One side of the story-
I didn’t want to go to college but entered as an environmental science major. I then became an english major an art minor and a little bit of a hippie.
My spelling and grammar are disorderly. One professor told me I “would not succeed at this or any other university without improving my writing comprehension.” He taught medieval history and handed me my diploma at the podium a year later (true story). Was that success? Probably not. It was now time to accomplish something else.
I have always worked with my dad. He has taught me everything I know about property management as well as painting, plumbing, carpentry, drywall etc. I also know how to work on cars: Engine swaps, timing chains, brakes, wheel hubs, axels etc. — this I learned from a friend. I am happy to consider these things as common sense.
After college I showboated my MFA making copies and coffees as an office clerk at a marketing firm. There was no common sense to this move but it led to becoming a print production designer. This was my title for 8 years and I added it to my common sense list.
Oddly enough creative experiences can be shadowed by what someone else wants from you, not necessarily revealing what is within you and what I always thought creativity was. In the end, even in the best situations this always seemed to eat away at me.
After working for myself and many companies as a designer and at the cusp of beginning another professional journey writing scripts (applescripts) I left to begin trading in 2008. Like my experience with scripting I hoped the skills I could learn would be exponential to my efforts. Still I was an awful trader.
I don’t feel there are any easy ways to hide who you are when you are trading.
I also believe it is important to realize a vision of maturation of self, to be a product of self, not just surroundings and certainly not just employment. The balance of these things are important to me.
When trading I feel connected to my future as my efforts, goals and skills are aligned. I am able to continue to help others most readily feeling this way and not only my self. Opportunity for those around me, to give back, is very important.
Emotions. Compiling efficiency was almost impossible when trading within an emotional state. Initially trading made me a mess.
Then I got a phone call from a relative who found out I was trading, he traded futures. He told me he wasn’t going to tell me what to do, but thought I should listen to what he had to say. He became a trading mentor.
Initially we met with only a pencil and paper for notes. Drawing charts and scratching numbers and formulas I hadn’t seen since high school physics. I don’t think we looked at a live price chart or computer screen together for many months.
We started discussing trading techniques as tools and not as predictors, how indicators were derived, as well as risk management and automated trading relative to price motion, the MACD and Elliott Waves.
Simple and complex like nature trading was an art trapped within the details of its regarded sciences, and I had had no idea.
After immersing myself in the study of price motion things slowed way down. My energy became contained, focused and at times fearless. A new script for my trading technique was beginning to form but perhaps what was developing most was my trading psyche.
In order to reign in trading technique it is essential to find someone that can teach you success or you will have to un-learn more than just your emotional handicaps. In my short time trading I have found that learning to trade is about learning how you trade. Even with specific instruction you will inevitably also learn something else about your self to that same degree.
Trading needs to become your common sense, it can not just be someone elses.
I don’t consider myself a professional trader yet. This blog is about finding what works for me continuously refining that process and keeping track of my trading experiences — the good and the bad. If I exercise my trading plan, learn from other traders and myself with an open mind, I will develop opportunity and skill.
I am thankful.
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