I began creating art as a way of expression after a series of accidents left me chronically brain-injured. Unable to remember things from my former life, the urge to create became so strong I felt as though I would literally die if I did not follow this urging. And so the creative journey began. Having no prior experience I simply followed my inner calling. I began with collage, then progressed to painting with acrylics. I have a passion for texture, and flat surfaces seem…well, flat. So my paintings are always a combination of paint and other mediums. Then I saw an article in a magazine about handmade books, and found a new passion. I have always been a bibliophile, and have a small collection of antique books and a larger collection of pop-up books. I am a voracious reader, and always have books by my bed. All my assemblage sculptures are books. Each has pages and a story to tell. How far out can I take the notion of “book”? Only time, and my creativity, will tell. My art is a form of soul expression. I am never sure what the finished work will look like. The pieces tell me what they need whenever I get stuck. I continue to feel deeply fed by my creative process. It is as essential to my wellbeing as breathing. I don’t create to have something to sell. I create because I simply must. It is part of who I am.