Steve Hamlin at Southwick Art Show

Background

It’s hard to write about yourself – to speak of your strengths without appearing egotistical, to be objective about your limitations.  It’s particularly hard for me, since I don’t have the benefit of a lot of typical units of measure of one’s accomplishments and stature.  Where most people would simply list their degrees and let them speak for the level of competence associated with them, I can’t do that.  It would be easy for an editor or publisher to write me off at this point, and I suppose some will.  If that includes you, thank you for coming this far.

If, on the other hand, you’re willing to consider the possibility that a degree, or the lack of one, doesn’t tell the whole story, let me tell you about myself.  I graduated from an excellent college prep high school with acceptable grades.   Bored with school and anxious to experience life, I decided not to go on to college, at least not immediately.  My father was extremely disappointed, but I felt that to continue my schooling at that point would have been a waste of money.  To this point, I still haven’t made it back to school.

Instead, I’ve pursued life passionately.  I’ve been self-employed in creative endeavors for twenty years.  I’ve performed civic duties, chairing my town’s planning board, and presiding over our local business association and the advisory board of the scenic byway my wife Linda and I live on.  I’ve built and played musical instruments.  In recent years, Linda and I have traveled extensively, pursuing our dual passions of birding and photography.  Our travels, combined with the culture and beauty of our western Massachusetts home, have provided me with a wealth of inspiration and material for my writing and painting.

Strengths

I’ve been blessed with native intelligence, resourcefulness and creativity.  I’ve developed a reputation as a problem solver, someone who will tackle most any problem and doggedly pursue it, usually until it’s resolved.  I’m inherently curious, anxious to learn what makes things tick, how two people can view the same situation and arrive at opposite conclusions, why Arctic terns migrate from the North Atlantic to Antarctica every year.

I try my best to approach every situation with objectivity, to avoid preconceived notions or biases.  My success varies, but I’m receptive to constructive criticism when I fall short of the mark.  In writing, I’m always heedful of the first lesson learned from my high school journalism teacher.  He drilled into us the importance of answering the questions: who, what, when, where, why and how?

Samples

I've included a list of previously published articles below (in PDF format - Adobe Reader required). Please see my blog Wanderings for other samples of my writing, my watercolor site Steve Hamlin Watercolors to view my paintings, my sample drawings page, Linda’s and my photography site Mountain Laurel Designs Online for examples of our photography, and our website design site New England WebArt for information regarding those services. 

Previously published articles:

References

The following are letters of reference in PDF format from past clients, friends, and associates:

Thank you for your interest in my work.  If you have questions or would like further information, please feel free to contact me.