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"If God had wanted me otherwise...he would have created me otherwise." Johann von Goeth
style: (definition); a manner or mode of expression
For me, and as a woodcarver for over 30 years...it all started at an arts and crafts show in the Old Town Plaza in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I've lived all my life. For those of you around the world, who may not be familiar with Albuquerque, New Mexico, I will try to put it on a map for you.
Albuquerque, is a quiet, one-horse town, of about 500,000 residents, and we pride ourselves, in offering our visitors and guests many amenities that life has to offer, such as electricity; running water and indoor facilities.
WOW! Where is this city?
Albuquerque and the state of New Mexico are located in the southwestern part of the United States, with our good neighbors of Texas located to the east; our good neighbors located to the north...the state of Colorado; our good neighbors to the west...the state of Arizona and our good neighbors located to the south...the country of Mexico.
WOW! Tell me more! WHAT A COUNTRY...WHAT A STATE...
For me, and as a woodcarver for over 30 years...it all started at an arts and crafts show in the Old Town Plaza in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I've lived all my life. For those of you around the world, who may not be familiar with Albuquerque, New Mexico, I will try to put it on a map for you.
Albuquerque, is a quiet, one-horse town, of about 500,000 residents, and we pride ourselves, in offering our visitors and guests many amenities that life has to offer, such as electricity; running water and indoor facilities.
WOW! Where is this city?
Albuquerque and the state of New Mexico are located in the southwestern part of the United States, with our good neighbors of Texas located to the east; our good neighbors located to the north...the state of Colorado; our good neighbors to the west...the state of Arizona and our good neighbors located to the south...the country of Mexico.
Back to the show at Old Town, which was a three day show, and I did pretty good with sales on the first two days, so Sunday would be a goof-off day. Where the idea came from, to place captions on the wooden figures, I will never know, but I began with a piece of poster board, and cut small pieces, which measured about 2" x 4" and I would a caption for the piece on it with a felt pen.
Most of the wood pieces measured about 6" x 4" so they were all small. Placing the captions on the wood pieces, was difficult for me at first, because I heard my own words coming back to me, from the general public who viewed the work at my display.
It took me several shows, to get used to the public reading my words out loud. But, every time, a person would buy one of the wooden piece (with caption), they would ask me if the caption would come with the piece, and I would say sure. For all those years, I would ask everyone who bought a woodcarved piece from why they bought the piece and the answer was the same; "Because I like it," was the reply.
Forty years later, I am still placing captions on things...only this time...it's on graphics. In 2005, I was hospitalized for over three months, and I lost all my possessions, and everything was gone...snap-shots; slides; film; I lost everything. So, I didn't take up wood carving again, but I swiched to writing. (I must be crazy)
That's it in a nutshell...and the reader can see that style continuned, as I put my website together, and you will see captioned graphics right from the outset of entering my website; See link below; (if page does not come in, please try again).
Website name; humordoctormd
That's how it all started over 40 years ago, and in 2013, I am still putting captions on things, etc. My style was slowly developing over the years. I can't be certain, but I think people who see my work, think I am a nutcake...and they're right. I don't know anything about being NORMAL...
My visitor's are Very Important People to me, so I would like people to go to the VIP Appreciation Gallery, to see some of their artwork, which is so appreciated;
VIP Appreciation Gallery; Website humordoctormd
TRAFFIC; To; Authors Den; From; August, 2006; to the PRESENT; 534, 278;
NOTE; If page does not come in, please try again.
EzineArticles.com; (article directory); When I started writing seriously in August of 2006, I began posting my articles on EzineArticles.com. It was good for me at the time, because I was a beginning writer, and there were "live" editors, who would accept or reject your work. I was at the directory for about two years, and put up 98 articles.
As time went on, things at the directory began to get worse, as I was being red-flagged more and more by the "live" editors. After I fixed what they said was wrong, my articles were usually accepted for a total of 98 over the two year period. But, I was not happy about what was happening about the red-flagging, as it was affecting my STYLE...I was now starting to write THEIR WAY...and my STYLE would be MUSH...if this continued.
It would be similiar, to an editor or publisher standing behind me, looking over my shoulder, and he or she would reject this and that, and they wanted something in the 1st or 3rd person, and the changes would continue, and now I would be writing THEIR WAY and not my own, and all this was affecting my STYLE! What to do?
To keep people from pulling my work apart, and keeping my STYLE, the only thing I could do, was to leave the directory; submit no more articles; and go elsewhere, where the rules were not a factor in changing my STYLE. So, I left the directory in 2009, and came to Authors Den, where there are no "live" editors, and I could post pretty much what I wanted to. I think my WRITING STYLE, is the most important thing I own in writing...
Articles Published Page; During that two-year period, dozens of my articles have been published on more than 500 websites on the Internet, and the reader can see the links posted on these two pages.
The importance of STYLE...
Some people are comfortable wearing a cowboy hat and boots...and they look good. But, this is not my style! I look silly in a cowboy hat and boots! Some men prefer to wear their hair long...and many look good. But again, I have very thin hair, and the slightest breeze and my hair is all over the place...so wearing long hair is not my style, either, etc.
"Always be the first version of yourself...instead of being the second version of someone else." Judy Garland
Humor/woodcarving: I've been in the humor business for over 50 years. When I started carving wood, I enjoyed carving cartoon-like characters, because I like to make people laugh! But, when I took a few of them to a gallery in Old Town in Albuquerque, New Mexico (where I live), the gallery owner rejected them. She was looking for more serious pieces, with a southwestern flavor like cowboys, Indians, roadrunners and bulls, etc.
Well...I had no intentions of carving cowboys and Indians for the rest of my life...just to make a buck...it was just not my style! I had to do then...as I do now...do the things that make me happy whether I sell it or not, etc.
"God has given you one face, and you have made yourself another." William Shakespeare
Individual website: When I started building my website many years ago, I used the same concept of placing captions, only this time, it would be on the graphics I brought in from the clip-art library. The captions are meant to amuse, inform and educate the public, etc. This has been the style I have developed over the years, etc.
Public websites: Like so many other people, I've visited hundreds of websites over the years, and I've seen an explosion of creativtiy unleashed all over the world, etc. I've been impressed with the countless inventive and imaginative websites, that people have put together to express themselves! And, one thing they all have in common...they have all discovered their own style...on which to build and to show to the world...with the primary goal of making the website owner happy, etc.
Style: I think style, is one of the most important things, because it serves as a base for building anything in the first place.
- Rodney Dangerfield gets no respect...and that's his style!
- Jack Benny (comedian) lived to an old age, but if you asked him his age, he was always 39 years old...that was his style!
- Minni Pearle (entertainer) always had that silly price tag, dangling off her straw-hat, along with her annoying greeting, "how-d-e-e-e-e-e-e-e!" and that was her style!
- Pat Poulsen (comedian) ran for President of the United States for over 25 years and never won anything...and that was his style!
For those struggling with the issue of style...I'll offer a few tips;
- Be yourself! Never copy anyone else for any reason...never! There's only one Elvis; one Lucy; one Liberace; one Erma Bombeck.
- Develop your own style and stay with it. Don't let anyone sway you with something you're not happy with.
- It takes courage to take chances, but do so with common sense.
- Everyone is creative in their own way...some more than others...so be patient, and things will come your way eventually.
- You can't please everyone...so don't try, or you'll find yourself locked up in the Funny Farm for sure!
"You were born an original. Don't die a copy." Jon Masson
There's no fountain of youth...no turning back the clock, either! You won't see me buying a 55 gallon drum of hair coloring and jumping in it anytime soon! All those over-the-counter broken promises...snake-oil...forget it! I choose to grow old gracefully...and to enjoy what I have! And, to do the things that make me happy first...and I'll try to do it with STYLE!
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Copyright; 2013; Jerry Aragon; The Humor Doctor
