My art student phase was the best, most upward-looking stage of my life so far. I’d reached a new level and it was going to open my eyes to a new, wider world.

I’d already had some damned hard lessons from life by this point – mostly in how contradictory and unsympathetic the world seemed to be. At nineteen, with no home family platform to stand on anymore, I was on my own, responsible for getting my life on track. I wanted something better; I wanted to be part of something positive. I needed to take a chance, to pick my own path, and to start writing my own story instead of being stuck in the rut of someone else’s life.

During this phase of life, I became a total information sponge, absorbing everything I was exposed to. As my experiences slowly became more positive and progressive, my outlook became more positive and forward-looking. I gradually learned to quiet much of my negative, hateful self-talk and to open my heart and mind to positive messages from good friends and insightful teachers.

One teacher in particular, Dr. Tom Hudson, would become the great, inspiring educator of my life. His tutelage and guidance would expand my outlook as a creative person and give me the confidence to launch a career in art and design.