Monday, December 9, 2013

Being Interviewed

One of the most unique experiences I've had since becoming a legally blind artist has been being interviewed by TV stations and newspaper journalists.  It amazes me as to how quickly they can capture a mood and turn it into a story.  My very first television interview was a Live at Five segment by Pam Towsier of Channel 3 news at the Wisconsin Council of the Blind in Madison.  The first thing they have you do is to get into position.  Then there's a brief countdown, a huge light turns on above the camera, and the next thing you know, you're being asked questions.  It's kind of hard to keep your focus, and it almost seems surreal that your image and words are being projected out to thousands of people that very minute. 

The next experience I had was more along the lines of a documentary type taping.  This is not scripted, but you do have the ability to edit and put together pieces that flow into a complete story.  This is a more relaxed setting and to me, was most informative.  This was done by Sam Sorenson by NBC 15 while doing a "Your Stories" interview.  This showed me painting, a brief interview in my living room, and a back history of why I started my artistic endeavors.

 My last television interview was done in a studio in Tomah, WI by Steve Peterson and was geared around the launch of my website.  This was a totally different experience, as a group of people came together to make the news brief happen.  This also was very relaxing, and had a wonderful atmosphere to project creativity.  In none of these situations was I nervous at all, but rather excited to have my art and story being showcased that capacity.  Through these stories, being told on the airwaves, you never know who you're going to affect, or who may hear them and receive inspiration.  This is what is very meaningful to me. 

See these interviews here.

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