Sheldon Valdimar Sveinson
From an Autobiographical perspective.
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"Having chosen to avoid the bright lights, I, with my family, live in Lac du Bonnet, Manitoba, Canada.
Not comfortable with defining myself as an artist, or anything else for that matter, I’d rather give examples of how others perceive me. So yes, certain others feel I’m an accomplished artist, a designer, a playwright, but I would counter with maybe, but if that’s the case, where’s the proof, the accolades. Others say I’m a writer, only when I write about someone I know, say, a regional community member, with name changed of course, many who read the story tell me that I just nailed the character, only, when they tell me who they think the subject is, they are typically wrong. Beyond that, my subject matter tends to be inflammatory, and worse yet, I’m less than literate. Some refer to me as a regional historian. While I acknowledge that I tend to collect freaky outliers, and collect out-there antiques, and, despite some of the subjects I’ve written about, this perception is an illusion. Others see me as a music festival organizer, a community builder, a businessman, one who brings people together. Only those that know me know that I’m not only kind of lazy, but I’m truly unorganized as Hell, and only get things done because I have a dedicated group of friends who manage me. To these patient souls I say “Thank you.”
Bizarrely enough, others yet think of me as a visionary, a sage, kind of a seer. The truth is all I do is repeat sensible things that I have heard. Besides, if this is true, that I am one of these enlightened beings, how come I’m so slow to thought? How come I always feel so obtuse, underwater, lacking in understanding and direction? Some other people, usually referred to as shamans by others, go so far as to call me a shaman. About that, I don’t practice magic, but I do tend to get things done.
Most recently I heard me described as being an NPC (a non player character), a quest giver of sorts. The one characteristic most all agree upon is that I am a contrarian. About this accusation, yes this is true, I do tend to argue most / all points. In my defense, I am this way inclined as I usually try to put my mind into the mind of others; not just human. In so doing, adopting their arguments. The thing is I only do this in an attempt to improve my own understanding. Is that such a bad thing? The fact is, a personal opinion should be evolutionary, subject to change, based on new inputs. However, this can only come about if one allows oneself to be open to new and or contrarian ideas. Failure to allow new input, for me, speaks to the idea that there is nothing sadder than a mind that cannot be changed. On that note, if you are part of a group, following those who tell you they know the way, the truth, that you shouldn’t listen to contrarian ideas of others, I say to you - run away as fast as you can, for they are no more than predators, and you, the meal their controlling egos feed upon.
Back to me (I’m a little narcissistic), in summary, a friend said the other day, “Sheldon, you do so many things, be it art, volunteer work, or other, that you will never focus on one thing long enough to be successful.” This is the one observation which I feel to be true, but this doesn’t mean I have to give up trying.
LIVE LARGE!"
~ Sheldon V. Sveinson