“Who Are You?”

I recently came across three explanations of myself.

1.
The first was when I traded sketchbooks with a friend at a coffe shop.
I drew in hers, she wrote in mine.
Unprovoked she decided to write a thesis about me.
Rather insightful actually:

"Ali’s mind works in ways that, at best, could be described as peculiar. In fact, Ali himself would argue that his mind works in a fairly logical series of significant deliberations. The weights weighed, the checks balanced, and re-balanced and so forth. He deludes himself in this respect, and is therefore, pleasantly neurotic with a particularly sunny disposition. His movements are very exact and they strike with the intention of direct contact. Not physical contact mind you, but a deeper, more piercing psychological contact that clearly establishes his physical presence, much like that of a striking viper, or perhaps some sort of bird of prey. "


2.
A friend of mine was working on getting a book published
that highlighted contemporary independent artists
working in a variety of mediums.
These questions/answers would have appeared opposite a page of my artwork.
The project never quite materialized,
but I felt my answers were fairly indicative of who I am,
at least how I see myself:

Name:
Ali Jamalzadeh

Location:
Los Angeles

Contact/Website (please provide both when applicable):
www.ArtofAli.com

Art/Skill:
drawing/painting, film, photography, music, writing

Other Interests (feel free to get crazy/creative on this one):
Being an old fuddy-duddy.
(i.e. cooking on cast iron, writing on a type writer,
taking photos with vintage cameras etc.)

Imagining the feasibility of a pygmy goat and fox as pets
(I think they would get along swimmingly).
And commissioning a shoe maker to make me ninja booties.
When both are complete, I will have ‘made it’.

Using apostrophes in place of quote marks.

Personal Philosophy:
Drink fresh juice (not from concentrate).

Resisting temptation to compromise, always pays off in the end.

There is no such thing as wasted planning.

Good food and good music are worth the time and effort.

There is rarely a need to waste time on people who don’t ‘get you’.

If you’re faced with a tough decision;
imagine what the ‘perfect you’ would do, and do that.


3.
Recently I received a letter
where half way through a paragraph I was asked “who are you?”.
Something about the conciseness and sudden appearance of the question
gave it a very stark piercing quality.
And I considered it with more gravity than I might have otherwise.
I decided to answer through a stream of consciousness rant
Considering that to be the most honest and pure way to answer:


"I’m an artsy blackhat thinker

Quickly and easily excel at creative problem solving

selfish and self centered,
but increasingly aware of, and considerate of doing the right thing for others

Very antiquated, morale, and disciplined in my belief system

Abstinence and honesty, and their relationship to each other
are my principal governing virtues

Old fuddy duddy, with a disgust for plastic,
and fondness for durable old fashioned everything from cookware to ideas

I care a great deal about food and music. A great deal

Am the source of my happiness through my creative expression.
Requiring very little of the external world and others to define my wellbeing.
For better or worse.

Extremely deliberate and pure in almost everything I do and think
(Some would say control freak and stubborn)

Slightly OCD in some ways
when it comes to hygiene and a few other things

Tend to think of things conceptually and systematically

Long term in my thinking and 'over think'
I consider many permutations of possible futures, in any given scenario.
An alarming amount, and very quickly.
this happens naturally for me. And can be disturbing for others.

My good mental editing of what I say,
mixed with my quick wit and ability to read people
often means I make a very strong impression
when introduced to a new group of people,
and they welcome me with open arms.
Except one person, usually a woman, who hates me

I tend not to get along with others who are like me.

My general aesthetic is bipolar.
One is poetic/sentimental. The other silly/comical.
Both are equally irreverent and rather extreme.

I used to perform stand up comedy
and was voted class clown in jr high and high school.
I have made multiple friends literally pee their pants.

Sensually (not conceptually/intellectually/creatively)
I get the most pleasure from dark chocolate, fruit, good music,
and good romantic company with a sensitive, caring, nice woman.

That's what comes to mind right now, oh, and i am generally
not as negatively critical about others as they tend to assume I am."