In order for me to account meaningfully for my experience during the residency program at the Sanctuary of Hope I feel it is necessary for me to consider where I was physically and mentally prior to my entry and where I am now after my three month accommodation. In all honesty I came to church out of need. Having been raised in a family of Christian Protestants the church has always served that purpose in my life. I do not regret confessing this truth for I believe that it is during our periods of weakness and vulnerability that we are most suseptable to personal growth and development.

It was late September and I was just returning to the city after a two month stay in Peekskill NY, where I prepared and conducted a 78 hour sound and movement performance. I was exhausted both physically and financially. Soon after my arrival I applied to the artist residency program offered at the Sanctuary of Hope in Ridgewood Queens. After a casual interview I was introduced to the studio and living space which I found extremely conducive to my ascetic way of life. I accepted their offer gladly and felt quite at home in this new, old Sanctuary of Hope.

Unlike the other residency programs I had participated in, this situation fostered a unique atmosphere of collective consciousness and spiritual awakedness that promoted mutual servitude rather than stressing the need for individual production. I felt freed from many of my own ideas and pursuits that had imprisoned my mind for so long. I came to understand the organization functioned under the doctrine of antinomianism, which emphasizes the unearned grace of God over and beyond the practice of good works. I found this belief correlated directly not only to my current artistic practices but also to the very foundations of my life philosophy and my personal aspirations. I embraced daily activities and chores, once mundane and tedious but now simply invigorating and endlessly creative. I felt part of something larger than myself.

One of the most influential aspects of my visit was the minimal living space provided me. Rather than approach this reality as a misfortune I chose instead to use it as an opportunity to part with many unnecessary material possessions that had burdened my mobility. This process of refinement was infinitely beneficial for me and through practice and deep listening I soon realized the way I was being led. A few years ago I began developing and designing a form of minimalist architecture that was a manifestation of my own inner self in contemplation of the outer world. The purpose was to create a completely portable living space that complimented the way I wanted to operate my mind and body within the larger social structure. However much I believed in the idea I simply didn't have the faith to initiate such a drastic change to my comfortably secure lifestyle and the drawings and quarter scale models remained only a hypothetical novelty. Now I had an opportunity to actually experiment living in a very small space similar to that which I had envisioned in my drawings. Over time and with great persistence I began to adapt to this new existence accordingly. My whole being soon came into alignment and I was overcome with a strong sense of conviction directing me.

After my three month residency at the Sanctuary of Hope I am proud to announce that I have successfully fabricated the first life size living pod. With the generous support of the Sanctuary I will begin the next phase of this new life by occupying a small section of the studio floor where I will park the small mobile structure. I intend this significant maneuver to be one more step towards realizing an existence where the inside is forced out and the outside is at peace with the in. Thank you to the Sanctuary Of Hope for giving me just that.