Inspiration.

The images on the top of my website represent inspiration and progression, and I am often asked the story behind each image. I have additional sources of inspiration that I draw from... physical, psychological, metaphysical, and natural. Here's a breakdown of the imagery you see above:

Art. Sabrina Ward Harrison is one of my artistic heros. At age 23 she published her first book of artful expression, Spilling Open: The Art of Becoming Yourself. My first book of hers! A creative pioneer, Sabrina Ward Harrison has been sharing her life through a vivid interplay of artwork, photography, writing and video. She is humbly brilliant. She is vulnerable and human, exposing herself and her hunger to find what she terms "true living" in deep, passionate, and powerful work.

Sabrina’s authentic approach to life & art has encouraged people all over the world to come from a place of honest expression. I wish I had her creativity and youthful raw talent! Become inspired... http://www.sabrinawardharrison.com

Life in Seattle. The second image in my header is a selection from an ad campaign that I created for REI while living in Seattle. This image represents a very identity-building and transformational time for my creative work. 

Although I grew up in Seattle, it was during this time (and this campaign) that I recognized and embraced the incredible creative community I lived amongst. I tried to absorb various artistic vibes, styles, and movements around Pacific Northwest design. I exposed my young, inexperienced design mind to exceptional creative influences, fortunate to be surrounded by amazingly talented people.

I cherish that time in Seattle -- since I moved to the country, it is very challenging to find those creative influences like I had in the city. Now I scour online resources for credible influences and artists, and there is so much more!!! Gawd, I love the internet!

Waves & Mountains. "The Great Wave Off Kanagawa" was created by Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) in 1831, depicting the two elements that I grew up around and that I hold deeply as necessary elements in life: Waves and Mountains.

This brilliant image portrays the power of nature and the relative smallness of man, a relationship I respect and constantly remind myself. We should all remember how small we are in relation to nature.

I am lucky to live and work in the Pacific Northwest where I am surrounded by both of these great forces of nature. Living amongst one of the most active volcanic mountain ranges in the world, my home is nestled in between Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams, just southeast from Mt. St. Helens in the Cascade Range, with the Oregon Coast to the west. I have been fortunate to travel to many places in the world, but wouldn't live anywhere else.

Wind. I used to hate wind. When I moved to the Columbia Gorge in 2003, I was miffed by the windsurfers who would haul their space- and gas- intensive gear around in their vans, ready to drop everything in an instant to follow the wind. How ridiculous!

I now embrace the wind. I got a job in marketing for a kiteboarding company and was nearly forced to learn to kiteboard, kicking off a new passion and series of roles within the sport that changed my life.

I met my husband in kiteboarding, started teaching and now run a kiteboarding school (Cascade Kiteboarding), and run a major fundraiser within kiteboarding that brings in hundreds of thousands of dollars into our health community in the Gorge (Kiteboarding 4 Cancer). The wind is also a major economic and environmental driver in our community. The wind has been good to me and the community. I like wind now.

Entrepeneurship and Philanthropy. There are two parts to family influence here. This image represents just one -- the family pickle business, Farman's Pickles. It is of my Grandpa and his brother harvesting cucumbers in Mt. Vernon, a small farming town in northwest Washington. Circa, probably 1945. It's not about the pickles here - it's the entrepeneurial spirit that I inherited from my Dad and Grandpa.

Secondly, my Grandma and my brother, who have become  philanthropic influences on me, opening my eyes to people in need and giving me the opportunity to do something about it.