Process of Working
My pieces of furniture may all look different, but the ideas for my furniture are created in a similar way. I use sketchbooks to document classes I have had, places I have visited, and designs / ideas that I am attracted to. I believe it is important to write all ideas down (even the bad ones), when you sketch an idea out your mind doesn't have to hold on to that idea anymore... this allows other ideas to surface. If I am stumped on ideas I get books to help me come up with new images or I go to a place that inspires me. Later I come back to the ideas and reuse them. I am constantly trying to improve my skills and learn new techniques to implement in my designs.

Background
As a child, I believe my greatest gift was my environment. My home was always filled with art and music. A child cannot create without the space to be free and access to art materials. At age 8, I made my first pieces of furniture. In high school I realized that making furniture was something I wanted to continue to do for the rest of my life. I went to Peace College where I gained confidence in my academic abilities, and learned knowledge through my professors who pushed for excellence. After two years at Peace College, I continued my studies at NCSU Design School. I was amazed at how much the degree of Industrial Design fit how I work and who I am. Instead of all the years of education keeping my creativity in a bottle, I was finally able to work in an environment that suited me. Now I am working at my family business to support myself and working on my furniture. My art (furniture) has always created an inner peace that I need in my life.