PROFESSIONALLY: I’m currently a freelance writer and editor (something I’ve done off and on for 20 years), mostly helping ambitious people write nonfiction books. I’m enjoying the break after recently finishing my third startup exec position in a row (marketing in medical devices, marketing in prosthetic limbs, then working as editor in chief for a corporate online learning group). I’ve done a lot of tech writing, usability testing, and interface design throughout my corporate career (my graduate work was in technical communications), and I spent a long time working as a health and science journalist. I’ve also contributed directly to a number of commercial product designs, including several prosthetic limbs, an app, packaging, and some furniture. You can see some of my writing at http://morganstanfield.com/writing-portfolio/journalism-feature-articles/1

Before I went into the sciences, I was a professional calligrapher and bookbinder, and I designed furniture as well as customer interiors at a manufacturer of fine-craft wooden furniture I managed. I spent 5 years in art school, and ended up majoring in both visual arts and creative writing.

My fiance, who is super geeked out to be sharing my Glowforge, is a biomedical/mechanical engineer who had his own prosthetic-limb manufacturing company for 12 years. He now works at a contract engineering company designing medical devices.

PERSONALLY: I live just outside Boulder, Colorado, with my fiance and Toby the Rescue Cat. Aside from writing, I make mixed media jewelry, leatherbound books and other leather goods that include calligraphy and stones, paint in watercolors, sculpt, and draw. I’m obsessed with doing inlay and onlay work in leather and paper. I also spend a silly amount of time training Toby, who, through the magic of positive reinforcement, can do 20 tricks on command. I’m a year-round ultralight backpacking geek (my backcountry setup, including everything except consumables, weighs just over 9 lbs.). My fiance is a musician (bass guitar, harmonica, trombone, hand drums, didge) who makes and fixes his own instruments, and together, we occasionally teach a Blues/Swing-based version of partner dancing. I also taught contact improvisation dance for 12 years while doing community organizing in the arts and social justice.