I was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, and have lived here most of my life.

My earliest occupations included surgical assistant, secretary, and other such work that allowed me to earn a living while simultaneously earning part-time college hours.  I eventually got a Bachelor’s in Sociology and a Master’s in Social Work. Next came a long stretch of professional years as a program administrator for the state’s department of human services, followed by some years as a psychotherapist in a community health center, and then twenty-odd years as the founder, fundraiser, and administrator of a non-profit breast cancer program. That program, I am pleased to say, raised and put to work more than six million dollars on behalf of indigent women in our state who needed help because of breast cancer. I retired from this position at age 80.

When I retired from my first career, my second career–as a visual artist and a creative writer–had been going on part time in the background for about twenty years. In other words, I was about sixty when I made the decision to start learning part-time how to perform at the level of True Artist at writing and painting, and after twenty years I was able to devote myself to it full-time. I have made enough progress to suit myself so far, and I am still learning.