I took my first painting class as an elective in college and that experience irreversibly changed my life. I abandoned my previous career plans, did an about-face, and went to study art education.  Though I didn’t see myself as a natural educator becoming an art teacher kept me connected to the creative lifestyle that I longed for. That first year as an art teacher something magical happened and it continued throughout the next 20 years of my career. Teaching the creative process in all its forms was inspiring and joyful in every way. Some of the most exciting work I have done was during those years.  In collaboration with the school community, I orchestrated huge installations that occupied city blocks, gymnasiums, and hung from three-story ceilings. I created 50 life-size plaster sculptures, multiple 200-foot murals, and several large-scale interactive exhibits. A favorite of those exhibits was a 60-foot jungle that hung from the ceiling made out of garbage. After I...