Welcome to Our Journey

Thank you for stopping by. Not sure how you got here—maybe a wrong turn at Albuquerque—but here we are. When I first started getting “serious” about putting my art out into the world and making this site legit, the idea of writing a blog wasn’t exactly at the top of my list. But the more I thought about the challenges I face—not just as a photographer, but as someone who’s still wrestling with being called an “artist”—I figured, why not give it a shot?

At the very least, this space might be therapeutic for me as I continue trying to figure out whether I truly am an artist. Best case scenario, it resonates with someone out there—maybe even you. Someone who loves creating, has real talent, but constantly battles self-doubt and that little voice on your shoulder saying you’re not enough. Trust me, I get it. Most days it’s like a WWE Smackdown between me and... well, me.

A native Californian (rare these days, I know), I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and have spent most of my adult life in the Central Valley. Those two places might as well be on different planets, and I’ll definitely explore the unique challenges of being an artist in the Valley in future posts.

I’ve always appreciated art in all its forms, amazed by the talent I’ve encountered. As a kid, I loved to draw and build things—but never saw it as something for me. I was more interested in goofing off than taking anything seriously. Case in point: I was a teacher’s aide in Ms. Cowl’s (RIP) high school art class. One day she asked me to draw something, so I gave her an abstract piece—think Marble Madness. She loved it. Tried to get me to take real art classes, but I wasn’t about to commit to anything back then.

Fast forward to middle age, and somehow, Central California is where I decided to leave behind a career in IT, take a single drawing class, and eventually stumble into photography. With the support of some amazing people, that rediscovered love for art began to grow. Photography—like drawing—had always been in the background for me. I just never took it seriously. Until now. (Sorta. That damn little nay-sayer is still around.)

I don’t know where this blog will go. But I hope it becomes a place where I can share the ups and downs of being a creative—and where maybe you’ll share yours too. I’ll try to keep it real, often lighthearted, sometimes heavy (because, let’s be honest, the struggle is real). But hopefully, we’ll find a little inspiration and a lot of community along the way.

Thanks for joining me on this part of the journey.