I have explored many creative paths over the past three decades, including painting, pen and ink drawings, performance art, semi-abstract raku clay sculptures, mixed media, poetry, personal essay, storytelling, singing, dance, art as social commentary, and creative collaborations with other artists. And now photography has gone to the top of my list. There are many reasons why this artistic medium suits me at this stage of life. One that I cannot ignore, is that I can still do it with my less-than-able hands while seated in my mobility scooter. But beyond the physical, photography appeals to my inner need to see life as it is, and to hold up a mirror so others can see it too. I'm talking less about the descriptive and more about the essence of things. I want to look INTO life not AT it. A few months ago I pursued that goal by combining images in imaginative ways using Adobe Photoshop, but lately it has meant sharing my photos unaltered except for editing. The more simple and direct, the better. Within the past week, black and white with strong contrast between light and shadow has captured my photographer's eye. "Simplify, simplify" seems to be my mantra, artistically and philosophically. "Less is more" is another way to say it. But doesn't that make sense for a woman who is in her 66th year on this planet? Life is so incredibly rich that my task as a mature human being is to pare away all that is unnecessary and concentrate on the essence, nothing more.