Identity Crisis Put To Rest

The idea of persona is intriguing. Every actor is familiar with putting on a face, and writers too, try characters on all the time. As a photographer, I've always felt inside looking out. It's a function of being behind a camera. Maybe it's the observer in me that makes me feel watchful rather than social.

Whatever psychology is at play, the task of creating a secondary voice for the Interactive Writing course was difficult. I wonder if the struggle came as a result of not identifying with my true voice, while having to create something that represented me. To be an authority on oneself is to say to the world, "I exist, and I'm important."

It takes confidence to be that voice. It takes a passion to be yourself. To like who you are without the approval of audience is the first step, but invariably to do anything outward and 'in the world,' is at once impacted by the approval of others. And so it goes.

The writing class is completed and alternate blogs and persona were created. Marginexpert is me, after all. It's what my Dad nicknamed me because I wrote neatly, within the lines. I've been peering over those lines since. Looking outward, looking at life. What do I see? Pain and beauty, loss and love. 

The experience of identifying with you, readers of these words, or you, someone I've met to photograph because something in your life called out, "Look at me." I like when that happens and the opportunity I have to discover you and your happening. That experience of learning who you are teaches me who I am. 

With the web, comes many identities. Many sites bare imprints of roads travelled. One site, soon to be overhauled is where I've been: margaretwaage.com. There are others too, Google can attest to that. Who are you and what have you learned along the way? Drop me a line via Twitter: @mwaage. Or if you prefer to browse, stop by my Facebook page and tell me where your photos live. I'd love to see!

AlterEgo = Behance = IMWaage.com = SeeTheIdea.biz = Photoshelter = LinkedIn 

Nickname For Inspiration

I'm not an expert on anything. In fact, the reason I'm in grad school now was to finish something I started a long time ago.

One year into competing a Master of Science in Social Research at Hunter College - City University of New York, I said yes to a full time job working for a newspaper. The pay scale was generous, more than I'd earn with the Master degree. The choice was a good one providing me with a career lasting twelve years.

During that time publishing industries changed rapidly - from hands on operations like printing in a darkroom and laying out the paper in a composing room, to that of a digital work flow. My job title evolved from Darkroom Technician to Digital Technician. Subsequent job titles include: Photo Editor, Newsroom Librarian, Reporter, Photojournalist and Graphic Designer.

When choosing a pseudonym for Interactive Writing assignment, I remembered a nickname my father called me. It came from showing him my homework writing assignment. The penmanship was neat handwriting, the standard rule many nuns extolled on their Catholic students, "When writing stay within the lines!" The lines were the margins on loose leaf paper and thinking about that now makes me so glad those days are over! I can't imagine staying within the lines now - there's too much happening in the outer alleys of life!