Year of Silence background.

Why a "Year of Silence"?

For as far back as I can remember I have been a artist. Manipulating time and space to create snapshots of reality. Problem solving by taking information and experience then transforming it into visual solutions. My personal way of "making sense of it all". Well, as time passed and choices made, I fell away from my first love. The choices I made were noble in their own right. Like the desire to start a family! Being blessed with twins is far beyond what I could have imagined it to be. (and I have a pretty active imagination) My children are my joy. My life has been filled with numerous blessings, too many to count.

However, I am ready to return to what I was created for. TO CREATE!

I am afraid I have forgotten "how" to live. I have been living. To-in' and Fro-in' as I like to call it. Moving around the earth doing repetitive tasks, such as the laundry, the dishes, paying the bills etc, etc... Society says we should place a high value on the tasks we do. As if that is the "right" way to live. Early in life I realized I did not think in the conventional ways as most. It is definitely more evident now than ever. And because I have not been creating for quite some time, I have lost touch with my own reality. It is a chore to figure out simple tasks. What used to flow like water is now a thick mud.

And so my "year of silence" is a way to force myself back into the visual world I am most comfortable in. To turn down the chatter and regain my focus.  It is easy to talk....and I talk a lot!   It has become an "easy way out"  form  of expression for me...a crutch if you will.  But talking is not necessarily communicating.  I want to transform my thoughts into visual representations instead of verbal words.  To move my mind to LISTEN and SEE better. I will re-commit my life to creating. The process of art is my chosen path. Every fiber in my being is pulling me back to what makes sense for me.

 I am an artist!  (and I want to become a better one)

The decision "why" to do the Year of Silence was an obvious one for me, but "when" to do it was the question.  I knew I wanted to start around the same time my studio was finished so I would have a place to create on a full time basis.   However, that is not the only consideration.  I have serious obligations that I am committed to that I can not just abandon.  My enlistment in the military is the primary obligation that I must fulfill.  I don't think "Uncle Sam" would take too kindly to me if I stopped talking to to him for a year. So, I decided to start my Year of Silence the day after my military commitment is fulfilled.  I will retire from the military with over 21 years of service.  My proposed retirement from the Air National Guard is set for December 31, 2010. Hence the beginning of my Year of Silence starts on

January 1, 2011.