Bob's advice is solid for most veggies, but one small thing - tomatoes actually need a little phosphorus at transplant time too (like bone meal), not just when flowers show. The bag schedule might be too rigid, but waiting until first flowers means you miss that early root boost. I do a light feed at planting, then wait for flowers, and my plants don't get that early yellowing some folks see.

Read something from a pro lighting artist once that said ambient occlusion is basically just "the extra shadow you get when things get close together" and that stuck with me way more than any arrow ever did. Completely agree with @anthony426 that the arrow method can turn your brain off if you're not careful. Really helps to go study your desk lamp hitting a crumpled piece of paper instead of just assuming the arrow tells the whole story. That bounce light from the floor or a wall is what actually makes stuff look 3D and real instead of like a cardboard cutout.

Went through a whole bottle of expensive oil cleanser before realizing my face just wanted a bar of soap and cold water like my grandpa used.

The Chicago rain piece sounds like it really captured something special. I had a similar thing happen when I painted this old gas station in the desert - went from 200 followers to over 1,200 in like two weeks after someone on a photography forum shared it. It's wild how one image can just click with people and snowball like that. Good for you, seriously - that feeling of seeing strangers appreciate your work is something else.

Draining the beans is like a 10 second step, are we really calling a whole batch ruined over some starchy liquid? The chili might have looked a little weird for a bit but it still has all the same ingredients and flavor. You probably could have just let it simmer an extra 20 minutes and it would have been fine. Sounds like you just gave up on it too early honestly.