born in new york, dreamed of making art, left new york, dropped out of college, working for minimum wage, stealing art supplies, questioning the moral compass, resenting capitalism, left the country, came back, left the country again, moved to oakland california, trying to find home, creating a found family, stopped stealing, started paying it forward, thrifting art supplies, searching for hope, finding it through art, finding it through community, finding it through bird songs and breeze through trees, discovered the weight of words, the power of storytelling, started creating art as an act of resistance, as an act of coming home to one’s self, trying to forget, trying to remember,  practicing memory