Journaling: Why write?

The good news: New signs are always appearing and coming into wide use, and you want to remember them. The bad news: No one has recorded these "new" signs, cataloging them on video for the benefit of students, educators, interpreters and researchers.

How can you capture and preserve these glimpses of "new" signs – at least signs that are new to you? Perhaps you grasp the main focus of one of these signs, but find it challenging to remember the live nuances. There are others that you seem to understand in context, and yet still aren’t sure about. What’s the solution?

Journal! Keeping a journal is one of my favorite ways to help myself mentally "record" signs or grammatical elements that have touched me or made me say to myself, "Far out!" One of my favorite times to collect "new" signs is during videophone conversations with native Deaf signers from different regions. I strongly recommend making a habit of writing sign observations down in a mini-notebook that you keep on hand, all the time. I’ve really enjoyed sharing these new signs with my friends, participants, mentors, and you! Keeping a "sign journal" not only develops a treasure of new information, but also represents an important investment in your career.

Without writing in a journal, you’ll find it impossible to remember everything you’ve had the opportunity to see. No kidding – my mind has no room for so many new bits of information. I have to keep my journal to avoid the mistake of losing my precious new knowledge. Once, I had a great time observing and "learned" many new signs, but I didn’t write them down. What happened? I lost them. Write signs down! Create several pages: New signs, Converting Signing Exact English (SEE) to ASL, Classifier Handshapes, "Far Out" Signs, and Personal Memos.

Examples:

New Signs: (new signs that haven’t been recorded) Vlog, Iphone , money-check

Signing Exact English (SEE): Credit card

Classifier Handshape: (the appearance of a new handshape, a predicate used as a verb) Pager signal, Tornados, love bugs, scorpion

Far Out Sign: (exaggerated or "cute" signs, such as details added by a signer for fun or extra emphasis) Licking one’s fist means "working hard!" Licking one’s fingers means "perfect".

Personal Memo: (Dear Nobody, new terms, new Deaf words, new Hearing perspectives, signs that have personal importance to you)

"Written communication is the essence of human sincerity."

Journaling seems so sweet and simple. The mini notebook is fabulous! I carry mine with me all the time, and when I grasp a brand new sign, I write it down, immediately. I can’t believe there are so many signs that haven’t yet been taught in classes or recorded in research projects. Whether socializing, chatting with people on the phone, or watching live ASL storytellers – you’ll find chances to add fascinating new signs to your personalized journal. Keep on writing!

What does your travel schedule look like?

BOOKING PLANS

Every booking requires a lot of related work: booking flights, setting up lodging, renting a car, and making other plans.  Some hosts take care of everything, which works very well for my time frame since I do not employ a booking agent or manager to handle my paperwork and arrangements.  I do set up everything on my own for the workshops and shows.  I much prefer to have an organization host an evening show, as I feel silly selling tickets on my own, and it takes far too much time. Selling tickets is a responsibility that should be shouldered by the hosting organization, not by the presenter.

PLAN AHEAD

Packing, packing, and packing to get everything ready to go! Sometimes I forget a few things, but I'm getting better at remembering almost everything. I prefer to pack 2-3 days in advance. I have my own small room full of travel size stuff, work clothes, handouts, DVDs, and such so that I can easily get the packing done.

FLIGHTS

I always get up very early, drive an hour to get to the airport, and park my truck in the airport parking lot. Going to the airport requires a lot of walking, so I wear good shoes and comfortable, warm clothes. Checking in, I use my mobile boarding pass which is much easier than printing out paper boarding passes. Getting through security usually takes a lot of time, especially if they have a long line, so I sometimes use the premier lane for a shorter line. It's hard to predict how much time it will take to get through security. Sometimes they do a pat-down. When they scan me, a hairpin or hair clamp can cause a problem. I need to remind myself to take these off before entering the scanner.

If there are at least 45 minutes to wait for my flight, I always try to get some hot cocoa to relax while waiting to board. Sometimes the plane is delayed, which makes me anxious about catching ^{the connecting} flight. If the 1^st flight arrives late, I have to rush to the 2^nd flight without any bathroom or hot cocoa breaks. That's the worst - running from one gate to another to try to catch the second flight!  Sometimes I miss the connecting  flight, resulting in missing some or all of the scheduled work for  the evening of that day.

Once we've landed and I've checked into or out of the hotel at last, the all-day flight usually takes 8-10 hours. 

CAR RENTALS

I depend a lot on the GPS to help me get to my destinations. Sometimes I get lost due to construction, detours or closed roads. I also need to keep my GPS updated. 

JET LAG

I'm sure you can imagine how exhausting this is, and how my body reacts to jet lag. I have to get up early to catch my morning flight. If my plane leaves at 6 am from the East, I have to get up at  4 am (Seattle’s time: 1 am).  I usually sleep on the flight, but not always. Passengers sitting behind me are sometimes annoying, kicking or pushing behind me. That keeps me awake for the whole flight.

TIMECARD

I joke with my friends, saying that when I leave the house, and return, I punch a time card. Traveling takes a tremendous amount of time. My friends noticed how MUCH traveling time is demanded by my work, and how little income must sustain me. It doesn’t meet their expectations. I keep track of time wherever I go, and I track the expenses for each trip. I really love my job, but the aspect of traveling takes so much time. 

Trix, what do you think of interpreters out in the world?

From the bottom of my heart, I appreciate all of the interpreters providing professional excellence within the Deaf, Deaf-Blind, and Hearing communities. In the past, there were very few interpreters available, but now you see so many wonderful interpreters busy at work, everywhere you look. This is outstanding for our communities, and I feel that we can never thank these interpreters enough. Their high-caliber training and performance are a wonder to behold. Whether interpreters invest in the community as volunteers or as people who make interpreting a career, they provide vitally important services that truly show "Deaf Heart." They give their best to their craft.

Some interpreters struggle with performance on the job, but we appreciate that they are doing their best. Some are real champs who we would love to have around full time. Interpreters specialize in many fields: legal, medical, mental health, performance, and education. Whichever paths they take, they contribute their skills and make a difference. Now, there are even video phone interpreters available. It's amazing to see the growth of availability, areas of expertise, training and talent in the field of interpreting. My strongest recommendation to all interpreters who ask how to improve is simply to “Practice, Practice, & Practice!”  

I want to say thank you to all of those who gave me compliments about my work! With the various workshops available at an event, it is possible to make many choices. This can be beneficial for consumers, but it can also be difficult to fit in all of the things you want to see when there are many events going on at the same time. When I am presenting, I try to avoid scheduling conflicts that interfere with other events. One time, I learned that an RID chapter was hosting a conference, so I had to cancel my originally-planned workshop immediately and offer to present my workshop at their conference. Some interpreters expressed to me that they learned a lot about differences between Deaf and Hearing presenters with different perspectives. Some presenters have full time work and do presentations as a side job. Some hosts were not aware that in my case, presenting is my full-time job. I enjoy traveling and meeting various Deaf communities.

A lot of people asked me if I will bring my own interpreter to a workshop or show. No. I prefer to have a variety of interpreters work with me. It's always fun working with them. Do I have a favorite interpreter? My favorite interpreter is any individual who is always growing. I do have a particular interpreter who I tend to request for personal situations such as medical appointments and my children’s school meetings, but for my career, I have enjoyed seeing so many interpreters who express their passion for their field as they work with me. They (and all of you) are awesome for giving your time and talent within our communities.

Thank you, Interpreters!

 

How did you start publishing your DVDs?

When I was young, I dreamt of being an author, writing books for everyone to read. Fortunately, however, my ASL talents proved stronger than my writing abilities!  Once I brought a book I'd written to a publisher who supported Deaf schools, but my book was declined. I felt that my writing was not great. Then, a mentor and business consultant encouraged me to use my hands to express myself! And there, I found my talent. So far, I've produced more than a dozen DVDs.

 

To create a DVD, you need a start-up investment, a script, a time-frame, and a business plan with a budget for filming, editing and marketing the video. Although I'm familiar with Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premier, and other resources, and I can produce a script and come to a point when I think I'm ready to get it on camera, it can take a lot more time than I originally planned to get everything recorded! I'm grateful for the patience shown by my DVD publishers, because sometimes I make silly mistakes, and have to start over and sign things again and again! When I watch my own hilarious bloopers, I really am amazed at how silly I can be. Once, I signed something and then fell down when a fly zoomed in front of me. Another time, I just froze and forgot what I was supposed to say next! Sometimes I finger-spell something wrong, because I'm so focused on what I'm signing. It's always a challenge to get the recordings done, but we have fun in the process.

After all of the “signing” parts are over, we sit down and watch the footage to choose the best parts and get them in order. Editing, retouching, cleaning-up, and all of those fun tasks can take up to a month to complete. Once I've got a “final draft”, I send it out to my editor as well as to certain viewers and friends to make sure there are no silly mistakes, glitches, or parts that make people say, "What?"  After gathering all this feedback and making corrections, we polish everything, confirm the final version, and that DVD is ready to go!

Currently, I have only one vendor, Harris Communications. This great company has been so good to me for a long time, but I am also hoping to expand to bookstores and other sales venues.  Amazon sells two of my DVDs. Running my own business as a workshop presenter, keynote speaker, stage performer and video producer is deeply rewarding, so I no longer worry about those publishers who turned down my books. Thanks to video technology, multimedia enhancements for my workshops and performances, great people to work with, and all I have learned, I feel I have had plenty of successes and it seems sometimes that my whole life is just magical.

Check out Trix Bruce's DVDs!
http://www.trixbruce.com/dvds/

With these video programs, you can earn CEUs from the comfort of home! You’ll be able to improve your ASL storytelling techniques and interpreting skills.

 

 

How do you feel being a Deaf Entrepreneur?

When I was young, it was always my dream to have my own business. And now, my dream’s come true!

After I graduated with two college degrees, I didn’t think that I would become a performer or presenter. I worked as an American Sign Language (ASL) instructor for many years. During my work as an ASL instructor at high school, I felt that the experiences of working in a part time job during my college years helped so much with the assisting, tutoring, and teaching I was doing at the high school. However, I thought that if I changed careers, it might be to run my own business in women’s clothing, since I loved clothes so much.

While I was teaching at the high school, an interpreter asked me to provide a fun workshop. That started something that has now been running for 15 years. From meeting informally at someone’s house to filling venues at schools and hotel meeting rooms, my business has grown and developed. Everything I’ve learned through the years has been valuable, and although some of it wasn’t pleasant, most of it has been very rewarding.

I learned a lot from the stresses, mistakes, and challenges I’ve faced. I’ve had good support and enjoy working as a team. It is impossible to work alone! In the past, I thought I would go it alone, but I recommend against this philosophy. Now I relish working with editors, interpreters, hosts, participants, and coordinators.

“It’s amazing to have the chance to plant seeds and see people blossoming into unique and successful individuals. I try to follow in the footsteps of successful business owners. We are all proud of our accomplishments! When people discover that I am Deaf, and a business entrepreneur, they realize that a Deaf person - just like anyone else - can follow her heart, work hard, and become successful.” ~ Trix

I didn’t think of myself as a Deaf Entrepreneur until recently. Now, I believe this is the best description for what I do. Although I work with editors, interpreters, hosts, participants, and coordinators, I handle everything regarding my business basics on my own. I wish I had a manager helping me to keep going, but it hasn’t been practical. I have several contractors, though. My business has been strong and has grown, but it is still a small business.

I strongly believe in the word: SUCCESSFUL. The first five years, I didn’t think I would succeed establishing my own business. I had so much to learn. I certainly made mistakes, took some wrong turns, and struggled with some challenges. Yet, I conquered my own doubts and rose up after my stumbles, and now I am, by my own definition, successful.

Working very hard is something I enjoy. I really push myself. I know that I have to believe in myself to make things happen. With all the ups and downs, the key strength I have enjoyed is my “can do” attitude. Along with hard work, persistence, and enough help to pull things together, I have been able to maintain and grow my business. Without the support of my family, fans, and wonderful business contacts in schools, agencies and businesses, as well as my contractors, I couldn’t have come this far. I am thankful to everyone who has supported me.