folding my lucky paper stars
Kai's Howdy World #8: Life Lately + Resources for Coding with Claude
hey… it’s been awhile.
12wks -ish / um about 3 months
recently, I remembered these lucky paper stars I’d make as a kid.
the steady dedication it took to make those lil guys
and fill a jar of rainbow stars
packed with wishes and hope.
lately - it was what I needed to do…
for a little bit, you know?
i’ve been thinking a lot about what tenn said about the “substack trenches",”
”i was over editing & over thinking everything…and i learned the most interesting writing is when you sound like YOU and not some over polished bs version of yourself”
SO with all that in mind » this is me » life lately ….
wandering
regenerating
collaborating
learning
Wandering:
I started a cattok page for these two kittens I adopted recently. Consistency with video content is difficult for me. I decided I just wanted to have fun with making content and filming animals is one of my favorite things.
Regenerating:
It’s incredibly basic, but what better time than now? I’m trying to drink more water, eat healthier, and exercise consistently. I re-adopted the habit tracker and have made some good habits stick!
Collaborating:
I’ve been sprinting with Mahnaz Hajesmaeili on a potential new feature to Meow Memory Lane where pet parents can set up a mail system with their pet from their “furever home” in the neighborhood.
» Check it out on github.
Update on learning how to build/code using AI
I’ve tried a variety of things like replit, v0, curser, chatgpt, and loveable… but I had trouble with functionality between screens. Overall I found Claude’s Model Context Protocol (MCP) has worked best for me.
Resources if you want to give it a try:
One Agentic Coding Workflow to Rule Them All - Not exactly MCP focused, but great tips on planning process and creating a project brief
Command Line for Beginners - Much of my struggle is just understanding where I am in my directory and how to point claude to look at things.. having some understanding of how to navigate and use your teminal is super helpful!
What’s next?
During March and April, I am pushing myself to commit to an intimate sized group of designers to check-in bi-weekly on our goals.
My plan was to:
learn more about designers' daily habits, needs and goals
keep me motivated to stick to my commitments
find areas of improvement for my Design Career Garden Notion template
It felt really good to fill up the seats in less than a week! Here’s the proof :)
until next time…
keep making and counting your lucky stars :)