Have you ever seen a work in progress? Because that would be a great way to describe me. I’m always finding a new way to improve or reinvent myself. In a way, this website will also always be a work in progress. For starters, and by way of introduction, I’m Marcus M. Humberg. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Now, with the pleasantries out of the way, perhaps you’ve wondered why you wandered into this corner of the internet. After all, there are millions of pages out there, but you’re here.
Perhaps you know me, or maybe you’ve heard of me. Hopefully it’s under good pretenses that you’re visiting. So who am I?
Good question.
Well for starters, I am:
- A Master of Public Policy graduate from the University of Utah.
- A father of three boys.
- A beekeeper.
- A concert pianist.
- A photojournalist with 15 years working in the media.
- A foodie and amateur chef.
- A lover of the outdoors.
- An avid cyclist and hiker.
- A tropical aquarium aficionado.
- A mushroom hunter.
- A decent chess strategist.
- A French conversationalist.
- A political advocate.
- A passionate fighter for great causes.
- Always searching for new, fun, fascinating, and interesting adventures.
In part, this website is a requirement of my educational pursuits. I am studying for a Master’s Degree in Strategic Communications from Washington State University.
This shiny new degree will hopefully arrive by May 2017, and will be added to my already extensive education, including the aforementioned Master of Public Policy Degree, a Bachelor of Science in Political Science, a Bachelor of Arts in Music, and an Associate of Technology in Broadcast Technology.
I am always in search of knowledge, and in improving my craft, be it photography, writing, music, politics, or life in general. The greatest value I have ever discovered in my life is a profound curiosity. Knowing how things work, and why they work, is a fascinating and endless journey. Not wanting to know what one does not know is the very definition of stasis in my mind. In my life’s pursuits, it is my ultimate goal to find myself in a position where I can help people, to make something better, to build a better machine, and to always put my very best foot forward to achieve the best results. That being said, I fully believe that as declared by Voltaire, “le mieux est l’ennemi du bien”…the perfect is the enemy of the good.
While trying achieving perfection is always a legitimate way to practice and learn, it also promotes a rigidity of form, disallowing life’s moments of rubato. A perfect technical performance is the greatest insult to art, a sign of unbowing ideology, resulting in only the faintest flicker of achievement. Passion disallows perfection, as one must be vulnerable; perfection will not stand such weakness. Perfect art is not found in paint by number books, but a perfect paint by number can be achieved, and all of art and passion will be rendered limp and lifeless. As an allegory for life, following a strict list for success, you will rarely leave your mark in the world. It is life’s mistakes that often lead to the greatest of life’s achievements. Therefore, not allowing mistakes stifles progress.
It is my hope that I have the ability to go through life learning as much as I can, and then putting that knowledge into action. To be able to serve people, and make their lives better through public service, is my life’s goal, and to that end I have tried to learn from the best of teachers, the brightest of thinkers, and the noblest of doers, and translate their passions and knowledge into my personal actions.
Marcus M. Humberg 