Introduction - trying something new

Hello Steemit!
Ciao Steemit!

I’ve come here on recommendation from my daughter, who has praised this creative community in its innovative ability to bring parity to content creators. I’m not from the tech space and I don’t know a lot about the blockchain or cryptocurrencies - but I do know about taking a chance on your creativity, and the value of seizing new opportunities.

Who Am I?

I’m Leo Benvenuti, and I have had an astoundingly blessed life. I’m almost 60, married, two children, living in Chicago. Of the many literal and figurative hats I’ve worn throughout my life, I believe I can narrow down who I am into 3 tributary characters.

Leo the Italian

Born in Chicago, I am the son of Italian immigrants. My father was a janitor and my mother worked in a factory. My first language was Italian, and like most children of immigrant parents, I grew up between two worlds; that of my family, and that of the incredible and/or pitiless world of the modern American city. I am descended from generations of goat farmers in Tuscany who have proudly had electricity for over 30 years! Their greatest claim to fame is that most everyone is allegedly descended from Napoleon, who apparently took many mistresses in my family’s village. Like them, I have a passion for gardening and animal husbandry. I once owned over 100 canaries and if my wife didn’t threaten to call animal control I’d probably own more birds.

My father is the one climbing the tree - behind bicycle wheel Jesus

I inherited an antique wine press that I’ve used to make homemade wine for most of my adult life. My family also verbally passed down many old recipes including a carrot based sugo, rosemary focaccia, and stuffed zucchini flowers. I say verbally passed down, because no one in my family keeps records of anything, and also every recipe would be portioned to serve at least 20 people. Maybe this is the same food my great great great great grandfather, Napoleon was eating! I still occasionally dream in Italian, and apparently hallucinate in Italian, discovered alarmingly in my 40s during a fever dream caused by the chicken pox. Again, no one has ever recorded my childhood maladies, so when I asked my mom if I’d had them, her response was “Si certo, la cosa con le macchie” <<Yeah, sure the thing with the spots.>>

Leo the Funny Guy

I fully believe that humor is a coping mechanism. I’ve known many funny people in my life, and they’ve all had demons. For me, humor was a way of not getting beaten up in Chicago’s first-rate public school system. Back in the 60s there weren’t ESL classes like there are now, so I was put in the “retard class” - a catchall for kids ranging the gamut of physical and mental disabilities, and the otherwise non English speakers. Day to day bullying was a lot more acceptable, so I became the funny guy. It served me well growing up, especially during a particularly dark chapter in Catholic school - because corporal punishment and/or being told that I was going to hell for everything. But I was pretty good at making people laugh, and when I was 18 I became a professional stand up comic.

I spent most of the 80s either on stage or in the car touring the country. I’ve known a lot of exceptionally talented people, some incredibly slimey club owners, and a whole lot of drunken hecklers. I also got to experience a lot of different cultures. Most cities and towns were welcoming and friendly. Others believe the confederacy won the Civil War. I’ve got a lot of great memories from those times. Also now that my wife is hovering over me I should probably mention the best memory of all! I met my wife when she came to a show we did at her college in Illinois. She fondly remembers it was a wintry night and she came in her pajama pants. We talked a bit after the show and she gave me her number. She even thought my name was Ben Venuto the whole time, so even after all these years I still hold a grudge like to tell our cute story.

Me on set at the Universal backlot

After that I transitioned to Los Angeles as a screenwriter. Hollywood in the 90s was a magical and excessive place. I worked on several family comedy films and TV shows and am honored to have played even a small part in painting the colorful tapestry of family entertainment during that time. Children were a new audience for me, and I greatly enjoyed making them laugh as reflected in the joy my projects brought my own kids. I learned that I like writing, but I love storytelling. I’ve also gotten to produce and write several plays, which can be some of the most rewarding work. Unlike a movie that can be edited and perfected over months, theater is the sum of its working parts in real time. So much hard work and talent goes into live performances, and the sense of communal accomplishment is one of the best feelings. I’ve always worked in teams, and believe that ‘we did it’ is better than ‘I did it.’

Leo the Artist

Loss of profession is loss of identity in America. We’re a meritocracy, valuing what a person does, their skills, their LinkedIn resume. The decision to leave show business was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done because it not only dimmed my identity, but it left me vulnerable in a world where I believed my “skills” were only really profitable in the entertainment industry. With a lot of conflicted feelings I threw myself into the one thing that always helped me make sense of the world - I finally listened to my wife and saw a therapist painted. And I painted everything. A thought, a feeling, a memory, my wife, fat Italian relatives, abusive nuns.

Little guy, big thoughts

Painting is the first creative endeavor I’ve had with no audience in mind. They are for me, and they are me. Painting has been a lesson on introspection. It’s taught me so much about myself, what it means to be an artist, and the need to create. As many can probably relate, it is a compulsion, a physical release of thoughts or emotions that would otherwise destroy you if left inside. The good, the bad, the weird, it must be expressed. I’ve learned that my mind is a very noisy place, reflected in my chaotic and scribbly painting style. These hundreds of paintings I’ve amassed over a lifetime are some of my most honest works.

Why Am I Here?

Mostly curiosity. I’m still not entirely sure what Steemit even is at this point, but I’m excited to learn more about what this community is about and how I can contribute. Ideally I hope to meet new people from around the world and learn about the creative projects they are involved in. I hope to share stories, entertain, and bounce ideas off of others. And I hope to learn about how this technology influences and pushes the boundaries of artistry.

Thanks so much for listening and let me know what you think!