1. Who is Mabelyn and what is Mabelyn.com?
It's questions like, "Who is Mabelyn?" that make
me nervous. What am I supposed to say to that? Whatever I am can't certainly
boil down to one sentence...or can it? Am I just totally full of myself
or am I a modest, genius in hiding? Should I tell you? Who do I think
I am? I mean, really, who the hell do I think I am? I think I'm scared
to have a high opinion of myself, but I know the high opinion is lurking
in there just waiting to be let out. It's a well known fact that people
don't like other people who think they are better than them. It's also
a well known fact that in order to have healthy social relationships one
must always put oneself down and kiss someone else's ass. No? Well, since
I've never done that I'm not about to start now. Kissing ass is simply
not part of Mabelyn. Mabelyn doesn't know how. Replace the "ss" in kiss
and substitute with a "ck" and there you have it. Kick ass.
Mabelyn.com:
What the hell is it? Is it the mad ravings of a Cubana or is it the deep
convergence of the cosmos? Mabelyn.com is my little blackboard where I
get to tell the whole world off if I feel like it. This is where I come
to cry, to sing and dance. This is my virtual home; my virtual life...but
of course each life must have its secrets, so half the time I'm keeping
the good stuff to myself. If you only knew the things that are really
happening between the sheets or otherwise...you'd probably lose respect
for me, as would my parents. The hits would probably increase though ;)
2. How long have you been on-line?
I've been online since I first started Scarlet
Sanctuary back in 1996. I registered Mabelyn.com in 1998. I figure if
your name is not taken...why not?
3. What's the site traffic like?
I rather not answer that. I'm into quality
not quantity.
4. You spend a lot of time working
on Mabelyn.com. Have you discovered that the site has redefined you as
a person? as an artist?
I need to always be on the move, I need to lead,
to create and evolve. I am not a follower, could never be. The latest
incarnation of Mabelyn.com was born from despair [back in March], but
now I think it too is evolving. I am learning from reading myself if that
makes any sense. Expressing these thoughts and feelings is vital to who
I am today and it's probably affecting who I will become tomorrow. For
me sometimes the process is more important than the result. Sometimes
the end doesn't justify the means. I think one of the best descriptions
of what I'm trying to do came from Chris Kirkman [at Battleatlantic.com]
when he referred to me as a digital impressionist. When my site has been
down I have felt deprived of my own experience.
5. The intimacy issue: You share your
personal thoughts with hundreds, potentially thousands of people whose
faces you never see - are you an exhibitionist by nature?
Sometimes I think my space has been raped, and I
often find myself losing my nerve when I think that my mom is reading
this and people at work are reading this and my friends are reading this.
It has taken a lot of courage to write some of this stuff. Sometimes I
get angry phone calls from people that I know. As you can imagine they
don't necessarily enjoy having their lives posted on the great and prolific
WWW. Prior to the online journal I had a great big site of nothing...it
was all eye-candy and at a certain point it just wasn't enough. It wasn't
me. I realized I needed to say more.
I write these
words to myself but perhaps they are for others. Perhaps I am reaching
out, trying to quench that terrible need for acceptance; trying to show
someone, somewhere the things that I have been feeling. In the end, if
you don't remember yourself no one else will.
Am I a slave to my web page? Maybe.
Am I too personal? Not nearly, so don't worry about it. For all you know
I'm lying about everything...and "Mabe" doesn't exist at all. She may
just be a figment of your imagination.
I've had thoughts of creating another
website (a secret one) that you could only stumble on by chance where
I can really let go and indulge in all that exhibitionism that I know
is in me. Just think, a space where I can really go off and post all those
pictures that no one has ever seen. :) or that contains the stuff from
the unedited paper journals. Maybe it exists already. [I think that space
is called the parking lot across from my living room windows...God knows
those people have seen it all...no special URL required...he he he]
6. Where do you see Mabelyn.com (and
yourself) in five years? in ten?
I think Mabelyn.com as well as the almighty
Mabe will continue evolving. I have been keeping a journal since high
school and I don't foresee myself not writing. This is a discipline that
has been well developed. I realize that it takes a little bit more than
dreams to get something going. It takes hard work and energy and the application
of those two things to take a goal to the next level. I am one of the
most ambitious and openly aggressive people I know when it comes to chasing
my own dreams. Even though right now my life revolves around a series
of moments and my immediate goal is to accumulate more of the "good"
moments than the "bad" ones, I know that it won't always be
this way. I'm at zero right now...starting again in so many ways. Ten
years from now I will be famous.
7. Any role models or inspirations
we should know about?
I know this sounds completely egotistical [OK, well
it sounds down right narcissistic] but I am my own inspiration. There
are lots of people that I respect, but I've never been a "fan."
I think that I can do anything you can do better.
Viva Cuba!
8. Any other projects on your "to
do list", artistic or otherwise, you care to share?
I always have new and exciting things up my sleeve.
Right now I am concentrating on the website, the art for Century as well
as Trinity and the usual "other" stuff which includes a series
of paintings [oil], and my photography. The film thing has been on the
back burner for a while until the inspiration bug hits me to do another
animated short.
9. Any other comments?
l always have an opinion. My father used to always
tell me that if I found myself in a fight to make sure I would be the
first to hit not be hit. I think that's good advice in general. In addition:
Es mejor tener muchas cosas en la cabeza que muchas cabezas en la cosa.
God...I will need a whole new page for this question...so I better stop
here. Go to my website. Go to it now. Just do IT!
P.S. I love you all,
especially you, Robert...

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