My Back Story

My first creative moment was spent making up stories in my head. I was four. I hadn't learned to spell yet, except simple words, I hadn't learned to draw or paint yet, and my grandmother hadn't yet put that Kodak Brownie camera in my hands.

Fast forward…  I studied art in high school, oil painting, acrylics, and watercolors. But photography was always on my mind.  So I saved up and bought my first 35mm SLR when I was 17.  I learned to shoot black and white film first, and then slide film.

Along the way I learned to draw both as an artist and as a technical illustrator or drafter. Technical drawing appealed to my left-brain self so much that I went on to become an engineer.

I logged a lot of miles around the U.S. working as a contract engineer alongside smart and generous people who took time to be mentors. From military to aerospace, and computers to machines, I've designed, analyzed, and tested.

I fell in love with computers, software, networking, and most everything else that lights, blinks, and beeps which led to writing books, editing technical journals, publishing a regional newspaper, and operating a literary agency. 

Then I discovered the Internet. Not really, but you know what I mean. I went on to work as an IT consultant, even managed a few software development projects, and eventually web development.

Fast forward again…  I truly love engineering and technology but there's always something else calling out of the shadows of my mind.  It's my right-brain self, reminding me of those early creative moments.  So I'm writing again, making pictures again, and painting again.

Today, I do a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Mostly I make photographs, write, consult, and teach. Oh yes, I still dabble with lots of 'Bad Ass Technology'.

On any given day I'm building, repairing, or networking computers, beta testing a new software product, scouring the Internet for applications that will help me get more done, or teaching others how to do the things I do.  And everyday, I'm creating.