Industrial Welder, Writer, Thinker, Ex-Frontman: Leaving the stage, living on the road, melting steel for food, and feeding my soul with words

in introduceyourself •  7 years ago 

This is going to be a bit scattered because I am—admittedly—a bit scattered…

I’ve got an intensely curious and active mind that has led me down many very different paths in a short amount of time. But, for every dramatic change I’ve undergone, and for each different “thing” that I’ve tried to be, one thread remains constant: I am a writer and a thinker.

Academia was never an environment that I thrived in, but I did—eventually—earn a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Wyoming.

As I was trying to complete my education, my motivation to write led me into the music industry where—honestly—I got some good work done. I was a frontman and singer/songwriter for longer than I've ever been anything; but the toll that direction took on my soul and quality-of-life was enough to make me walk away from the music biz completely.

But, I did have some wonderful opportunities and experiences while pursuing stardom. The last show that my band and I played together was in support of Booker T. Jones at the Gothic Theater in Denver, CO; I couldn’t have asked for a better night to end it on.

Doug Balmain Lockdown.jpg

Now I live the life of nomadic proletariat (I’m even intrigued by Communist idealism—despite it being totally impractical to implement). I get contracted all over the United States to weld at plants, refineries, mills, powerhouses, and other industrial facilities.

Interestingly enough, becoming an industrial welder has put me on the road more than I ever was back when I was trying to “make it” as a singer/songwriter.

I work as an ‘independent’ of course (referred to within the industry as a “Road Whore”); my sense of freedom is to vital to maintaining a survivable quality of life—I can’t bear the idea of having a company logo stitched to my chest.

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While it does keep my stomach full, welding does not provide me an adequate outlet for my thoughts, nor the opportunity to grow as a writer. That’s where STEEM enters. I need a place to let my writing live, a place where I can be surrounded by others with like minds who are pushing themselves and their work.

I cannot define exactly what type of work I hope to contribute to this community; I’m sure it will be varied. However, when I am moved to write, my thoughts typically manifest themselves into a philosophical format; culture, art, society, and the philosophy of life—as it relates to human experience—are all topics that I gravitate towards.

Creative fiction is also something that I’ve recently been taking a crack at, which is a new, exciting, and foreign medium to me.

I’m looking forward to learning more about STEEM, seeing what you all create, and personally contributing to the greater STEEM catalog of work.

More to come!

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Steemit is definitely a great place for sharing your thoughts ;) Looking forward to them and resteeming you for some extra publicity! Greets

Thanks for the warm welcome!


Welcome to Steemit @douglasbalmain!

I wish you much success and hope you find Steemit to be as rewarding and informative as I have.

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Oh yea, I have upvoted you and followed you. Many blessings from @introbot & @bycoleman

I was a hopeful musician once upon a time also. It was a blast, and definitely led to some great stories, but ultimate living in a van is not an appropriate lifestyle for someone in their mid 20s, haha. What type of music did you play?

I look forward to seeing some of the stories you'll be sharing!

Hey Nate, thanks for dropping me a line! I played a blending of rock and soul—kind of a Muscle Shoals style. What did you play?

I'm glad to see you here. I will be glad to communicate with you.

Welcome to steemit friend

Thank you!

Hello douglasbalmain, welcome to Steemit! :-)

Welcome to Steemit! I hope you’ll enjoy being here as much as I do.

You might find these YouTube videos useful. They are created specifically to help new Steemers grow and be successful on Steemit.

All The Best!
Spencer Coffman
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Thanks for the reference material, Spencer.

You're welcome! I hope the videos will help you out. Feel free to leave comments on them if you have any questions!

Welcome to steemit @douglasbalmain. Join @minnowsupport project for more help. Checkout @helpie and @qurator projects.
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