(Vocational) Memoirs of an ADHDer

I've loved art since I was very young. When I was in school, my town had an art and music summer program, free to "townies", so I took advantage of the training in art and crafts (like ceramics, cartooning, pen and ink, wood shop, sewing, and many more).

I discovered somewhere along the line that I had a bit of a talent for design. I learned to knit and crochet (the crocheting I learned the basics from a friend when I was in 5th grade and the rest I taught myself and the knitting I learned from the summer program) and began knitting and crocheting "Barbie" doll clothing (which I sold through a local concession store). (I recently created a couple of new outfits using Barbie as a model.)

I attended Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) where I completed 19 1/2 credits in art and jewelry design (and science). I began creating jewelry pieces, mostly using the "lost wax" method (I made a mold from wax -- sometimes adding plastic buttons since anything that can melt under high heat will work -- and sent the wax mold to a caster to be made into silver or gold -- I used this method once to design a prototype engagement ring with a small stone set into a heart with a braided band). Friends saw my designs and started asking to buy them. So I started selling my designs to friends, coworkers and my Mom's coworkers.

A few years later, after taking some programming classes at Baruch College in the graduate program, I became interested in creating art on computers. My brother, who was a programmer, taught me some commands that I could use on the Apple II series computers and I was "off" on my way.

I took some classes in computer art at Rutgers (I earned a total of 32 credits post Bachelors in art, computer art, and computer programming) and continued doing graphic design, mostly freelance.

I have continued with graphic design, working both in Mac and PC environments (I mostly use Canvas Draw on Mac and Corel Draw on PC). I have created a line of Cafe Press products (samples of which are in a module below) and Zazzle (samples of these are in three modules below). I also have a store on Printfection and another on PrintPop.

My first exposure to computers was in my first year of college. Back then, many of the computer labs in colleges used punch cards. I had some programming to do for my calculus class at Rutgers. But I didn't really learn anything about programming then.

My first programming classes were graduate level classes in Fortran and Cobol (though the college computer lab was switching over to monitors and consoles rather than keypunch and punch cards, I still used the latter since the wait for a machine was quite a bit shorter). I did well in both classes. I then programmed in Apple basic with some graphic work using commands that my brother taught me. I then took two programming classes in the computer art program (using Mac in one and PC in the other) and one Pascal class in the computer department.

I later got a job with AT&T as a Cobol and PLI programmer. The group I worked in wrote programs that matched one file on another file and put the results out in a new file or a report. I worked there for almost 2 years.

Since then, I have used my programming knowledge as a Technical Writer. I earned a post Bachelors certificate in Technical Writing. I got a job writing a 200+ page user manual for a ticketing machine. I also added a lot of the graphic images in the manual and also created a manual with screen capture images of many different functions (this manual was over 100 pages).

Over the years, I have written a vegan cooking column for the local health food co-op's monthly newsletter, a singles column for a local Jewish newspaper and a regular op-ed column for my local Jewish community's independent Jewish newspaper. I currently write blogs and squidoo lenses.

I started tutoring math in high school. I was very good at it and I helped a lot of schoolmates who otherwise would have struggled through math. By the time I was a senior in high school, my tutoring abilities were sought out by many students, including my own elective senior math classmates.

When I was in college, I started tutoring for a program called Upward Bound for college bound high schoolers from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. I worked for Upward Bound for several years.

Recently, I began tutoring again, though now I tutor just about every subject, including English (and writing), History and Judaic Studies subjects. I've been tutoring privately now for over 7 years. I also recently found a good site to find new students -- Wyzant (I have a link below to get signed up as either a tutor or a tutee).

Check out my other squidoo lenses:
Strong Biblical Women
Strong Biblical Women 2
Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 2
Rosh Hashana
Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Strong Biblical Women Part 3
Hanuka
About the Jewish Calendar
Witches and Morality
Presidential Trivia Quiz
Christmas and the Jewish Single
Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington
Passover: Holiday of Freedom
Ruth and Naomi
John and John Quincy Adams
Television Trivia Quiz
Tamar -- Mother of Kings
Jewish Perspective of G-d
Yocheved -- Mother of Moshe (Moses)
Purim, Esther et al
Being an internet small business owner
Why I'm a Red Sox fan
Pythagorean Theorem
My Blogs
Top 10 Presidents
Bottom 10 Presidents
How Can We Appeal to G-d for Forgiveness?
Math Tips 2
Searching for a Fashion Partner
Math Hints 3
One Actor, Two Shows (TV Quiz)
Presidential Tidbits

Check out my blogs:

Israel and it's Place in the World
Jewish Singles
Strong Jewish Women
Everything Goes

I have always loved sharing my knowledge with others, but I'm not good at teaching large groups of youngsters (discipline isn't my "thing"), so tutoring was a good way for me to go.

While it takes more than just knowing a subject well, you don't have to have teaching credentials or even be a college graduate to tutor. All you need is one (or more) subjects where you have a strong knowledge base and someone who wants to learn it.

Of all the tutoring "agencies" I've dealt with, I have found WyzAnt to be the best. They are the most professional, from my perspective. They let you set your own rate and then they have a percentage program -- you earn higher percentages of your rate based on the number of hours you have worked through WyzAnt. Another nice thing about working through WyzAnt is that you don't deal with the money -- they do. And, if you like (which I do) they even have a direct deposit set up for tutors.

If you need a tutor or want to tutor, click on the WyzAnt logo and follow the directions.

If you are interested in one of my designs but you want something a little bit different, or you like my artistic style but don't see the sort of image you are looking for, I do custom designs also; e-mail me here.

You can link to my sites through the Cafe Press and Zazzle links.

I just discovered Printpop -- check out my entire portfolio or click on the graphic to see just this product (called "Jewish Star Centered"). Check back periodically as new designs are uploaded.

Compugraph Designs' Facebook page includes a section with our jewelry designs. This is a blue bead anklet in brass. Click on the picture to see the entire collection.

In addition to our Cafe Press and Zazzle sites (see modules above), we also have a store on "Printfection" which includes cutting boards (good wedding or housewarming gifts), mugs and cups, tees, etc.

This canvas bag is only one of several holiday themed items at our store:

Compugraphd Printfection site

(Click on the picture to go directly to this product's page)

In addition to our Cafe Press and Zazzle sites (see modules above), we also have a store on "Printfection" which includes cutting boards (good wedding or housewarming gifts), mugs and cups, tees, etc.

This Stein is only one of several Jewish themed items at our store:

Compugraphd Printfection site

(Click on the picture to go directly to this product's page)

Spoonflower is a place where a designer can design his/her own fabric. I have some designs on fabric there -- click on the picture to see all the fabric designs.

Spoonflower also has a weekly contest where you can vote for your favorite design.

Arts Now is another "Print on Demand" site. They have a nice collection of clocks and watches, including the one pictured here (with my popular math symbols design on it). Click on the picture to see the entire site.