#NerdsUnite: That Nerdy Chick's reflection on Steve Jobs

Oct 5

The world truly lost a great man today. A great great man. It shocked me actually, he was so great that you almost thought he would be the one person to defy all odds and live forever. I don't know what to write, and how to sing a song about him that hasn't already been sung ... I will instead do what I always do, and just speak from the heart, and see what comes out.

Apple changed my life.

In October of 2007 I was in the market for a new computer. I had just come back from this project I was producer on in NYC, and was eager to swap out my Compaq presario for something a bit ... newer.

I went to Best Buy to take a look around, and was stunned looking at the PC section to find out that all of the newer available models only ran on Vista. Vista was known to be pretty buggy, and got a shit ton of REALLY bad reviews.

AHHHH fml, I thought. I don't want Vista. ANYTHING but Vista.

My eyes then wandered to the mac section.

HMMMMM ... I have a couple extra dollars I'd be willing to spend, but am I an apple girl? I've only ever had a PC, and what little I did use of it as a work computer working in movie marketing wasn't anything too exciting.

Decisions.

I then spent the next few hours playing around with macbooks and the macbook pro- playing around with the interface.

But this is so easy, I thought. To download something you literally just drag it into the applications folder?? Really? This is IT?!?!

The screen resolution was so crisp ... the computer itself just looks so ... sexy!!!

I looked back over at the PC section and all I heard was VISTA! VISTA! VISTA!!

UGH!!! NO!!!!!

I'll take it, the macbook pro, please- I said to the sales guy.

Just like that ... I accidentally became a mac owner.

Upon receiving my new toy, I took it home and played with it all afternoon.

To say it was love at first sight is an understatement. I HAD FINALLY FOUND MY SOUL MATE!!! It's so FAST! It starts up in the BLINK OF AN EYE!!! OMG OMG OMG what amazing programs!! AHHH!! IMOVIE!!!!!

I then opened up iMovie, recorded myself - and posted a video on Myspace.

HMMMMM this is pretty cool I thought.

A week later while browsing the classifieds on craigslist - I saw an ad for a start up. They were looking for personalities for this website, to submit you had to send in a video.

RAD! I thought!! I can send in that thing I put up on Myspace. It's just a small little thank you video, but it at least shows how comfortable I am on camera.

Less than 24 hours later I got a phone call - we'd like you to come in for an interview.

I then go down into an office in Hollywood and am interviewed on camera. I was asked a series of questions about how comfortable I would be sharing my life with others ...

Totally comfortable, I said! I'm an open book!

Even on camera? He pressed on.

Certainly! I said perky, and not at all perturbed.

Even on a livestreamed camera?

Would I be uh ... naked on said camera?

He laughed ... haha, no. The project is called LiveVideo, and it's run by Brad Greenspan one of the founders of Myspace. We are interested in having lifecasters from around the world go on camera for liveshows once a week. We're curious to see if this is something you are interested in.

I said yes, and in that moment - my life changed.

With that one word answer I would from that point on be known as PhotoJenic (a nickname my friend Vega gave me), and my eyes would be opened to a whole new world all through the camera on my macbook pro.

The end of 2007 and 2008 I talked with people from all over the world from my apartment in Los Angeles. From troops in Iraq, to new friends in London - we were all on cams, in the chat, and interacting in a very real and organic manner.

I became addicted.

More. More. MORE! LIFECASTING IS THE COOLEST THING EVER!!!!

Unfortunately for the start up however, it was not able to employ us anymore after various cutbacks. For months I spent searching for other opportunities in the field.

Dude, no one has even HEARD of lifecasting, I thought, let alone actually placed an ad looking for lifecasters. This is bullshit, we were too ahead of our time.

On November 3, 2009 my frustration peaked.

Fuck this shit - if I can't find anyone doing it, why don't I just do it myself. It's my art! It's my form of expression - screw getting paid, it makes me happy!!!

Ladies and germie men, that is how we were born, and how you are now all here today.

Where did it all start? Because of my macbook pro.

Had I not had access to iMovie to make that little video to post on Myspace, who knows what I'd be doing today. ::PICKING UP GARBAGE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD!!! YES YES YES YES YES!!::

Apple very literally changed my life, and it was all thanks to Steve Jobs. He went against the grain, defied the odds, and very literally re-invented the word possible. He was a visionary, a misfit, a dad, and a hero to so many of us in the tech space. We do not mourn the fact that a life has been lost today, but rather celebrate the legacy that will live on in his memory and the devices we use all day every day. (Even in writing this post!!!)

Thank you for your contribution to the world Steve, and thank you for sharing your passion with us all. May this act as an inspirtation to us all to keep following our dreams, and our passions and never stop. Stay hungry, stay foolish, nerds. Unkie Steve wouldn't want it any other way.