What
is a DreamSmith, Anyway? The
answer is simpler that you might suspect.
A DreamSmith is a dreamer who is not content to let his dreams rest
quietly in his head. His dreams are too
spirited, his visions too clear to be contained. A DreamSmith sets out to express these dreams
through whatever means possible: through
the written word, photography, paint, sculpture, carpentry, digital media,
paint and canvas and construction paper – in short, through art in any of its
myriad forms. Furthermore, a DreamSmith
seeks to share his gift, to teach others to set their dreams free as well. Above all, a DreamSmith recognizes that we
all are works of art, masterworks of the Creator himself.
Troy
in a Nutshell: My qualifications are questionable. I was famous in elementary school as the
artist who drew dinosaurs and starships, in high school as the writer, in
college as the dreamer. I’ve been a
janitor, a millwright, a photo lab manager.
I called myself a real estate appraiser for sixteen years, and I’ve been
a husband and father longer than that. I’ve
even been an office manager for a funeral home.
(Yes, I saw dead people. They are
very polite.) So how do these things
qualify me to call myself an artist, a photographer, a writer? They don’t.
The jobs I’ve done are just that – they are what I’ve done. Being creative is part of what I am. Accepting this, proclaiming it, acting on it,
is no more optional than breathing. To
do otherwise would be to question my Creator, to ask if He knew what He was
doing when He made me as He did. I may
be audacious, but I’m not stupid.
I am a native of the American southwest, born and raised
in Albuquerque. Despite my best efforts, New Mexico flows in my blood. Perhaps it’s the size and color of the New
Mexico sky, or the scent of piñon smoke in the crisp winter air. It might be the warmth of the light just
before sunset, the clear notes of a Pimentel guitar, or even the way the old
adobe homes enfold you and protect you like a child. In any case, you cannot live there without
being forever transformed by the atmosphere.
It alters your perception of the world around you, changes the way you
see and taste and touch and hear and smell.
My art reflects that, I think.
I
am unashamedly Christian. In many ways,
my art is an expression of my prayers.
It reflects my conviction that the Lord is the original artist, and that
exploring the creativity God placed inside me is a way of growing closer to
Him. My art, both written and visual, is
a reflection of my desire to explore what is right and good and beautiful in
the world. It’s my way of seeking God
first, by observing the ways he is reflected in his creation. If you find my work to be simple or
sentimental, you are probably right. I
am simple and sentimental. I’ve found
that it is much easier to just go with it.
It
is my hope that you may find something beautiful or pleasant or uplifting in my
work. More than that, I hope it inspires
you, that it makes you say “I could do that”.
You’re right. You can. Go boldly into the world and find your
gifts. I can guarantee that they are
there to be discovered.
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