I am an artist and National Board certified visual arts teacher from Tacoma, Washington. Since 2005, I have been helping young people find their voice through the visual arts, many of whom have gone on to be professional artists in their own right. I approach art, and the teaching of art, as a language and a medium for social change, as well as vehicle for critical thinking and creative problem solving. I have organized and spearheaded many art projects for my local community, including the first ever mural to be painted on the grounds of Joint Base Lewis McCord. I have recently begun to present my lessons in video form for YouTube in hopes of sharing my artistic approach and knowledge to a larger base. Since 2015, I have been producing my own art series, which I sell online and at literary conventions locally, that fuses visual art with collaborative storytelling. My work has been published in literary magazines nationally and featured in local science fiction podcasts. In addition, I have worked as an illustrator for individual authors and publishing companies. My goal as an artist is to inspire the creativity that is innate in everyone, and to produce art that engenders a sense of empowerment in the viewer. The art I make is personal, but uses allegory to speak to emotional and social truths that all people can relate to. I believe that art and imagination are the most effective vehicle for social and personal progress.