Noah Urban
"Geek"
This is one of the "lost" interviews. I interviewed Noah back in April of 2008 (yea, I know!), but then I got to know him personally* and that got in the way of finishing the interview.
There was always more to add - whether it was his interest in Psychology (including the questions he asks that I hadn't even considered yet, his self-directed studies of 'what makes people tick') - or his freakish mechanical abilities (one anecdote: at a mutual friend's house he opened up and fixed the garbage disposal and then casually noted that he'd never used one before) - the advancement of his photography skills and business...there's always more to learn about Noah!
I decided that it's time to put Noah's interview up NOW - regardless of how many more facets of his diamond-like person are waiting to be discovered! Meet Noah Urban, AKA Yohan, Yo or The Captain (he comes from a family of nick-namers)...
How Do You See Yourself as a Square-Peg?
My mom's been a big piece of that. She taught us how to think for ourselves.
Noah described himself
as:
I don't know how that happened. I don't think I started out as a geek, but suddenly I am one. Oh well, you can't win 'em all.
I don't like being
associated with the geek crowd...There's definitely a down side to being a
geek.
They are normally social mitfits. Now I won't say I'm NOT one - but
they kinda - they're not very cool people.
There's a whole society - the
geek society...you wouldn't believe how much time is devoted to computer
games.
These brilliant people who could make the internet run or whatever -
are spending all their time playing games.
You don't play computer games?
How Do You Maintain Your Square-Pegness (in a round-hole
world)?
It's part of the introvert in me. Being a Square-Peg is what's comfortable for me, I don't care if people think I'm bizarre or whatever.
Do people think you are bizarre?
{laughing} Well, you can sometimes see that in their face. I kinda enjoy it!
I asked Noah to talk about being an introvert?
People are nice - and I get out and about every once in awhile to shake the hermit thing off. But, for the most part, I'm most happy sitting with my work.
I love my work. I don't have to deal with people very often -
I get to select the people I work with.
Knowing that Noah was homeschooled, I asked him to talk about that:
I was homeschooled from day one. I've only taken two tests in my life: the SAT and the driver's test. I'm definitely not a product of the school society.
We talked about having seen many
schooled kids who have a hard time talking with people outside their age
range.
I can talk to people to people older than me, younger than me...it doesn't make a difference to me. You are who you are.
What Has
Been the Hardest For You as a Square-Peg?
Hardest? There are very few people who I relate to.
Again, being an introvert I don't mind that really. It's just kinda like there aren't that many people that think like I do.
Right now I don't care. Later on I may - that's to be seen.
That would be the part where I may see some problems.
But, maybe I'm weeding out the people I wouldn't like anyway.
What Is Your Favorite Square-Peg Trait?
Have you ever seen "The A Team"? Remember Murdock? He's half crazy. I want to be Murdock.
...He
doesn't care what other people think. And no one knows what to think of
him!
He's hilarious - always enjoying himself - doing what he wants to
do.
That's something I want to do...
That's something to aspire to - I
want to be crazy {laughing}.
What Are Your Favorite books?
Bleak House, Our Mutual Friend -
and then tech books. But that's not the same.
Noah and his family often talk about "building an empire". I asked Noah to tell us about the empire:
It started with Bone Sigh Arts {his mother's
business} - she always said that.
Each one of us in the house has a business - there are 5
businesses {terri, each of her three sons, plus the joint venture of Noah
and his younger brother, Zakk}.
We've got our own network...{laughing} I'm usually the one who needs help..
And all of our businesses are in different fields...We're growing together and pretty soon we'll be unstoppable.
It's been a
long, long learning experience...
When
she {his mother, terri st cloud} first started I
volunteered. I knew nothing...I got a book out of the library and started
playing with it - it was cool!
I was 14 or 15. Everything I learn opens up whole new areas I don't know anything about.
I like it because I'll never stop exploring new areas.
Besides Noah's web and graphic design business, BFG Productions (Noah rebuilt the Square-Peg-People web site in June of 2009 - we're so grateful!), he and his brother Zakk co-created the "cutting edge web services" company Mazuzu.
So it grew from that.
We've got our offices next to each
other.
He now has 4 22" flat screens hooked up. It looks like he's flying a
plane.
At one point he had 11 mointors hooked up.{laughing}
He's a huge energy draw at our family.
Everything is covered with sticky notes -
with notes about the different things he's working
on.
He started from back
end - I started from the front end - with graphic design -
now we're meeting
in middle.
And then there's Noah's photography! Samples of which you see in this interview. You can check out more of his work at Noah Urban Photography, JPG, flickr and redbubble.
*Noah's mom, terri st cloud, has grown to be like a sister to me - so Noah now has the dubious pleasure of being my adopted nephew. You can read Square-Peg-People's interview of ter here.
Some of Noah's Favorite Books:
Remember: when you buy from Amazon.com you don't pay a penny more, but you help support Square-Peg-People!
Interview originally done in April of 2008 - published April 2010.