“I live as a kite, but my string is tethered. I was born in an unseen place, but my mark is on stone”. (from an early poem of mine)

I am an artist, a minister, and a counselor who seeks to see and help reveal a true image of people, places and things. I study and behold and am fascinated by the true identity of people, cities and nations, as expressed through their art and culture. I studied comparative religious symbolic history, art therapy, anthropology, and the creative arts in university. But my heart always returned to the core identity of things, as they revealed themselves through their symbolic life. To know people through their imaginations, through how they expressed themselves–whether in clothing, speech, body language, or their art-has been my passion for most of my life-in short, to get a true image.

I live in a creative city, whose collective identity is entrepreneurial–a haven for fresh synthesis. It attracts artists, thinkers, and those who want to incubate new ideas. In this way it is a protector of the symbolic process, and an honorer of identity.

I travel often for three reasons: to behold and honor the identities of people, places and things; to help network or build bridges between creative communities; and to counsel other creative leaders. I am an artist, but my life theme is about spotlighting and highlighting the uniqueness of each identity.

I believe that if we look deeply enough at any person, city or nation, we will be able to behold an aspect of Our Creator. All my art is about this gazing into this core identity, in order to know and love God.

I have lived in many cities, and still do, but always my task is the same: to behold and express the core identity of each amazing place. To try and symbolize the contours of its being, is my passion. I also counsel individuals using the art making process as a medium. I studied as an art therapist, a counselor, clown and minister, and an artist; and like to think I am now doing all of these in my life work.

I like dialoguing directly through the symbolic process (ie by making art) whether it be with people or cities. I like to think that this creative conversing is part of the larger work of healing the imagination, so that it can reflect a true image of what it was intended to be.

I travel about every two months now focusing on one or all three of these goals: to network, to encourage and counsel other leaders, or to make art from and about the identity of that place. I also at times, offer creative workshops on art as a tool for beholding and revealing identity. These are playful workshops as I am odd, and worked as a clown for many years. As I get older, i hope my art and the seeds I carry are getting planted more effectively and with greater fruitfulness.These seeds, in their broadest expression are around freedom and creativity, and the healing and integration of the imagination. I truly enjoy what I feel called to do and be.

My own story, as the son of a minister and an artist, has been a struggle to express and celebrate of my own unique identity, and to find and articulate a spiritual context for creativity.  I believe that this is what has been the theme of my life: as the Hebrew poet and king David realized: we are fearfully and wonderfully made, for we are God’s poetry, and He is a good poet. I am fascinated in delineating the nuances of each particular poem, including my own, which I am priveleged to read and behold on earth.

In this time of global homogenization, i am glad to have the task of demarking the particularities of identity; to celebrate the uniqueness of each person and region, city and nation; and for that to be a large part of my own spirituality, both locally and among the nations.

I also help run arts communities and arts events (festivals etc) locally and globally. I have helped start and run several arts communities in the US, and been part of several in Europe and Israel. I help with several arts festivals in eastern and central europe during the Summer months, and help run an arts community here in Austin, Texas. This too is about healing the symbolic for me, and being part of offering room for  a truer image of what we were meant to reflect of The Divine Image. I enjoy providing a safe space for people to integrate their creativity with the rest of their identity in a community collaborative setting. It has become, in fact a passion-to behold, activate, integrate and express true identity through the arts. In short, to help foster a true image of people, places and things.