the most proud of.

 

This looks like tons of fun! Congrats on the accomplishment!

We’d love to see your artwork one day!

Maybe our next Badge of the Month should be a long-distance Karaoke challenge

That is a great thing to do! I read an article once that talked about how drawing helps us process stress and also organize our thoughts. I frequently draw in meetings when I am listening to things and it actually helps me remember better!

As far as hidden talents go, I’d say mine is having the ability to move my ears. 

But really, I’d say that I am more of a jack (or Jose)  of all trades. I tend to really engulf myself in my passion projects or hobbies for weeks or months at a time, and once that itch has been scratched I’ll look for something else that I will enjoy. These passions vary from cooking to origami to learning a new language to playing basketball to currently listening and learning about smooth jazz.  

Not really much of a hidden talent, but I love to showcase our Indian heritage and culture with the help of photographs. 

Sharing a few from one of my recent trips to Jaipur….

Portrait sketching is one of my talents. Here's the first portrait sketch I've done to practise hair and face detailing.

Sounds fun! 🤩 @Michael_Cooksey 

Portrait sketching is one of my talents. Here's the first portrait sketch I've done to practise hair and face detailing.

The hair looks so real, I feel like I can touch it! This sketch is amazing!

@Rishabh_Singh05 Where was the last picture taken? That building looks absolutely breathtaking 

@AmaraW This is also taken in Jaipur, we have a place called Patrika Gate. Jaipur is part of Rajasthan known for its majestic forts and culture. You should definitely plan a visit soon to India.

Adding this place to the bucket list!

@Rishabh_Singh05 & @ash123 definitely adding this to my bucket list too 

I always wanted to learn how to bake, so this year I enrolled in a baking class. This is one skill that would always wanted to acquire. 

The movie Matilda, with Miss Trunchbull's chocolate cake is one reason that inspired me to do baking. This is the mini version that of that cake!

@ralphpagarigan The cake looks awesome and just about the right portion for one person .  Such a great skill to have, I loved baking as a kid - but as an adult I seem to have lost the skills and the patience for it.  

I consider cooking to be one of my talents. Pastas are my favorite to make.

I am not an artistic person, so everything you share is really amazing for me!!

I think that one hidden talent is that I cook delicious :) 

Thanks to @AmaraW for a great topic this month! It makes one’s work more fulfilling to be able to link it to other talents or pursuits. For me, this is also painting -- and since I do so much data visualization, I like to include dataviz in my work. This helps me hone my skills because often, in visualizing data, we assume that our audiences are comfortable seeing data online or interactively, but that’s not necessarily the case. Not everyone is comfortable with (or even has) access to a computer to be able to see data rendered electronically, and sometimes the artfulness of the visualization makes the visual so complicated that it’s hard to understand.

This is one of my favorites, of one of my favorite singers, the incomparable and ageless Debbie Harry of Blondie. The circles represent the span of Blondie’s career (in red) in relation to other bands who inspired them (the Ronettes in light blue and the Velvet Underground in dark blue) and whom they inspired (INXS in orange and Garbage -- of course -- in pink).

Hello Everyone,

Certainly, it's not a talent akin to singing or painting, but I derive great enjoyment from the examination, review, and in-depth analysis of sports data, particularly for the purpose of fantasy sports. At present, my fantasy sports endeavors are focused solely on football and hockey, as I found that dedicating time to basketball and baseball was becoming overly demanding, leading my partner to gently suggest a reduction in my involvement.

In recent years, my commitment to comprehensive analysis has yielded tangible results, as evidenced by my victories in both the hockey and football leagues in 2022 and 2021, respectively.

For those who fondly recall flipping to the back pages of newspapers for sports updates (haha), I have a background in the newspaper industry, having worked for a national newspaper distributor. During my tenure, I was responsible for the manual uploading, editing, and ensuring data consistency before its publication the following day. Perhaps that work led to my current talent for it.

Thank you,

Adam

I’ve played both the violin and piano for many years. I haven’t had a chance to play much lately, but I used to be a member of a community orchestra a few years back. I just recently bought a house after living in apartments for a long time, so I’m excited to finally have space to have a piano at home!

@gdyczyak I feel you on fantasy sports-I did fantasy baseball for years, but it got to be more time consuming than the results made it worth...

I always wanted to learn how to bake, so this year I enrolled in a baking class. This is one skill that would always wanted to acquire. 

The movie Matilda, with Miss Trunchbull's chocolate cake is one reason that inspired me to do baking. This is the mini version that of that cake!

 

Great job Ralph, I think Bruce Bogtrotter would have been relieved if you provided him with this cake over the one that Cookie and Trunchbull gave him. 

I have a genuine passion for playing Badminton, which has allowed me to represent our academy in several competitions in Hyderabad (India) showcasing my skills on and off the court. Soon I’ll be representing our company in corporate events. I am thrilled to be a part of this vibrant community and look forward to actively participating in initiatives like “Badge of the Month.” 

Additionally, I’m excited to share one of my talents with the XM community, as I believe it’s a wonderful platform for us to connect and celebrate our diverse abilities.

I’m always continuing to try to learn new skills. I didn’t get the creative, artistic trait like so many people in this thread. 

My most recent skill I’ve been working on is ice skating.