Tag: art

For Our Future

Courageous Intentions

Grand Providentia United

Addendum to the Grand Providentia Projections Pitch

If you’re a new visitor to this site, or you’ve visited on occasion but you’re unfamiliar with the details of the Grand Providentia Projections, please allow me to direct your attention to the comprehensive overview (pitch) I published in May of this year – https://grandprovidentiaunited.blog/2026/05/18/actualizing-the-grand-providentia-projections-peace-power-love-and-riches-going-global/ – Today’s post is an addendum to that comprehensive overview, so the substantive developments I’ll be discussing here will make more sense when they’re considered within the broader context of the project pitch.

An Open Gateway to Opportunity?

Yes, I believe it is!

I’ve had multiple phone conversations over the last couple of weeks with past clients, employees, and business associates concerning a major shakeup in the bronze sculpture industry here in the southeast. The first conversation I had was with Charles Wambold III – President, Founder and Foundry Master of American Bronze Foundry in Sanford, Florida. I’m grateful to say that I’ve regarded Charlie as a good friend and trusted associate for more than 20 years now. American Bronze has been my foundry of choice since I left Bronzart Foundry Inc. in 2008, and I exclusively sub-contracted ABF to “cast and blast” all the bronze work I produced during my eleven years as a business owner in the commercial sculpture industry on the west coast of Florida. Charlie called early last week to share the happy news that he was selling his facility and retiring at the end of the year. He further explained that the offer to buy his property came unexpectedly and confessed that it was an offer he couldn’t turn down. He’d already been planning to retire for some time but hadn’t figured out exactly how to make it happen, until now. I’ve long admired Charlie for his impeccable work ethics and unflinching dedication to the art of bronze sculpture casting. I can’t help but applaud his enduring commitment to the sculpture industry, having experienced firsthand how physically demanding and emotionally stressful the business can be at times. Charles, his wife Renee, and the rest of the Wambold family have persevered through damaging hurricanes, oppressive heat and the highs and lows of the Florida economy for 35 years, ultimately creating the largest and most capable art foundry in the Southeastern US. ABF is located 44 miles northeast of the Universal Orlando Resort. For those of you who are interested, here’s a link to American Bronze Foundry – https://americanbronze.com/

One of my most memorable visits to American Bronze Foundry – In 2013, professional sculptor, Loura Parks Dobbs (center) commissioned me, with Charlie’s consent, to apply the faux granite patina to her 15′ “St. Michael the Archangel” bronze monument at the foundry in Sanford. Charles Wambold III stands with his back to the camera in the third photo (he’s the one without any wings).

Universal Dreamer or Well-grounded Entrepreneur

Well before Charlie had finished filling me in on the details of his unexpected liberation from the responsibilities of Foundry Master at ABF, and furthermore, his newly found pathway to retirement, a familiar sense of wonder began to well up within my mind and spirit. I refer to it as a familiar sense of wonder not because it happens often, but because this particular brand of wonder is almost always associated with sensations brought on by the astute recognition that synchronicity plays a major role in orchestrating the circumstances of life. In other words, I’ve become intimately acquainted with the dynamics of manifestation, and when I perceive that the signs and synchronicities are in alignment, I experience the sensation of knowing that the Source, or the Universe if you prefer, is about to manifest a new expression of reality in a positive and powerful way. Specifically, though, in the context of my conversation with Charlie, I wondered immediately whether his situation, his new reality, was directly connected with my own. Since the beginning of this year, I’ve grown increasingly convinced that NBCUniversal is actively pursuing the development of the Grand Providentia Projections and is possibly closing in on a greenlight for the inception of this worldwide production. If my intuitive sensibilities are as keen as I believe them to be, and my convictions are correct, then it isn’t a very broad leap for me to imagine that the NBCUniversal group might be involved with the purchase of the American Bronze Foundry. After all, the facility is located just north of the largest Universal theme park in the world. With all those resources, human and material, just minutes away, it would be an ideal location to begin production of the flagship GP Projection which I suspect is to be installed somewhere on the east coast of the USA (North Bergen, NJ?). And even if that whole scenario is a figment of my imagination, or simply wishful thinking, there are other, more empirical reasons, that Charlie’s news has the potential to significantly impact the future of my professional career in the visual arts.

For the sake of clarity, before I get into the rest of the conversation I had with Charlie, I’ll back up a bit and recount a yearslong discussion I’ve been having with Mike Elwell, another long-term friend and trusted associate of mine. I met Mike in 2007, when I worked for Bronzart Foundry Inc., Sarasota, FL, and indeed Bronzart’s struggles in the bronze business have been the subject matter of our ongoing discussion. Mike called me about a week ago, just a few days after Charlie’s call to ask if I had any ideas how he, or we together, could help Bronzart survive in the business of bronze. In the interest of brevity, I won’t get into the nature or the origins of their troubles in this post, but I will say that Bronzart has been in steady decline since the passing of its President, Founder and Foundry Master, Richard Frignoca in 2014.

Now, back to my phone call with Charlie. I asked if he knew what kind of business would be moving in when he moved out. He said that he didn’t know, but he didn’t think it would be a bronze foundry because they hadn’t expressed any interest in the equipment or the contents of the buildings. That was when he gave me another bit of info that piqued my interest in an entirely different way. He told me that he’d be attempting to sell all of his foundry equipment from front door to back for $300,000, but it would need to be cleared out by the end of January 2027. He also told me that he wasn’t taking on any new projects because he had to finish up everything currently in the works. Then he mentioned Bronzart, or at least he mentioned all of the panicking clients of Bronzart who had been calling him or dropping in for a visit to ask whether ABF could finish their projects, many of which had been stalled for months due to his primary competition’s rapid disintegration and steady movement toward insolvency. Charlie told me he regretted having to turn down all that business, and that he was sorry to see how things were going for the west coast foundry, but reasserted that he was already committed to winding down his own productions at American Bronze. He elaborated further, telling me that he’d also turned down many other projects, “…including seven life-size figures during the last two weeks alone.” Sensing my interest in the foundry equipment he was planning to sell, Charlie told me that he couldn’t let it go until the end of the year, because it would be in use until then, but preferably the deal would be brokered by that time so everything could be off the property in early January. One added benefit to the package would be his company website and client base contact information.

Taking all of this information into account, I’ll make the following statement – I know in my heart that I’m one of very few people in the states who could pick up where American Bronze Foundry and Bronzart Foundry Inc. left off. I would need to find an investor, or investors, to support me in the endeavor. I’d also need financial advisors and business management executives to help me run the day-to-day foundry work, but I know that my passion for the arts and my creative leadership style would add up to an extraordinarily successful bronze foundry. Time is of the essence, as usual, but I’m ready to get back to business in my creativity and this could be the start of an exciting new chapter in the “True story, as yet unfolding…”

Naturally Progressive

I’ve often professed to being a pragmatic dreamer – unafraid to trust in my own creative abilities, while also remaining grounded in reality – being able to discern the difference between achievable goals and flights of fantasy. Soulfire Creative is Plan-B. It could include a foundry facility, but not necessarily. I wrote a preliminary outline for Soulfire Creative in 2025. (see below)
Written in the Autumn of 2025, this plan doesn’t take into account any of the recent developments I’ve detailed in this post. Starting out with a pre-existing client/project base from American Bronze Foundry, Bronzart Foundry Inc. and Moore Art Expressions would surely bolster Soulfire Creatives’ potential for short-term profitability.

Earthly Dreams Prevail

I’ve never been one to dream in mediocrity. I see mediocrity everywhere, so I perceive that it must be an adequate goalpost for the less imaginative masses. It seems to me that mediocre dreams could be something certain people settle for because they’ve been conditioned to believe they’re simply not equipped to dream in excellence. When it comes to imagining new worlds into being, I prefer to dream in excellence. I strive to envision an improved version of the world; a world moving toward unity and away from intolerance; a world where it’s just as easy to imagine happiness as it is to imagine sorrow; and a world where dreams of peace aren’t summarily ridiculed as unrealistic imaginings.

I dream of a world where the “Grand Providentia Projections” are embraced as a universal expression of human excellence. NBCUniversal has rightly earned its reputation of excellence in the industries of film and entertainment the world over, time and again, for more than a century. In my estimation, this is a world that only NBCUniversal can help me imagine into reality. Together, is the ideal way to build adventurous new worlds.

Urgent call to action: Like so many creatives before me, I look to the world around me for moral and financial support. I need help to realize my dreams. I must confess that I cannot fully comprehend the enormity of the expense or the complexity of the production planning for this project, so I have only a limited understanding of the timeline necessary for development of the IP. Still, I must ask for some form of confirmation, perhaps including short term compensation. Might NBCUniversal offer to purchase an option on the intellectual property, if indeed they are intending to commit to the project? I hold firm that the Grand Providentia Projections will be a gift to the future of all life on Earth. I’m asking NBCUniversal to help make this gift a reality, and together, we’ll start to build a brave new world. A world that has been patiently waiting to be imagined into existence.

“Equilibrium“

"Fortuna" One-of-a-Kind Bronze Sculpture

Greek Goddess of Fortune, Chance, Luck & Fate

Grand Providentia United

The story of Fortuna is as colorful and animated as the living koi fish she was patinaed to resemble. When I sculpted the original in clay, I had an entirely different vision and concept for the finished piece than what it has turned out to be. I’m so pleased to have let this one evolve into what she has become. Fortuna has metamorphosized from a sculpture that was intended as cynical commentary on the superficial pursuits of man into a beacon of good fortune and a recognition of the astonishing beauty of nature on our planet. Originally, this surrealistic representation of the fish as a metaphor for greed and selfish motivations was titled “Suckerfish Ball”. I’d had a vision of a fish standing on its head and writhing like a flickering candle flame. That was the vision out of which the ball and fish form evolved. The addition of dollar signs and stars and the stripe around the ball were intended to represent money, fame and play respectively, but these additions were all envisioned through the distorted lens of my cynical outlook at the time. I’m truly grateful that my outlook has changed dramatically since then!

“Fortuna” and “Suckerfish Ball”

“Suckerfish Ball” is the only other sculpture on the planet that is nearly identical to “Fortuna”. They’re pulled from the same mold, so that’s to be expected. The major difference between them is that the fish figure on the first casting was poured in white bronze which gives it the shiny silver look. “Suckerfish Ball” was purchased years ago and now resides in the collection of Phillip and Lynn Rogers. In my opinion “Fortuna” is the stronger piece of artwork. Not only is it warmer in color and concept, but it is also invested with positive energy and designed to bring good fortune to any home where it is being displayed. Now, those may sound like the words of a snake-oil salesman, and I could see why some folks might scoff at the notion of a good luck charm, but I can’t see where the harm is with a little bit of positive superstition being peddled between friends!

Physical Properties of Fortuna

Fortuna – Bronze casting mounted on cream colored marble base (pentagonal). The patina on this bronze is one of its most striking features. The opaque and creamy tones of the koi fish contrast nicely with the details of bronze dollar signs and the band around the ball. This was a sophisticated patina to perform given the fact that a patina finish can’t be built up like a paint job. The color that adheres to the metal is still only a few microns thick. It’s similar to a smoked glass process where what you get to stick is what you get to keep.

Dimensions: 27.5″ H x 10″ W x 8″ D ~ Weight: 32 lbs.

Approximate time involved: 180 hours from concept to completion.

Price: $9,500.00 USD – Includes metal pedestal shown in photos.

An Investment in the Future of Our Planet and Our People

The sale of “Fortuna” will forward the cause of the “Grand Providentia Projections” as it will allow my wonderful Dani and I to establish our physical home together on God’s green Earth. We’ve been growing our love (online) for almost two years now and we long to be married and live together somewhere in the USA. Together we are unstoppable, just as the GP Projections will be unstoppable with the collective positive intentions of our friends and supporters worldwide.

Almost one year ago (10/25/2025), I displayed “Fortuna” along with “Providentia”, “Return to Hope” and “Monkey Runs Amok” at an art festival sponsored by the The Landings Art Association and the Village Library at the Skidaway (Island) Village Green. Daniela shared in the ambience of the event with me, via Messenger facetime, during quiet times on that beautiful Saturday afternoon.

Sustainable Vs. Non-Sustainable Ambitions

Universal Appeal

Grand Providentia United

When it comes to the pursuit of our personal goals, dreams and aspirations, I believe that each one of us must determine, realistically, how much energy we’re willing to expend moving in a particular direction. Once we’ve decided that a certain direction has become non-sustainable in terms of energy expended vs. energy returned, and when it appears that the only realistic action to take is to move in a new direction, I think the obvious solution is to adjust the trajectory of our intentions. Over the past twelve months, since my graduation from SCAD, I’ve been investing the bulk of my creative energy courting NBCUniversal with straightforward intentions of either finding equitable employment within their worldwide entertainment empire or, more preferably, entering into an agreement to collaborate with them on the production of the Grand Providentia Projections. In the face of my best efforts, all communications between us have moved in a single direction – out of me and toward them. To be fair, the Universal Orlando Resort has sent me a number of rejection emails in response to job applications, but they were all anonymous – no reply – form letters, affording me no personal communicative agency. Having spent a lifetime in the visual arts, I’ve grown accustomed to waiting for responses to applications and inquiries often without even knowing if my messages were delivered to the intended recipients. I’ve applied to art competitions, collegiate programs of study, calls for public art proposals, and creative employment opportunities; I’ve also participated in good faith negotiations with boards of directors, government art commissioners and individual art patrons. Ordinarily, and by nature, it doesn’t take very much feedback (return energy) to sustain my interest or enthusiasm in any endeavor that I’m creatively passionate about. And I can add to that with full confidence, that I’m not easily discouraged or deterred once I’ve set my sights on a desired outcome. I’d also estimate that I’ve received equal proportions of rejections vs. acceptances over the years. What, precisely then, elevates this highly ambitious goal of mine above the level of all the previous opportunities that I’ve applied to? And why do I feel the need to ask for, and indeed insist upon, acknowledgement from the enormous creative entity that I’ve been attempting to win over? If you’re willing to read on, I’m willing to answer these questions and a few others as introduction to the project pitch that follows this post.

There are a number of reasons why this situation is unique when compared to all the previous situations I listed above. Currently, I am on the cusp of a major transitional breakthrough in my artistic career, and the breakthrough is manifesting by way of intentional design. For as far back as I can remember, well before entering kindergarten, I recall having a burning desire to imagine and create worlds as yet unseen; as yet unimagined. Although I’ve allowed the circumstances and situations of daily life to distract me on many occasions over the course of this lifetime, I’ve consistently returned to the path of meaningful creativity, seeking the fulfillment of higher purpose and the rewards of personal growth. The qualifying difference between the Grand Providentia Projections and every other creative aspiration that I’ve applied my intentions toward, arises from the awareness of a continuous pathway of conceptual evolution which traces all the way back to the earliest artistic yearnings of my childhood. As a child, I was as naive as any other child, but I can attest without doubt that my mind was prematurely occupied with matters of injustice, inequality and the willful destruction of lifeforms, human and otherwise. I set realistically unattainable standards for myself and others, but I can honestly say that I usually set them with good intentions. Some say the road to hell is paved by good intentions, but I’ve always dismissed their arbitrary counsel as an obvious ploy to discourage well-meaning people from aspiring to do good things. The Grand Providentia Initiative is rooted in a philosophy that encourages humanity to collectively ‘do good things’ for the planet and the people. Unified by the desire to secure a prosperous future for all life on Earth and propelled by the zeitgeist of our shared indomitable spirit, we humans will rise above the chaos and divisiveness of fear-based collective consciousness. The ideal time to initiate this humanitarian project is now.

One fine day, my ego and I went our separate ways. We decided we could only ever agree to disagree, so after years of a love hate relationship, my ego screamed and wailed its final disapproval of the way I was living and I exiled the abhorrent creature from my presence indefinitely. That was the moment my life was transformed from a predominantly self-centered existence, full of angst and uncertainty, to one of self-confidence and genuine concern for the welfare of others. Many of you may be wondering how I manage to set goals, nurture aspirations, or follow dreams without egotistical assistance. Some of you might even be overwhelmed by angst and uncertainty at the mere suggestion of banishing the ego. In my personal experience, ego was the enemy within, always stomping out the fires of creative passion and distracting me from even the most reasonable hopes and dreams well before I could sow the seeds. As soon as I shut down all communications with ego, positive intentions, dreams and aspirations took the lead role, and ever since that moment, I’ve been dreaming inclusively. I want us all to live in peace and prosperity, but being a realist, I understand that not all people are seeking peace and prosperity, for the ones who are, I propose that we unite under the all-inclusive collective aura of positive consciousness.

Anyone who knows me, knows that the actions I take, including the writing of posts on this blog, are usually decisively taken with specific intentions in mind. I wrote this post to request a courtesy call (or email) from NBCUniversal. I’m not asking for definitive answers or an open avenue of bi-directional correspondence, just acknowledgement of intentions and an estimate of the potential for creative opportunities with Universal. I’ve chosen to wait patiently for this long and I’m sure that I can hold on a little longer, especially if I have some positive feedback to keep me afloat, but I will need to move forward soon because for me there is no turning back. The way I figure it, I have another two to three decades of meaningful creativity to get busy with, and long-term stasis or unconscious backsliding are not viable options. It’s time for me to seize the opportunities of tomorrow.

Best of all things, material and imagined,

Scott Joseph Moore

scottmoore6210@gmail.com

Artist at Work

Top Ten Reasons NBCUniversal Should Bring Me Aboard as a Creative Team Member

Grand Providentia United

#10 – I align with well-established principles of resourcefulness and live according to a conservational philosophy grounded in efficacy and accountability.

In 2008, when I first moved into the Sarasota Industrial Park, I discovered that an architectural design company had recently moved out and that they’d discarded a large quantity of medium-density foam blocks. I considered it a boon and carted the best pieces back to the S.M.art studio to use on sculptural armatures. As a result of my resourcefulness, it was never necessary to buy block-foam during my 11 years in business.

#9 – I prefer to focus on cooperation over competition. I find fulfillment in working with others toward shared successes.

At the peak of our productivity at Moore Art Expressions there were ten of us working enthusiastically for a common cause. A shared dedication to individual expressions of creativity became a unifying force among us and the results were clearly evident in the aesthetic impact of the projects we produced.

#8 – I consistently prioritize the improvement of my communication skills. Whether I’m communicating verbally, visually, or via written correspondence, I strive to be clear and concise with the messages I send.

As a visual artist and an entrepreneur of modest means, I’ve found it necessary to build my own brand, ring my own bell, and organize and direct promotional events from start to finish. I’ve come to realize that this is business as usual for individual artists who venture to make a living by way of their calling. Through practice fueled by necessity, I’ve become proficient in this area of artistic expression.

#7 – As a child I was introduced to industry standards and protocols, blueprints, and schematic drawings by my father, who began his career as a mechanical draftsman and later transitioned to digital drafting as CAD became the standard in the industry.

Out of high school, I landed a job at General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, CT. My father was a marine draftsman there and my maternal grandfather and uncle worked there as well. For three years I installed pipe hanging systems on Trident submarines following blueprints and adhering to tight procedural tolerances and requirements. Sketches, plans and standards ultimately became a familiar language woven through my work experience in the arts and the skilled trades. This familiarity made the transition from real-world sculpting into 3D modeling and animation much less intimidating given the XYZ orientation system used in computer graphics.

#6 – I’ve been employed by private individuals, small businesses, large corporations and non-profit organizations. Through the years, I’ve regularly asked myself one simple ethical question when it comes to working for others to earn a living – ‘If I were paying myself for the work I do, would I be completely satisfied with the performance or would I be left wanting more for my money?

It’s not about working hard, but about working smart and nurturing a positive attitude. I’ve labored in some relatively difficult industries under leadership that wasn’t always beneficent or even fair, but at the end of each workday I always ask myself if I feel good about my performance. There’s always room for improvement, so I try not to judge myself too harshly. Rather, I just keep moving forward.

#5 – For a total of twelve years, I worked in logistics, driving various types of heavy equipment used in warehousing. For another 17 years, I worked as a skilled laborer in industrial manufacturing facilities and on construction sites. As one might expect, I’m well versed in occupational safety programs and best practices.

I’ve never been seriously injured on the job, and I don’t expect I ever will be. I practice mindfulness and invariably aim to stay present and aware in the workplace. When it comes to safety, I strive to lead by example.

#4 – A sizable portion of the work I’ve done in the arts has been done in the capacity of “ghost artist”. I’m still being asked to sign NDAs on occasion, but clients who know me well recognize the amount of respect I have for trademarks, copyrights and intellectual properties. For me, discretion is paramount when it comes to working for other artists and creative enterprises.

More often than not, the artists and organizations that I’ve worked for have been generous in their willingness to recommend me to others and also in allowing me to use images of the projects we’ve collaborated on as promotional materials in career development. These are a few of the clients and associates who trusted in my discretion when it came to these matters.

#3 – In a holistic way, I see myself as a ‘Practitioner’. In my experience, the cycles of learning, mastering and teaching are ongoing and perpetually evolving. I moved beyond the delusions of perfectionism long ago.

For me, one of the most exhilarating features of creativity is found in witnessing the progression of individual art projects. Equally exciting though, is promoting the evolution of artistic aptitudes in others and encouraging their mastery over materials and processes.

#2 – At this moment in my artistic evolution there is only one place for me to move up to – my heart keeps insisting that the one place is NBCUniversal. I would love to take part in manifesting the magic Universal Pictures has been delivering with their films and in their theme parks for more than a century.

Timeline of films by Universal Pictures that have influenced my life in the arts:
1) Three years after this fourth-grade photo was taken, “Jaws” was released. With some whining persuasion, my parents agreed to take me to see it in the theater. A jaw dropping audio/visual adventure to say the least!
2) The year of my high school graduation I saw the “Blues Brothers” in that same theater. I’m still proclaiming that “I’m on a mission from God” on rare occasions.
3) This photo represents 4 generations of Moore’s and includes my son Christopher at 18 months. A couple years after it was taken, Universal released “Jurassic Park”. Watching that awe-inspiring film in the theater convinced me to apply to the BFA Computer Animation program at the Ringling College of Art and Design.
4) The year “Twister” was released I entered the animation program at RCAD. Our young family visited the Universal Orlando Resort many times during the following years. “Twister… Ride it Out” was one of my personal favorites at the park.
5) In 2023, my first year at the Savannah College of Art and Design, I saw “Oppenheimer” at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival. This epic film was the icing on the cake for me. I knew without a doubt I needed to find a way into the Universe of Talent at NBCUniversal.

And here it is! The #1 reason why NBCUniversal should bring me aboard as a creative team member –

#1 – I’ve been preparing myself physically, intellectually and spiritually for a position at NBCUniversal throughout my entire life, and more specifically since I graduated with an MFA in Film and Television from SCAD in June of last year. I have an unwavering confidence that the Talent Acquisition Team at Universal will place me where I’ll be of the greatest value to the organization. I’m ready, willing and over the top excited to start the next leg of my artistic journey within the Universal cosmos of creativity.

I’ve been reading the fantastic press releases about all the amazing projects in development around the globe, and each and every one of them has been stoking the fires of my passion to build new worlds. I’m fully fueled and ready to launch into a creative career at NBCUniversal!

Artist at Work

Just Add Resources!

Grand Providentia United

Investment Fuels the Fires of Invention

Historically, artistic endeavor has been commissioned and supported by those who have access to the necessary resources to transform subjective ideas into objective realities. Having owned and operated two commercial art businesses over the course of 11 years and having funded both businesses primarily through income generated by the art projects I was able to secure and produce, I’ve certainly learned to appreciate the value of capital investment. During those years, I regularly found myself funding the most recent projects with the balance payments from the projects most recently completed. This way of conducting business requires constant hustle and affords very limited time for enjoyment of the process. As an artist who truly appreciates the learning curve that leads to the mastery of materials and processes, I can say without hesitation that I prefer to work with ample and appropriate resources on hand.

“It takes money to make money!”, they say, and I would definitely agree with them, but I’d also add that it takes a number of other equally important resources to grow a profitable business. In my experience, the most valuable resource of all, is the human one. A creative team might have all the time and money it needs to produce a successful outcome, but if the members of that team lack the skillsets, talents and initiative needed, the project could quickly fall to pieces… and there’s certainly no profit in that.

Attitude is everything in all areas of human endeavor. When it comes to creative industries, having the right teammates can transmute the outcome of a concept or project from average to extraordinary in a heartbeat. To see Moore process photos and descriptions, just click over to the portfolio page on this site – https://grandprovidentiaunited.blog/art-gallery/
Through the process of conceptualizing and producing the thesis film “Third Eye from the Sun” and writing a thesis paper to support the film, I learned the importance of maintaining the personal initiative to see a project through to its fruition against all odds. The challenges were many, but the will to succeed overcame all obstacles. You can watch “Third Eye from the Sun” by navigating to the bottom of the In Service of Humanity page on this site.

I’ve learned to acknowledge and embrace my personal value as a human resource as well. I’ve been practicing creativity in all the affairs of this lifetime since I was a toddler. I believe that I’ve sufficiently earned the privilege to publicly affirm the positive contributions I’ve made to the arts and culture through my continued dedication to the field. I regularly celebrate victories, both minor and magnificent, and I look to the future with high expectations of what’s to come. Past accomplishments and achievements are water under the bridge, but they are also steppingstones that have brought me to ever increasing personal fulfillment. And as for the many challenges and learning experiences I’ve weathered, they’ve only further enhanced my appreciation for a well-executed art project.

Perhaps the most important feature of the human resource is the mind. Original thoughts and ideas, inspired visions, and authentic concepts have the power to transform the mediocre into the miraculous. The perceived value of a masterfully crafted work of art is arrived at by consensus. Humankind has evolved a highly sophisticated sense of aesthetic appraisal which subsequently leads to an assigned price tag. Growing up in Hope, Rhode Island, I never thought much about getting rich or being famous, but I did dream about making powerful art; art that would inspire positive change in the world. Over the decades, that dream has transformed into a clear understanding of my higher purpose in this world, as a human being and as a creator of visual art which rises above and moves beyond the expected.

I’m sure there are those who would assume that I’ve come to some kind of high point in my artistic career; that I’ve used up my allotment of inventiveness and burned through my conceptual storehouse of fresh ideas. Well, from where I’m standing, I see only a multitude of creative peaks I’ve yet to scale, and the only reason I’d agree to look away or back down would be if I were asked to compromise my artistic integrity for a paycheck. That’s a form of regret I refuse to invite to the dinner table. Intellectually, I’m ready to raise the bar and bring ideas to life, whether I’m employed by an established organization or I’m founding another startup. I’ve always been careful to encourage the work of my unbounded imagination, and I intend to continue dreaming and realizing those dreams until I can imagine no more. It may sound strange, but in mind and spirit, I feel like I’m just starting out.

When I was a child, I regularly experienced the sensation that my hands were expanding until they broke free of the confines of my bedroom and spread outwards to the world at large. Of course, I could see that they weren’t actually expanding, I knew it was all in my head. But that “knowing” didn’t quell the feelings of awe I experienced whenever this sensation took hold on my spirit. Retrospectively, I can imagine that my hands were symbolically signaling the desire to create something out of nothing.

In the assessment of my value as a human resource, I’ve found it necessary to make an honest appraisal of my physical abilities and the health of this body that my mind and spirit inhabit. I’m pleased and grateful to report that I feel more robust and energetic now than I have since my mid-forties. When the pandemic surged into reality in 2020, I decided it was time to start taking the responsibility for my own health and welfare much more seriously. I initiated a daily routine of stretching and calisthenics followed by a brisk 3–5-mile walk. I started reading the labels of the foods I was eating, eventually cutting out high fructose, GMOs and chemical additives. I buy organic when it’s available and prefer to prepare meals fresh rather than buying processed ingredients or factory prepared frozen dinners. I haven’t resorted to vegetarianism yet, but I do try to buy ethically sourced meats and eggs, thus avoiding the factory farmed alternatives. I’ve allowed my intuition, and the signals that my body sends me, to be the guides when I’m making choices between what’s healthy and unhealthy. I’ve learned to trust in the process of authentic living, knowing that I’m the creator of my own reality.