Marking Time

Mark at his gallery showing of 3 mixed-media sculptures, Winter 2009.

This is the way the world ends, this is the way the work ends, this is the way to weekends… not with a bang but a whimper.

(apologies to T.S. Eliot)

Mark S. Nielsen is a freelance writer, teacher, filmmaker, artist, musician, Rennaissance Man and all-around pain-in-the-ass from Chicago, IL. He currently resides in Carol Stream, IL with his mother and son. He attends an ELCA Lutheran Church, a Catholic men’s group, funky Mennonite, Emergent or secular peace and justice or writing conferences, plus workshops and shows at Willow Creek Community Church (Evangelical Mecca of the Midwest) or any number of music and theater venues. He’s also a big supporter of the local music, art and poetry scene, and mentors college students, spirituality groups, and ecumenical/interfaith co-conspirators.

Mark has worked as a documentary film director and executive, a K-8 Mennonite school theater and P.E. teacher, a college writing and business/design teacher, a mall Santa Claus, and a pharmaceutical industry IT Project Manager. If you have any other ideas for what to do next, he IS entertaining suggestions.

He is presently at work on a twisted Christmas pageant script, two novels, one work of nonfiction, two blogs, a business start-up, his curve-ball, and the reduction of the paunch around his midsection.

He can be reached at mnielsen34@gmail.com.

Blogger since 2006. WordPresser since 2007. MySpace refugee, April ’07. (Now where did I put those durned archives again?) . Northwestern University & Loyola University of Chicago alumnus. Age indeterminate (“I was so much older then… I’m younger than that now”).

Warning: Shameless self-promotion ahead:

I occasionally teach a series of classes for adults called “Faith on Film” and would gladly teach the class for your conference, school or church group for a reasonable fee. Additionally, I have conducted multi-disciplinary arts practicum and spirituality workshops/conferences (called Spirit of the Creator), for both youth and adults

— Email me at mnielsen34@gmail.com if you want to sponsor a single or multi-session *Faith on Film* or *Spirit of the Creator* event. I adore discussing God, music, tv, movies, fine arts, social justice and introducing others to new material in a safe, nondenominational way.

I have worked in the film industry and/or education for over twenty years. Plus I’ve done portions of this course for Catholics, mainline Protestants, conservative evangelicals, Mennonites, and secular students. I somehow manage to find common ground with all of them, not to mention the occasional Jew or Muslim looking to expand their mind and heart. You name the group or context, I can teach ‘em — and *without* ticking them off. Talk directly and honestly to the Spirit of God at the core of every person, and the rest just falls into place.

Oh yeah… and if you need some juggling, puppetry, or clowning for your event, I can do that, too.

I don’t, however, do windows.

The Wandering Monk… the early years. (that’s my son Graham, btw…)