When I was a child, my mother would sit on the side of my bed before I went to sleep and ask me about my day before saying a prayer with me and saying goodnight. One time she asked me, “Would you rather be good at many things or the best at one thing?”

I said, “Good at lots of things.”

I’ve had a busy and very full life ever since. I’ve also discovered that all the non-artist things I explored – student, waiter, door-to-door sales, tech guru, athlete, lawyer, professional speaker – were excellent grist for creating characters and stories that sneak past the filters of our rational minds to breathe empathy into our hearts and excitement into our dreams. (And yes, I mean “our” since these characters and stories affect me as much or more than anyone else who experiences them.)

Somewhere in there, I married an amazing woman and we raised two wonderful kids. I love nature, singing, and dogs. I want to try standup comedy before I die.

What about you?