For as long as I can remember, making art opened doors to actual magic: conjuring something which at first exists only in the subconscious of life is enchanting.

I otherwise only felt such wonder and awe when I was in nature; the act of making art and the evolutionary creation of nature are intrinsically intertwined, unable to exist without the other. The flowers, octopi, and hummingbird are all stunningly artistic, gorgeous to behold, and created by forces that shaped and shaded each creature into what it is today. Nature evolved as art: beautiful and wildly innovative. Its beauty and innovation sustain life.

Growing up in the 1980s, I was uncomfortably aware of a growing climate crisis, massive oil spills, holes in the ozone layer, and the need to reduce, reuse, recycle--on and on. Memories of dolphins caught in tuna nets, trash mounting, and pollution spilling everywhere overwhelmed my sensibilities. Growing up closely attuned to disastrous ecological events, in a way others around me were not, matured into an intense concern lasting my lifetime.

When I left home to set my course in my teens, art no longer seemed essential when faced with generations of thoughtless abuse of our planetary resources. Instead, science became my comfort— a way to be involved with the work of stemming climate change. I could help protect what I loved by learning as much as I could about our current challenges and the solutions needed.

The course of life changes very slowly in the natural world. When I studied Environmental Science in college, full of youthful enthusiasm, I was sure I would change the world from top to bottom. I was wrong. Not long after graduating, I was married and a mother after that.

My path is changing slowly, too. I’ve learned to listen, slow down, wait. Fear for my children’s future has reinforced my calling to work in Environmentalism. Not one of us can turn the course of our planetary fate alone. Artists, scientists, teachers, engineers, journalists, politicians: There is a place in the fight for every person in every field. Pulling from the same creative forces shaping the stars, we must wake the sleeping giant of innovation and commit to overcoming the mistakes of humanity.

My unique contribution is a mix of art and science. My curiosity and need for answers drive my scientific mind. My creative mind draws from a vast network of spontaneous innovation and intuitive ability to find answers and ideas that others didn’t recognize. Combining these two highly developed forces now drives me to create solutions in a world that needs as many as possible.