What an amazing day. I couldn’t be more thankful. A group of high school students from two different art schools came together to celebrate their work towards my Beauty Scars Book Cover contest.

First off, ALL of the submissions were incredible. All of them are still up on my website so head over to the Beauty Scars tab and take a look. You’ll be just as impressed as I was with these pieces.

And all from high school students!! Young, enthusiastic, gifted art students who created these cover images with very limited information. Yet they worked with what they were given, and over a six week period were able to design images that in some way match the theme of my story. They did this with no certainty of anything other than the opportunity to be part of my future novel.

But that’s art right. Creating without promise of any appreciation, or monetary gain, or even without the guarantee that it will ever be seen. Artists dedicate their lives to ideas, and bringing those ideas to life. For many, the accomplishment from that alone is enough to nurture their souls. I have to thank 50 of these souls for being so willing to put their work up for ridicule. The excitement inside of Artscape was electric.

I still remember starting my own writing journey. I was so confident in my abilities, and even as feelings of doubt, fear, and hesitance emerged, I was still able to endure and put out a high quality, creative piece of fiction. I'd go as far as to say that it was the fear that partially motivated me. There was no way I was going to let it win! 

I’m still very much on that journey, enjoying each and every step. This was a good day!

#PassionAndPaper

#HistoryOrNothing

Read my fictional novella “Thoughts of a Fractured Soul.”  

(Image shot by Robert Young)