AliciaC Interviews drbj
A Hubber reveals the value of humor and an inquisitive disposition (plus her fascinating background!)
Many of your Hubs are both humorous and informative, which makes them very enjoyable. Why did you decide to write humorous Hubs and what benefits do you think humor offers to your readers?
Thank you for the compliment, Alicia. I believe that when humor plays an integral part of an informative Hub, the reader is likely to read the entire article and remember it as well. To me, humor is like the condiments we put on our food. We can eat food without salt and pepper, but how much more interesting it tastes when we add them.
Sometimes when I start a Hub in a more serious vein, that little humor gremlin creeps out and before you know it, I’m wondering 'am I going too far? Is this over the line?' But it’s difficult for me not to be a Mirthologist. Humor and laughter have always been the linchpins in my life.
Your supernatural interviews are especially interesting and are a great way to share information! Where do you get your inspiration for these Hubs?
My first supernatural interview was with Genghis Khan. Why? Because I wanted to learn more about that famous luminary myself. Once I began my research I discovered how much humor I could inject without losing the serious Genghis flavor.
I made a list of other deceased celebrities whose lives would be interesting to recount, and at the same time could be humorous in the retelling. After that it was easy. Napoleon was funnier than I expected, and, believe it or not, so was Al Capone. Vlad Dracula and Jack the Ripper, not so much.
Then I decided to branch out with interviews with animals– no danger of litigation there. And, as you know from your love of all animals, a hippopotamus, a proboscis monkey... even a penguin can be really funny subjects.
Your psychology Hubs are very useful and reflect your extensive knowledge in this area. How did you become interested in psychology?
Human behavior and misbehavior have always fascinated me. Psychology was one of my favorite subjects in college– the more I learned, the more I wanted to learn. Because of my love of writing, my first degree was in Journalism/Marketing. Then I realized that becoming a psychologist– a respected profession– could open the doors and enhance whatever career I chose, so I changed my major to clinical psychology.
You have had some interesting careers! In your opinion, how have these careers influenced your writing?
Serendipity has been the major factor in my various and sundry careers. Seems like one thing always led to another without my conscious interference. And writing was always a large part of each position. For example, my first job one summer while I was still in high school was as switchboard operator for a small law firm. How hard could that be?
After only one hour of inserting those orange tipped cords into various incorrect apertures on that devilish, old-fashioned switchboard, I was promoted (?) to deposition taker. Since I had not yet completed a stenography course, my skills were less than professional so out of necessity, I invented my own brilliant shorthand – the beginning of my paid writing career.
Practicing psychology was fascinating but creativity was not necessarily a virtue, so I decided that the field of training and development was my forte. I created unique learning manuals for a financial institution, a large retail organization, and the State Attorney’s office.
My injection of humor in those otherwise staid instruction journals made them much more interesting to read and remember. For example, instead of John Doe and Jane Roe on a sample Affidavit, the State was represented by Cole Slaw. The Defendant was Hamburger, Patty. You get the idea.
In my spare time I also ran a mail order business. This was BC – Before Computers. I published ads in magazines like Cosmopolitan and Today’s Woman selling a line of plush (toy) animals I created with ingenious sayings attached. Example: A plush moose with the card reading: “I MOOSE you.” Or for someone who was ill, a plush lion with a card: “Get well and stop LION around.”
A recruiter lured me to a large commercial bank where I spent an entire week as the new Training Director. Then serendipity struck again. The VP of Marketing abruptly resigned and during a team meeting with the bank President this subject arose.
The President said, “We need a new Marketing Director. Which one of you seven professionals (he used a different word) knows how to do that?” The others, all senior male financial-type bankers, were silent. I said, enthusiastically, “I do!” Voila! I became the Director, then VP of Marketing. Finally, a genuine opportunity to write AND be creative.
I left Psychology as a profession because I did not want to spend my life with maladjusted folks. So for the last 16 years of my career I was first, an Outplacement Consultant with a worldwide international organizational development company (working with people to find new jobs), and then as an Executive Coach for senior executives (working with people to keep their jobs). Yes, I was spending time again with temporarily maladjusted folks.
Want to know my most favorite coaching assignment? For almost three years, I worked for the world’s largest cruise line coaching their senior employees – the Captains and the Hotel Directors – at work – doing their jobs – on their ships. This meant I had to take a one-week all- expense-paid cruise every third week. But I was happy to make the sacrifice!
On your Profile you state that you have published a book. What led you to create this book?
While I was helping clients learn how to write resumes and cover letters and network and interview and negotiate new salaries, I realized there was a much larger market for all the valuable information I was learning. Why not share it? So I wrote my book, Much of What You Know about Job Search Just Ain’t So. I borrowed part of the title from Mark Twain.
Do you have any HubPages goals for 2013, and if so, what are they?
I need to point out that I am older than dirt. No, let me correct that statement. I am older than soil. It came before dirt. So my goals are not set in stone. At this point in my life, writing is one of my dominant pleasures next to my family, and travel, whenever I can fit it in.
That’s one of the reasons I chose HubPages. I can write as little or as much as I wish and my faithful followers on HubPages will almost immediately give me feedback. So far … positive. My major goal: I intend to live forever. So far … so good.
Do you prefer HubPages to other writing platforms?
My answer would be a resounding Yes! Why? Let me count the ways. First, gradually I have seen HubPages become more favored by the search engines so original writers’ Hubs will receive higher ranking in search results. Second, HubPages makes it very easy for new writers to learn how to post their articles most effectively. And third, the HubPages team is most responsive to writers’ queries via the Forum and the Questions formats.
One more thing if you want to add it: my profile name is drbj, so some folks often assume I am a man. But as Helen Reddy once proclaimed in a song: “I am WOMAN!”
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