Happy Day

Welcome... to yet another new blog! Today's an auspicious day to start a new venture because it's my birthday: I am 52 years young.

When I decided to start this blog I thought long and hard about the title. So many labels! Like everyone else, I've embraced and discarded countless labels in my 52 years on this planet, but the labels in this title are the ones that currently speak to me most. Let's break it down, y'all:

Gay: Yep, that's me! Known it since I was a little boy and I now live in San Francisco-- I mean, really, girlfriend!

Bipolar: I'm reminded of this every night as I pop my 3 meds before bed. Diagnosed in 1998 after a severe and demoralizing psychotic manic episode, which was NO FUN. It's been a long, slow journey back to stability.

NOTE: This is going to be the main theme of this blog, for anyone interested, anyone who loves someone with a serious mental illness, or anyone who can benefit from my experiences.

Artist: Also first experienced as a little boy: in kindergarten I remember how handy I was with arts & crafts colored felt and a pair of safety scizzors; I could cut out tiny little shapes to the amazement of my fellow classmates... and I've been scribbling, pasting, and creating things ever since, though interspersed with frustrating phases of depressed Artist's Block. :*-(

Clown: This is probably my most surprising label. I guess it all started, again, when I was little and realized that I could make people laugh, and perhaps make friends or avoid getting beaten up that way. It morphed into dressing like a clown in various guises, loving all things circus-like and theater-like, and finally: drawing and painting clowns. Even my drag character, Madame Glinka is a Clown Lady. Dress-up in general is a passion, though in my manias and hypomanias I took it a wee bit too far.

That's all for today, thanks for checking this out and please comment if so moved!

What labels do YOU use to define yourself???

love, Grove/Albert/AlbGlinka