User:DJJarak

My name is Daniel J. Wysocki (pro: Y-Sock-E), but I am better known by my alias, DJ Jarak, which I use for my art and developing acting career. I like to keep busy. Life can get rather boring when you don’t.

Just to warn you, I’m going to get a little personal. Not inappropriate but… personal. I’m an Aspie. That’s what those of us with Aspergers Syndrome call ourselves. We are known for our poor physical coordination and our eccentric behavior. However, there is so much more to it. There are many upsides to this condition. We often have hypersensitivity, which can either be a curse or a super power depending on how you look at it and how much control you have over it. Take me for example. I can hear and smell things most dogs can’t, but there are days when the headaches it causes are totally unbearable. There is also mental focus. I can focus on a project and before I know it, the entire day is gone. Someone could be calling my name and I’d never hear them. This is because many of us with very strong hypersensitivity tend to adapt and subconsciously block out all outside stimuli. The upside of this is, we tend to get more work done than neuro-typicals. That’s what we call people who don’t have a neurological condition. I say “condition” because there is no proof that this is actually a disease. It’s not contagious, it can’t get worse and it can’t get better. There is no cure or treatment. While it may cause serious social awkwardness, which can cause some people to call it a disability, more and more people are seeing it as a possible step forward in evolution. Let me explain. Aspie’s are not like normal people and I’m not just talking about the things I’ve already mentioned. One thing that really makes us stand apart is that we are logical. It’s how our brains are wired. We think more like computers with a conscience. The typical Aspie won’t lie. There is no logic in a lie. Eventually, it will only cause confusion and harm to both the liar and those being lied to. We struggle with tact at times, but we normally won’t lie unless the situation is extreme. I for one only lie to those who refuse to take “no” for an answer. To get them to back off when I’m feeling over-stimulated or stressed, I say what I must, but make sure it’s not a lie that will cause anyone harm. Due to not being easily dishonest, we are loyal to a fault. This been said, we don’t tend to understand betrayal or handle it very smoothly when it happens to us. We feel that if we are loyal to you, we deserve the same treatment. If we’ve done something to offend, a clear line of communication is in order. I for one take communication very seriously. I don’t like to assume anything or give anyone else room to assume incorrectly. False information is one of the worst things in the world. It can end relationships or even start massive wars. I always try to be tactful though, but it gets harder when I realize people are trying to manipulate me. I’m getting better. In my line of work, you really had to. I used to be a dramatic mess. I’d hold in my emotions and then explode them all over my Facebook wall. Now I focus and release them in the form of instructional articles I write on my personal Tumblr blog, directed at humanity as a whole and not just any one person. Yes, I’ve had many ups and downs. Some I handled quite well, while others… not so much. Some people are just cruel and I don’t understand nor condone cruelty. I have no room for it in my life and you shouldn’t either.

I used to belong to a social scene, which was great at first. I finally found a large group of misfits, which weren’t much different than myself, or so I thought. Turns out, they were just as cruel as the normal people who’ve picked on me my entire life. The only difference was, they were more intelligent, more creative in their ways and felt more justified in their cruelty for some reason. I did what I could to make them stop. I tried logic and reason, I tried ignoring them and I even tried begging for help. None of it worked. In the end, it was my creativity that saved me. I worked hard on bettering myself as an artist and now I have a fan base spread across the world. I never dreamed I could be this… famous-ish. It’s a wonderful feeling. Absolute strangers know who I am and love what I do. There is no better feeling in the whole world.

I now have a growing circle of amazing friends who are each at least as creative as myself. They each have their own interests. Some are photographers, some are models, there are make-up artists, hairstylists, clothing designers, digital artists, musicians, actors, film makers, talent and event promoters and the list goes on. If most of them haven’t worked so hard developing their own brands, I’d ask them all about possibly joining forced to form a single company or agency, but some dreams must remain dreams. It puts everything else into perspective, you know? I do a little bit of everything; social media marketing, search engine optimization, operating system optimization, talent promotions, local film acting, and of course, photography art, and design. My first professional job was for a local carnival, which needed photos and a website. That was back in the mid to late 90’s. After that, I received calls from neighborhood families, amateur models, and then my first big break, Jared the Galleria of Jewelry. They were opening their first location in the region and pre-paid me very well to cover the event. Jared the Galleria of Jewelry actually bought me my first truly professional quality camera. How many people can actually say that? I got to meet the mayor and a number of the attendees also requested my services. From there, I was shooting almost every week. I didn’t charge much as I was developing my portfolio. Actually, I rarely ever charged anyone. I felt I was too young and inexperienced to charge for my services despite the occasional ridiculously generous offer I received. I ran into my share of really bad eggs, but in general, I love what I do. I always have and I probably always will. Since I mastered Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, and Imagenomic Portraiture, my work really started to get some very heavy attention. I was beginning to realize that I was actually developing a fan base and my competition was not too happy about it. As a matter of fact, a number of them tried like hell to ruin my career through slander, but I worked through it. Eventually, my work spoke for itself and their lies were no longer paid any attention. It bothered me for a long time, but not anymore. I’m viral. I’m on the top of Google search results and my Facebook page has 4 and 1/2 out of 5 stars as well as over 2,500 likes, and I didn’t have to purchase any of it. I worked hard and I networked.