I have a bit of a strange path that led me to writing stories for a living. You see, in my life, things like writing and painting and music were seen as things you do as hobbies... Things you do in your spare time, when there's no "work" to do. And for that reason, I was discouraged from writing and painting and music as a young man because my teachers and my parents didn't think that those activities could help me "build a future."

Boy, were THEY wrong.

As a boy, I always enjoyed painting and drawing. They were fun things to do in the afternoons, and I really liked taking the pictures I saw in my head out of my brain and putting them on paper and canvas. But what excited me even more was to arrange my pictures into stories - I was very much a fan of comic books and sequential art.

As I grew into a teenager, I was told that my love for comics and science fiction and fantasy stories should start to go away, and my love for math and social studies and auto shop class should grow. But it was the opposite - the older I got, the more my passion for telling stories and drawing and reading science fiction books grew... And oddly enough, my desire to sit in long, boring classes that taught me things became smaller and smaller the older I got.

When I left High School and went into college, I was told by so many people that I couldn't do what I wanted to do at the time - I couldn't design and build these brand new things called "Webpages" and put them out on the internet for people to read and see. And even if I could, I CERTAINLY couldn't do comics or stories on them, because "no one would read them, and there's no future in it."

Again, someone was VERY wrong.

These days, my entire job is writing books and designing new web projects. It's all I do all day long, and it's absolutely fantastic. And I realize today how lucky I am that I am so stubborn and don't listen - but it doesn't have to be that way for YOU. You should know that it's not only okay, but it's a great and wonderful thing to write and paint and draw. And these days, with the power of the internet, there is more opportunity than ever to share your art with the world.

Now, that's not to say that, when you grow up and you have to pay bills, that it's okay to just draw instead of earning a paycheck :) But if you can find a way to turn drawing into your way of earning a paycheck, you should.

And I very sincerely hope you WILL.

Growing up, my parents always told me I could do and be anything I wanted to be. They never pushed me into things, but encouraged me to go in positive directions that seemed to suit me - even if I couldn't see it at the time. I was given pads of paper, watercolors, chalk, charcoal, pretty much anything that seemed to grab my interest, no matter how silly or small it seemed at the time. I had a good hand and eye for drawing, but it never really took off as "my thing," even though I enjoyed them.

When I was in the 4th grade, my music teacher suggested I try out for our local boys' choir, which was considered highly competitive and well-regarded.

I went, was accepted, and spent most Saturdays for the next 3 years practicing with them, having concerts around the holidays, and being disappointed in missing out on all of those Saturday cartoons.

I didn't notice it at the time, but aside from my upfront singing ability which improved a great deal in those years, I also gained a profound respect and appreciation for music in a very deep manner. I could identify classical pieces, appreciate harmony, and even realize the technical skill involved in rock, pop, techno and even rap music. This has enabled me to see the beauty in every form, extend the experience to other forms of art and, in my view, has given me a richer and fuller love of life and everything it offers me, and what I can offer in these things to others.

I'm not sorry I missed out on a few Saturday morning cartoons.

Those of you who know me know that most of my inspiration these days comes from my daughter.  And, although creative elements have had an impact on my life, the biggest impact I can share with you is the impact art has had on my daughter's life.

My daughter is 8, she's Russian, and she's a survivor of divorce.  The year I left her father, my daughter, tough as nails, was struggling with school, struggling against life, and looking for her place in the world.

Enter Color Wheel.  My daughter started to attend an amazing art program after school.  And it wasn't long before she could be heard saying "I'm an artist."  Her aura changed.  She had more self-confidence.  She had something to be proud of and rightfully so.  She'd found herself in those words:  "I'm an artist."

Dedicated to Masha.  I'm so proud of you!

Harmony's Story:
I always loved to create things growing up.  When I was about 7 or 8, I would make cards for my friends and family.  I would always sign the back of each card  "copyright Harmony Art".  So I guess you can say my company (Harmony Art) officially started back then. 

In high school I had a fabulous art teacher (Mrs. Hermann) who gave us materials to use, taught us techniques and then let us go.  I was always the type of kid who wanted to make my "art" look as different from everyone else's as possible and Mrs. Hermann LOVED it. 

In college I didn't take any art classes.  I was too scared.  I was afraid some teacher would tell me I wasn't any good, which is what had happened with singing:  in Jr. High I took chorus and got the worst grade ever.  It was devastating and for about 20 years I didn't sing (except alone in the car!).  Art was so precious to me that I didn't want to take the chance of that happening.  I continued to do craft projects on my own or with friends.

After college I had an office job in San Francisco.  One day at a family birthday party I saw a second cousin I hadn't seen in years.  When I asked what she was up to she described a school where she was learning to be a textile designer.  She told me the school did not give grades . . the teacher/owner didn't believe in them.  She told me it was a supportive environment where non-artists were turned into textile artists.  That conversation changed my life.  I immediately called the school and for two years I worked full time and went to classes on nights and weekends.  It was a safe place to let my creativity grow and blossom. 

My first job was designing the prints for pajamas.  My second job was designing home products (bedding, bath, kitchen stuff).  I LOVED my job . . . getting paid to draw and color all day.  The funny thing is that when you are a textile designer you don't typically call the shots.  Usually you have many people telling you what they like and don't like.  I think that is funny because my fear of criticism kept me back for so long from exploring art, and yet in the end I was surrounded by criticism every day.  Somewhere along the way I got over my fear and embraced the feedback.  As a textile designer you can't be attached to your work.  I have had to revise a design 100 times (maybe more) before it was "approved".  It can make you crazy or you can enjoy the co-creating process . . . the choice is up to you.  It takes about a year from the time you design something to the time you see it in a store.  I will never forget the first time I saw my pajamas in Macy's. 

Two years ago I left that job to become my own boss and release my own line of eco-friendly organic cotton prints.  You see, cotton is one of the most heavily sprayed crops in the world.  They estimate that 20,000 people (worldwide) each year die from the chemicals they spray on cotton.  I loved designing, but I wanted to have my life's work not be contributing to so much destruction.  So, I launched Harmony Art Organic Designs.  I am happier than I have ever been in my life . . . and I work more hours in one week than I ever have before.  

When my colleagues read this, they'll probably scratch their heads.  At work, I lead the project management group at Enterpulse.  At work, I'm focused, strong, versatile.   (My goal is to always be as smart and confident as C.J. Cregg on The West Wing.)

Sometimes I overhear people talking about me being a powerhouse at this or that, and I laugh to myself and thank poetry. The honest truth: if I hadn't discovered poetry in school, I'd be in a different place today, because reading poetry moved me write, and writing changed my life.

My self-confidence turning point coincided with realizing that I could write down my thoughts, and people would read them and appreciate them.  Teachers and adults that I respected read my work and encouraged me to keep writing. This exchange of writing and encouragement carried me through adolescence and into graduate school. 

Teachers and mentors along the way made a HUGE difference.  I silently thank my history and English teachers almost daily, along with a reporter at the community newspaper near my high school, Dale Leatherman, who never stopped encouraging me to keep writing.  (I remember even sending her letters from college, asking for advice.)

All this is sappy and personal to me, and maybe not relevant to anybody else, except for this important takeaway:  Everything we do affects everything we do.  My young artistic expression affected my adult everything.  People who showed interest in the young me affected my adult everything.   And I know I'm not alone in this thinking. 

Tell me about your young creative expression and the people who positively impacted who you are today.