I want a successful story. I want to be able to live to tell my grandkids that I survived depression. I survived anxiety. I survived suicidal thoughts. I didn’t take my life. I stayed, I fought, and I won. Doing art at the Hart Gallery gave me that tool. Now I know that I have a purpose and a voice.

I like to reference my surfing and climbing background in my artwork. In surfing they say, “never turn your back on the ocean.” You have to constantly be in the moment. It’s very freeing of all the crap that you have going on. Art is the same way. Once you get into it, it takes your focus off of all that other stuff and before you know it you’re nice and relaxed.

When I started at the Hart Gallery, my vision was rapidly changing. Even though my vision loss has slowed down, I know what is coming my way and that is very stressful and depressing. But, through being here I realized that life goes on. I can still do creative things and have that outlet that only art can give you. If you can just get your inside feelings out, it just makes the world a better place to be.