I work 40 hours a week at a bike/ski shop 365. I paint on my free time. I push myself everyday to work extra hours painting or drawing. It's not easy to stay motivated but being a stubborn and driven individual helps me stay productive. I've averaged 1 show every month this past year. I've never worked this hard at something I thought would always just be a hobbie. It's become a job that I love and I feel like no matter where I am at in life I will always be creating and dreaming of new things to paint. That alone gives me hope to keep pushing myself to work. It also helps that me and my friends around here have been driven to keep the art scene thriving and make the avalibility of places to display and sell work at a constant. We've been working in this community for about 7  years trying to improve the conditions for the benifit of local artists like myself and many many others. Taking on all these projects has forged me into an individual that appreciates a hard work ethic, patients, and a beer after a long day of work.