You might be kinda-sorta surprised to find out that I'm shy. Sorta.
Obviously I have a strong need to express myself through art, and I've always been a bit of a performer. This painting thing on the whole is relatively new to me. The first two thirds of my life were dedicated to acting. Being on camera. I WANTED TO SHINE! TO BE A STAR.
Or so I thought. It's still there, but as I grew older I also embraced my secret alter-ego of being an introverted hermit. I like things quiet, I like to be home, I like to paint. I'm sort of perplexing to others. I excel in social situations, I'm not afraid of public speaking, and if you follow my photography, I'm fine displaying myself as well. But through all that, my close friends know that I retreat and withdraw a lot. Back to my happy hermit cave. Where it's quiet and I have control of my surroundings and what I share with others.
Well, screw all that.
I'm about to embark on a new, very public journey. It'll be a challenge for me, which is probably the best indication that it's a good idea. I love challenges. I don't go down without a fight, and I'm pretty determined to succeed in all ventures, especially if something requires me to try harder.
To make a long story short (too late), I'll be displaying my life, LIVE AS IT HAPPENS, on camera via the Hang W/ app. It's available for iPhone and Android, and it's free. The basic idea is live streaming video - currently in 3 minute increments. I'm still in practice-mode to be honest. Figuring out how I fit in, what I want to share with you about my life. There's a lot of pressure doing things live. I have no edit button. There aren't filters. I have to roll with the punches as we go. It's basically public performance, or... public existing, you could say.
I invite you, my friends, my fans, my family - to come along with me. If you want.
Long term this will be an excellent way for you to participate in my art and my travels. I have an art show tonight and I will be broadcasting live all evening from the event. I'm going to Hawaii in two months and Greece in the spring. How fun would it be to come along with that? Short term, you might see a lot of me walking Musashi or drunken dinners with friends. Maybe a hike, or a sunset, or a little Krav Maga practice. Who knows? It's all spontaneous and in the moment.
Oh and painting! I'm about to start making new art again, and this is a great way for you to see me in my studio at work.
*Full disclosure (as required by law and the FTC): I'm getting paid to do this.
Someone thinks my life is worth the time and money. We'll see about that. But I take the honor and responsibility seriously, and I will work my hardest to make the experience interesting and entertaining for both of us.
Bonus- You can comment live and I will answer your questions on camera.
After you download the app - called Hang W/ - make sure to adjust your notifications as you see fit. Go to 'Me' (on your profile) then to 'My Settings' then to 'Notifications' to turn them on and off. You're welcome to keep them on but, fair warning: You might receive a note that I'm broadcasting live over 300 times per month. That's not an exaggeration. Otherwise, turn it off and tune in when you feel like it. I promise in turn that I will make an announcement if I'm broadcasting something particularly interesting, and I'll have the app tell Facebook and Twitter at those times when it's happening. I certainly don't want to bug you. :)
But I also don't get to see many of you as much as I'd like, and perhaps this way we can Hang out a little more often. And who knows? Maybe I'll become utterly fascinating one day. ;)
--If you'd prefer NOT to download the app or don't have the capability on your phone, check my new Hang W/ Me LIVE page where you can view my live broadcasts directly on my website. Yay!