Inspiration for the piece:

Protecting the mind is so important, how you choose to react in a situation is one thing, but what happens when you are surrounded by people who you cannot control. In this art expression, I'm talking about people who NEGATE everything you say positive about prison. There are people who have let their negative thoughts hijack their minds. If you're not careful, they'll hijack yours too.

What role does art play in your life?

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Artist statement:

I have tried to understand why getting out feels so little like release. I struggle to shake off the "clinging monster" the world imposes on ex-prisoners. With longer sentences and less training and education to prepare for release it's harder than ever to counter the world's inhospitality. You see, an ex-prisoner would have to deal with the internal damage of institutionalization, show how much easier it is to get out of prison than to get prison out of oneself. For these, and many other reasons, the "Exit " from prison can be as menacing a portal as the entrance gate. That's why education programs like Art From the Inside have given me and other prisoners the opportunity to change the trajectory of our lives and to be able to shake off the stigma of that clinging monster the world imposes on the ex-prisoner