I believe the art and stories we consume through different media shape who we are and how we think and live. I believe that the purpose of stories is not to distract us from reality, but to help us better examine, understand, and experience reality.
I knew from a young age that I wanted to tell stories in some way. To that end, I earned my bachelor's degree in Communication Arts and English Language & Literature with a concentration in Creative Writing.
I have a wide range of interests, so I enjoy trying different ways to tell stories, including poetry, stage plays, screenplays, short stories, fan fiction, prose fiction, and creative nonfiction.
Influences
These works have greatly influenced and/or best express my philosophy as a consumer and creator of stories.
Books:
Communicating for Life: Christian Stewardship in Community and Media by Quentin J. Schultze
Hollywood Worldviews: Watching Films with Wisdom and Discernment by Brian Godawa
Imagine: A Vision for Christians in the Arts by Steve Turner
Real Sofistikashun: Essays on Poetry and Craft by Tony Hoagland
Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art by Madeleine L'Engle
Essays and talks:
"The Danger of a Single Story" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
"Erotic, but not Pornographic" by John Peck
"Letter to Artists" by Pope John Paul II
"Myth Became Fact" from God in the Dock by C.S. Lewis