So… why “The Generalist” blog?

After recently closing a business, the problem arose of how do I describe myself as I looked for my next career option. I am a man who has always prided himself in doing many things. As the owner of an online catalog I did everything from programming the shopping cart to designing the web site, to writing and designing print ads, to selecting product, to designing the order processing work flow, to fulfilling orders, to customer relations, to… well, you get the idea.

At a previous job, working for a CD Manufacturer, I started as an audio engineer, but confounded the management by constantly coming up with new things I could do. I finished my time there as Director of Multimedia Services, and I designed the web site, designed multimedia CD-ROMS, wrote the company’s anti-piracy policy, researched CD testing equipment for the new manufacturing room, wrote marketing materials, wrote manuals, and became a sort of go-to guy for anything outside of what had previously been, for that business, ordinary.

I like education. I love learning new things. By the time I graduated college, I had about 100 more credit hours than I needed, and had two degrees. On top of that, I’ve taken some additional two dozen hours as what they call “graduate, non-degree.”

I’ve programmed in a dozen languages, including some now long dead. I do design, and am pretty decent on the professional design software out there, though, I must admit, I can’t draw a straight line.

I do not consider myself some sort of renaissance man. I am adept at many things, but complete master of few — though I admit my own criteria for mastery is mighty high. It has often been the case where I have had to consult with people claiming expertise in one field or another, and I find myself the person with the greater knowledge, though I would not deign to call myself an expert. It is not ego or lack thereof — I am simply smart enough to know how much there is to a particular subject that I do not know.

And that may be why I chose to consider myself a generalist — I’m never satisfied enough with my own master of a particular area to call myself a specialist, though in some cases I might qualify as one.

I don’t want to dis specialists, either. I’ve known some people whose knowledge and abilities in their area make me want to go start a cult dedicated to them. I am awed by these people. I want to listen at their feet and be a fly on their walls. And part of me would like to be them… but part of me wants to be several other people too — so I’m a generalist.

But mainly, this is called the “Generalist Blog” because I want an excuse to comment on anything and everything. And I likely will.

Posted: January 18th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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