I am informed by my environment. The challenge is to listen, to hear, and to assimilate the message. This may sound abstract, but it is actually a practical approach to solving a problem. A narrative may come to me to be portrayed through a section of a tree or a piece of formed metal. I depend on the materials I work with to tell the story, my challenge is recognize when the wood or metal speaks for itself. The work is successful when I do not dictate myself upon it.