I first discovered art as a child. My Dad was a graphic designer.I loved looking through his work and playing with all of his tools. I had a habit of faking sick so I could skip school and tag along with him to his office. His desk seemed like a large land mass to me; a land mass that had collection of ink pens, stacks of sketchpads and loupes (magnifers) as it's landscape. My Dad was an old school graphic designer (early 90's). Now computers have completely taken over. Lucky me, I was a 90's kid and my Dad's desk was my playground.

I learned to use art as a form of communication and an outlet for my feelings because strong communication skills is something my family did not possess. All of my feelings were pent up as a child. I would escape to my paints and journals to release those feelings, explore them and learn from them.

Art has connected me to others because I am not bilingual, but I am a world traveler. In places like Cuba, Mexico and Morocco, I couldn't speak to local artists in their mother tongue, but we could connect together through the colors and shapes of our art. Art is all I know. It has been my best friend since childhood and sees me through every life journey.

Art Crasher wants to know your story and feature it in our guest blog. How did you discover art? How has it shaped your life and the lens you view life through? Send all blog entries with photos of your work to hollie@artcrasher.com.