Connect What is your favorite type of art to create?

I really enjoy a medium that I have pioneered (as far as my research goes). I create wall hangings out of full animal hides. I hammer designs and symbols into the skins by hand using various types of rivets and metal fasteners. It takes a lot of time and concentration, but the end result is always so rewarding. I feel as if I am giving a second, lasting life to a being that has already served its time here.

Where do you find inspiration?

Truly, I find inspiration in places where nobody looks. It comes from something bigger than myself. The byproduct of your filet mignon, the skin and bones. I find inspiration in the unflinching cycle of life that fulfills itself in every moment on this earth with such graceful neutrality. It is so grounding and beautiful, I am grateful to be one of the few that are selected by these forces to be the one to execute these ideas.

What would you do with $25,000?

I would use part of the funds to purchase more supplies and materials needed to further my practice. I am always thinking of new concepts to try, so it will be exciting for me to have the resources required to bring them to life. My other passion is acting. As an untrained actor, I feel like I am missing some important basics, so I would use another portion of the money to pay for some formal training as an actor, a luxury that I was never afforded due to my circumstances growing up.