A Glimpse: Lee is a painter who can't get enough of Discworld
As a person who enjoys finding possible connections within my contacts, I've started this series as a way of making introductions happen faster (the more minds brainstorming....the more effective the result...right?).
Each person featured in the series would be answering 36 questions. And yes, a number of them are from the famed '36 questions' that allow two people to have a deeper connection (by getting to know one another via a set of questions) in a short amount of time.
Q#1: You're flying business class and the flight is about 15 hours. Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want seated next to you?
A#1: Andy Kaufman, definitely. He might just be my favourite human that ever existed, I would love to talk to him for even 30 minutes. My ultimate hero. If you havent yet, watch Man on the Moon starring Jim Carrey, a movie/documentary about him.
Q#2: If you were to give a TED talk, what would it be about? (I noticed that there are speakers on TED who end up speaking about topics that aren't directly related to their current body of work. For example Susan Cain was a consultant --- who ended up speaking about Introversion)
A#2: Ooh interesting. Is this an impromptu thing or something I can prepare for? For either option I would probably be able to jump in and do a presentation about the benefits of video gaming in creating logical and problem solving skills and why this has benefited the newer generation in being more open to new experiences and challenges. You can see this clearly in how generations deal with (or not deal with) tech problems for instance.
Q#3: How detailed are you? (For example: Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why?)
A#3: All the time, I kind of run through most conversations in my mind, its a social anxiety thing I guess.
Q#4: What would constitute a “perfect” day for you?
A#4: I believe I already have these kind of perfect days. In the weekends I wake up, my girlfriend has the weekends off, and we lazy around the house with our new puppy, taking him walks and not doing much. Lazy but bliss :)
Q#5: When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?
A#5: Oh I sing in the shower all the time, at full volume. I think its funny just letting go and not holding back once in a while. My girlfriend doesnt.
Q#6: If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?
A#6: After working in retail for 7 years, the amount of grumpy, judgemental and selfish old people that I've interacted with makes me instantly choose the mind option, I don't want to become bitter.
Q#7: Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?
A#7: I have not.
Q#8: What’s your favorite phrase/word in a foreign language?
A#8: Its more of a quote than a phrase but 'Happiness does not come from having much, but from being attached to little.' -Cheng Yen
Q#9: For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
A#9: The fact that I can actually do art full time, I get to wake up every day and drink coffee while a small puppy sleeps on me. Its a perfect life, except when I stay up tilll 5am painting when the queue of commissions gets overloaded though :).
Q#10: If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?
A#10: I'd probably have done a LOT more art studying. There's an insurmountable stuff I need to study and practise to become better and I wish I started much sooner.
Q#11: If you were to tell your life story as quickly as possible, how would it go? (4 minute limit)
A#11: Ok, Studied illustration and then Digital art and animation at uni. Got mugged when I was 18 and have permanent double vision from injuries. Worked in retail for 7 years then decided to do art seriously. Have a girlfriend of 6 years and we now live together and have the cutest puppy. Now I'm having the most fun of my life being a full time artist.
Q#12: If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?
A#12: I'm going to go ahead and allow superpowers in this 'ability'. Id like to be able to float about like im flying, its one of my favourite dreams. Not fly like superman, but like I'm floating in water.
Q#13: If you could find out the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know?
A#13: oh id like to look into the future and see how things end up, whether we sort out all our wars and conflicts and become a unified race like in Star Trek or something else sci-fi esque or the world just blows up in World War 3.
Q#14: Is there something that you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it?
A#14: I think the last thing I dreamed of doing was doing art full time, that was 6 months ago so I'm currently happilly living that. I'm currently studying to get my art techniques good enough that I can produce enough original art to sell it or get a gallery show or something.
Q#15: What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?
A#15: Quitting my job to do art full time :)
Q#16: Close your eyes, point in a random direction; tell a story about whatever you’re pointing at.
A#16: I pointed at my guitar in the corner of the living room, its a pretty cheap affair bought as a gift to me years ago from my parents, but the sound on it is amazing. A few of my more musical friends have commented how it has a great sound for what it is.
I don't play it too much these days, but it sits proudly on display, with a Grateful Dead sticker on it.
Q#17: What’s your current desktop background? (How did you comes across it?)
A#17: My background is really boring, just a solid black image. I use a program called 'Pureref' so much that its permanently open and works as my 'desktop'. Fantastic reference program that basically functions as a digital pinboard.
You can drag hundreds of images into it, rearrange and overlap them and resize. Its an essential thing for me.
Q#18: What language do you wish you could be totally fluent in right now?
A#18: French, it has such a lovely cadence to it.
Q#19: If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living? Why?
A#19: I'd probably go on a mad binge with all my life savings.
Q#20: What film or TV show makes you feel really hopeful each time you watch it (that you can get through anything life throws at you)?
A#20: The producers, my favourite musical.
Q#21: What would you do without the internet?
A#21: Stare at the walls in a depressed mood.
On a serious note the internet is 100% of my business, so I'd probably be flapping about in a panic.
Q#22: Why Do you do the things that you do? (What is your 'why')
A#22: I do things because people seem to really like my art and it makes them and their loved ones smile, and that it heartwarming to me in a way that really validates me more than any other work could.
Q#23: What’s the one thing that makes you laugh EVERY SINGLE TIME?
A#23: This video
(Editor's Note: It's the viral video of Jonathan Coulton getting 'jumped' by a plush monkey and falling over)
Q#24: If you suddenly had $20,000 to spend on someone. How would you spend it? (And...it can be for multiple people...you just can't spend it on yourself)
A#24: Probably use it to pay off my parents mortgage :)
Q#25: Describe your unique taste in music.
A#25: I like old music, I seem to be stuck in the 60-70's. Everything from rock with the Rolling stones to Soul with Lorraine Ellison. I dont actually know who I listen to these days, I just hit play on Spotify and it always makes an excellent playlist up.
As long as its something to get ya grooving when painting/drawing I don't mind whats on. I really cant get into modern music, it all sounds like postrock droning on stuff. I sound like an old man.
Q#26: If you could live in a fictional world where would it be and why?
A#26: Oh wow I would instantly live in Terry Pratchett's Discworld. No contest.
Q#27: Do you have keys, what do you have on your key ring?
A#27: I have only two keys for my flat, and a USB stick. I don't keep them on a keyring so they can just fit into that little weird pocket you get on jeans.
Q#28: What are the three things that frustrate you about other people?
A#28: Laziness, snobbiness and arrogance I guess. Just chill out and have a beer you angry people.
Q#29: Do you take notes electronically or hand write them?
A#29: I've tried about a dozen times over the last 10 years to take notes electronically, using OneNote and other apps, on Samsung note phones, on an ipad pro, no matter what it's never something that 'sticks' for me.
Q#30: Do you have a pen pal? Tell me about them. If not, would you like one?
A#30: No I dont have a penpal, I struggle to keep in contact with people close to me, nevermind remembering to write back to someone else!
Q#31: Can you recite a poem by heart?
A#31: I'm not that big into poetry, I have a few favourites but the girlfriend is nuts about it though.
I could probably recite Ozymandias the best out of all the poems I know off the top of my head though.
Q#32: What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?
A#32: Nothing is too serious to be joked about. Comedy should have no limits, otherwise there's no point.
Q#33: What do you do or say that is uniquely you?
A#33: I have probably one of the most annoying, silliest and dark senses of humour of anyone I know, so I'm sure I annoy the girlfriend something rotten with my general day-to-day chat.
Q#34: Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. After saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. What would it be? Why?
A#34: This might be cheating but my backpack sits beside the couch in my living room, it has spare puppy food, towel toys and treats, and my Surface pro laptop. This way I can keep the business going while I
Q#35: Describe colour to someone who is blind.
A#35: Hmm, that's a good one, Id probably relate it to tastes/spices/ingredients in food. Generally its something that's just taken for granted, but when done well, in artwork or in nature, it can be the real focal point of something and take your breath away.
Okay. I know. This is less one question than the typical 36. Depending on when the Thrive editorial team gets to the piece I've submitted about Lee's journey in growing his painting commissions stream...there should be a link to the post in the comments (as I've noticed it takes about 2-3 weeks to get one of my pieces published).
Lee McGuire is a painter based in Glassgow. You can find more about his work here and glimpses of some works in progress via his Instagram feed.
Photo by Julie Macdonald
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Would you like to do the next one? You just let me know your best email address and I’ll send you the question template to fill in. Your mini-bio would be your anonymised name (You can pick…or let me pick for you. That is if you would appreciate an introduction, but just prefer I do it privately. However, if you are open to link to your site, Twitter/Instagram feed...then I will keep your name and link to those feeds!), age, city and some quick facts about you (2-3 sentences) that you have not yet revealed while answering the questions.
As I am a big supporter of privacy, you have the option of giving an approximation of your age or the generation you belong to (example: 'Young Millenial').
If you've already completed the exercise, you are more than welcome to link to your post (whether or not it is on Steemit) as a comment (just hit the reply button in-line with the social sharing links)!
Also...If you think I should switch any of the questions with something else...go for it. Feedback is welcome here.
Previous posts from this series:
For upvoting, I had heard from Steve Clark, that it is better to upvote posts that are less than 7 days old. So if you would like to be sure I get rewarded, head here to see newer posts. Because you still can upvote anytime ---- of course you can upvote this post even if it is more than 7 days old! :D
After reading this post (specifically item one), I've decided to include links for verification so any of the witnesses can confirm that I am me! :)
#1 - Here's a tweet linking to one of my Steemit posts #2 - Here's a page on my site with a Tweet from my handle embeded #3 - Here's my Thrive Feed (that links to my site, which links to my Twitter feed...which links to my Steemit feed...)
Posts about other topics:
- Stories from The Moth
- Viewer Timestamp Commentaries
- The Pun Collection (Pizza or Diner)
- Cinematic Shots
- Meet A - Individuals answer 36 questions for you to get more of a glimpse about them.
- The Poster Collection - If 1,000 people came up to me to ask to put anything I wanted ton their walls...these are among the ones you'll find.
- The Trailer Collection - even if I rarely watch them, I still find films I end up watching browsing through distributor and production YouTube Channels.
- Writer References - I am constantly stretching myself as a writer and even if a writing exercise doesn't end up for the public's consumption, I feel like it still contributes in every way. (Here's another screenplay entry)
- Entries that should have been published elsewhere. Thinking about it this and this could have been more of a fit for my Thrive feed.
As for my other written pieces (outside of Steemit), some of them can be found on Thrive and Buzzfeed.
Search Terms: Millenials / Connection / The Experimental Generation of Interpersonal Closeness: A Procedure and Some Preliminary Findings / interpersonal closeness / Arthur Aron / A Person Of Few Words / Getting To Know You / Artist / Scotland / Dog Dad