Red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. The colors swirl together in a palette of unity and the world is my canvas: freedom, peace, harmony, unity. Perhaps a pipe dream but one of my many aspirations for life. Art is an excellent starting point to express life.

But I wasn't always like this-- a few years ago I was closeted and close-minded. Then one day a friend dragged me to a place called Urban Arts. I walked in reluctantly. As I met some of the teachers and students, a girl came out of the darkroom looking into a very small tray. "Does this look OK?" she asked. The photography teacher looked and said "yes," and then showed me what was in the tray. I saw the most beautiful picture ever created in the history of black and white photography. I was awestruck by the fact that someone my own age could create something so amazing and inspiring. There was only one word that escaped my lipsÉ"WOW!" I was really thinking-- I want to do that. So that's all I've been doing ever since.