Scientist. Farmer. Magician. Cartoonist. Movie star. Secret agent. My aspirations were all over the map. What connected them? They were all about creating experiences for people. I knew that's what I wanted to do, long before I knew who I wanted to be.

Why? Experiences define us. They’re the subtext of our emotions and our choices. So creating experiences touches every part of my life: home, family, friends, art, work. It's at the heart of my relationships. My priorities. My poetry.

And it's why I feel equally at ease as a copywriter for the ad biz and an artist at a reading. Writers create all kinds of emotions for our audiences every day. Not a bad gig.