I was new here, too

For whatever reasons I’ve been making excuses and holding back on starting this thing. Doesn’t mean I haven’t been having the conversations, dialog, sharing thoughts and challenging assumptions, just haven’t published them in this way.

My background is a varied collection of experiences, roles, conditions, locations, and opportunities realized. I draw from this toolkit everyday to try and make sense of the mysteries and opportunities apparent to me.

I am a:
– musician
– designer
– thinker
– husband
– father

I thought for some time on why I would go deeper with classifying what roles I’ve played for work:

– user experience architect
– interaction designer
– researcher
– analyst
– photograph technician
– motion graphic artist
– digital animator
– quality advocate

But, I’m sure I would miss aspects of who I am, trying to list them, and really what’s the point in listing them. I’m a pretty dynamic kind of guy…adaptable. When I need to lead, I step up – when voices need to be heard, I listen. Where problems exist, I solve them. Where opportunity lies, I pursue.

So what does that make you? Does there have to be a “title” for it? I think it makes you human. Yeah, that’s my new title, I’m sure the Corporation will dig it when I update my business cards:

Mark FelcanSmith
Human
Corporation Company Inc.
Here And There, USA

I like that, it has a…grounding that resonates with me.  If you happen to have this title too, drop me a note about the qualities that you find most useful in this complex and demanding role. Maybe, together, we can help craft a useful “how to be” guide.

I have many interests, some of which I’ll share here – they may be mostly dealing with my day job: leading experience design teams. I don’t think it discounts my past at all, in fact I would hope one of the reasons I’m in this role is because of my past. I guess I didn’t really share that yet – I think it’s a pretty interesting story, I’ve shared it before, and Ima do it again (cue Wesley Willis).

…more later