I have always loved art, theater, dance, literature, and poetry. Inspired by stories and ideas in my youth, I voyaged around the world on a sailboat to discover for myself the difference between childhood dreams and reality.

I tried to learn how to paint, but eventually gave up when I realized that nothing I could do on canvas could compete with the sheer beauty of a tree, so I turned to writing instead. In general, modern art left me cold; it struck me as lacking spirit and meaning, and seemed rather commercial. While in China in 1983 I fell in love with the works of the Chinese artist Huang Ge Sheng. I brought his paintings, and eventually the artist himself, to the United States where I organized art exhibitions in California and Hawaii. The exhibitions developed my skills in public relations, learning how to get the attention of magazine editors, television news stations, radio stations, and newspapers.