I frequently have pictures of characters that pop into my head. I have no further idea of who these people are beyond their visual appearance. Sometimes, these people turn into stories which turn into more paintings. Other times, they just turn into a fun way to spend my time rather than hunching over a pile of papers at my desk and blistering the inner side of my right hand ring finger with my pen.

When I was little, I would lock myself in my room to paint and to write. I would switch between first writing a poem and then painting something to go with it, and vice versa. I have always loved the line I could draw between visual and written art, and I hope that I will always have the confidence to continue to practice new forms of art that challenge my writing even if I’m not particularly good at it.

“The woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best.”

-Henry Van Dyke