Ironically, it was out of a place of financial success that I was able to see through the American Dream. After dropping out of college, I had built up a successful graphic design and advertising agency near Washington, DC. I had everything I wanted; I could go anywhere; I could buy anything I desired. I was pulling down a mid-six-figure salary. Although I had worked very hard to get there, deep down I knew I did not deserve what I was getting in the way of compensation. I knew of countless people of color or people with other economic disadvantages who worked harder than I did and were not making it. That basic inequity made me feel very uncomfortable. And along with that I felt so empty inside.

Then a darkroom conversion started me on a journey to a more authentic life.