KENNESAW, Ga. | Aug 1, 2018

Every artist has a unique story.
Can you briefly walk us through yours?

I was born on December 16th, 1975, miraculously with a crayon in my hand—born to paint! But I didn't know I wanted to pursue art as a career until one particular moment while I was in high school. I picked up some skills from my visual arts teacher, but I don’t think I got much more than that. My music teacher, however, had a lasting impact on me. I was taught the value of hard work and of developing a passion for what you do. I played trumpet at the time because I wanted to play the loudest instrument in the symphony. I had something to say and I wanted people to hear me! Well, we were playing Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, the Allegro non Troppo. There was a quiet part in the middle, so I took a look out into the audience, and there, in the front row I saw an old woman crying. I thought to myself, "We did that!" I knew what I wanted to do for my career after that: make old women cry!

I decided to go back to my first love, visual art, for my undergraduate studies at the University of Georgia. I think I felt most confident in that medium, though music and writing were close runner-ups. In fact, I fronted a few bands during this time and pursued some experimental sound art (which I continue to do). I also pursued an English Literature minor (English Romantic poetry, Shakespeare, Melville, Hesse, and Cervantes were favorites) and I had my first writings published. I’ve always been on the border between the stereotypes of the wild Dionysian rock star spouting ecstatic poetry and the more critical life of the mind experiences that come with my academic background.

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