Last week at the Commonwealth Club I heard Dr. Cornel West speak. Without a doubt, he’s an entertaining, provocative, democratic intellectual.

Periodically he referenced his love for artists/musicians. At one point he said, “If they are not stirring your soul, they are not preparing you for struggle.” It would have been cool had he expounded on this, especially the last part.

Regardless, struggles with matters of the heart and the human experience have provided impetus for my creativity and desire to transform them into beauty. I do hope my fiery art provides inspiration to persist no matter what. The title of this is “Heavy Cascade.”