I remembered that when I was just a little boy I loved drawing anything I could get my hands on… Seeing and hearing the joy people would get out when I drew something for them gave me a natural high. Next thing you know I was experimenting with all sorts of media/ I became a self-taught artist and I’m still learning. …Like the artist Robert Bissett said, ‘the very essence of any art form has always been to give expression to the self, the emotional being.’ …My artwork has gotten me through some rough times. When you come to prison everyone lives by the jailhouse rules. Observe everything and nothing. Keep your ears open and your mouth shut. I couldn’t believe my art work earned me respect without lifting up a finger, without hurting anyone, or doing anything illegal, respect that many work so hard for in here.
A Journal of Community-Engaged Writing and Rhetoric