Tech Near To Me

You might be wondering, who is the "Me" we're talking about, in Tech Near to Me?

The short answer is "the Me, is You" - whether you have a signature archetype, or are defined by a lack of definition, your style and environment are reflections of your life, extensions of yourself.

The long answer is: the Me is Me, John Stonebraker. I'm an artist whose favorite mediums are solving problems and making dreams reality. I use technique and technology that fit the use case - whether you are seeking something vintage to fit your aesthetic or want a custom piece to express your personal brand. 

I promised a long answer, so here's a little bit of background - I grew up in Montgomery County, studied art, music, and performance arts while also attending computer camp and putting magnets near the TV screen. I am the third of four brothers with a 14 year gap in ages, so I grew up with focused, experienced artists who could sculpt, weld, chisel and shape materials as well as draft silkscreens and plot with a knife-sharpened pencil - my living room wall has paintings and pictures of the members of my family over generations, from caricatures of my children to daguerreotype tin plate exposures of my great grandfather, and even includes a picture of me with frosted tips in the boyband era.

I spent my twenties mostly pursuing advancement in retail and management - I usually found myself gravitating towards training and other roles that involved systems analysis or design, while always retaining some public-facing role. By thirty I had moved to a more autonomous type of work, keyholding bar and restaurant operations in Baltimore, bartending and serving at a prominent comedy club. My experience behind the counter as a cafe manager gave me a good foundation for clean-cut, friendly, and competent service standards, and my ability to produce events like comedy or karaoke nights was essential to that particular time and place.

And then came my daughters - three of them - and their incredible mom. My wife Wanda has been by my side throughout chapters in my life such as nursing school (who saw that one coming) and has always given me challenges to keep me humble. Lord, so many challenges. And so very humble. I'm kidding, sort of, if you can't tell. It goes with spending the last decade or so living in Harford County.

My bachelor's is in Information Technology, my senior year was made up of an apprenticeship at a one-man tech shop in Bel Air and a systems design for a service industry helper application called Cheoffrey, but I also dropped out of some very nice colleges along the way, studying philosophy and animation, 3d drafting and design. I used to think that I was becoming a renaissance man instead of going to college, until I realized that I would only become a renaissance man once I had gone back and finished a degree - thus I was reborn as a Bachelor of Science. Oh yeah, and 'Go Tigers'. 

Lately, I've been practicing beautifying spaces with information - if I can get someone to spend less time looking at their phone by giving them something more deliberate and conscientious to look at, I consider it a service they'll grow to appreciate. I enjoy making Magic Mirror devices as well as creating programs for restaurant menus and specials, so I'm always fascinated by the possibilities in choosing a great screen and placing it usefully.