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And It All Started in Howard County


 

Here are some places I have looked for local blog topics: Facebook, BlueSky, Instagram, YouTube, Baltimore Banner, Patch, emails/newsletters from local institutions, other people’s blogs. Today I’m adding one to that list: Pinterest.

Yes, it is possible to search Columbia, Maryland on Pinterest but sorting through the results may be a lot like looking for a needle in a haystack. It’s not set up for that kind of search. Today, though, I got lucky.



Art by Alyssa Kurien, property of akPrintStudios


Kurien shows a variety of Maryland themed pieces at her Etsy shop. She sells them as digital files that may be printed by the purchaser. I don’t exactly know how these particular works were created. Her instagram account shows her engaged in what I would call “real art” but that’s because I am truly lagging behind on the whole digital art thing. Perhaps you can bring me up to speed. 

According to her Facebook page Ms. Kurien’s education includes studies in Interior Design, Community Planning, and Architecture. YouTube tells me she’s also a musician.

More important to me: a basic Google search suggests that she is a graduate of Howard High School, class of 2013. I also found a few personal details which - - obviously - - I’m not going to share here. And none of this would pass muster for a journalist because it hasn’t been properly verified.

Three things I’m thinking about:

1. I’m tempted by the Columbia image with the Chrysalis in it, although I’m not sure I would have immortalized the AMC at the Mall.

2. It seems you can pursue advanced degrees towards a professional career and still engage in your passion for the arts. Funny, that.

3. As an armchair researcher I was able to find out quite a bit of information in order to write this piece. This made me stop and think. Is it too easy for folks to do a quick search and think they know everything - - even placing people in danger by confusing them for someone else? How much information supports your professional goals and when does it become too much? Can you possibly think one step ahead of the kind of people who play ‘detective’ for the thrills?

I don’t know.

To be clear, I’m not suggesting that the artist in this case is guilty of over-sharing in any way. There’s no fault being handed out here.  I wrote this post to say, “Hey! Someone from Howard County is doing cool things. Check them out!” And I’d still encourage you to go take a look at her work.

Then my ‘mom vibes’ got the better of me. 

And here’s one more thing to ponder: a Baltimore author/food historian I know recently came across an AI-generated article about her research and writing. No one had reached out to her. Someone had just set AI to suck up all available references and turned it into a highly flattering piece of content. Maybe they even got paid for it. The quality of the writing was, as my mother would have said, “unadulterated crud.”

Ugh.

Anyway, I’m always up for stories about local folks doing interesting things. Keep me posted.



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