i never thought i'd be a clown...

Growing up, I was the shy kid, the wallflower at the high school dance. I was nahihiya (shy) to a fault.

Yet in the last 6 weeks i found myself dress as a mermaid at two different occasions, diving into a pile of ice in the middle of summer, and blowing giant bubbles on a street corner, to name a few. I learned to charm, to perform, to humor, and to connect with others this way. You could say this is all spectacle. But to me it became a way to overcome my shyness.

I found a way to interact with people, with strangers.

clown/improv/cheerleading--i think of Rudy alias Sangiacomo. he's a totally fearless person and can get anyone to talk to him. though i'm not in his league i do get inspired by him.

this is a skill. a skill i'm developing and learning.

getting out of one's comfort zone. being fearless.

i think of Mockus. a former Mayor of Bogota colombia who employed mimes to ridicule traffic violators. He even took a shower for a commercial about water conservation.

stuff like that.

If i can make at least one person smile i've created change. If i can make a person laugh or cry, i know i made a difference. and that's one of the things that matters to me.

i never thought i'd be a clown. yeah clowns can be scary. but that's only because they take you out of your comfort zone. and it's then where we truly laugh and cry and feel emotion.

here goes

this is an attempt to get at what i want in life in terms of a career.

My name is Edward Maravilla.
I am 31.

I have a BS degree in Mathematics and a Masters Degree in Fine Arts in Design. And have dabbled with a few units of Industrial design and Computer science.

I have held jobs in a variety of fields.

Human Resources Consulting
Graphic Design in Print and Web
Photo editing in an adult entertainment company
Box office work
Teaching Graphic Design and Art to College and Middle school students
Nonprofit (foundation/ philanthropic work)
Marketing for lesbians
Children's book illustration

The skills I have that that bring the jobs together are

Visual communication
Creative and innovative thinking
Teaching/Training
Process streamlining
Concept building
Research and Development
Customer service
Prototyping (manually)
Creating objects that are tactile and interactive
Engaging with co-workers/customers
Basic Programming (C, C++, Action Script, HTML)

Other skills and interests that supplement these are:
Performing on stage (singing, dancing, acting, stand-up)
Counselling (empathy)
Tarot/Tea Leaf Reading
Studio arts (painting, textile, fiber arts, sculpture, drawing)
Journalling
Handicrafts
Walking/Hiking
Storytelling

the last list are things that I enjoy doing and try to incorporate them in my work whenever possible. For example, when critiquing student work i try to read at each student's piece as a tarot card. Looking at all the details, I try to understand what the student is saying. The artwork like a tarot card is a springboard into the student's mind. With a few simple questions, the students viewpoint becomes clear and a proper critique can begin.