Hello: You may call me Julianza or Julie (or any other name in or out of the book). Art is my "calling." I realize this can be interpreted to mean that I hear voices, or A voice, but read it as the preferred usage. It has taken many years for me to accept the honor (and yoke) of referring to myself as an artist, because I wanted to be fairly accomplished before making such a statement. My first love is writing. I have written continuously since childhood, mainly journaling, (a word my computer does not like no matter how spelled), then short stories, and now, mainly poetry. I am very active in the poetry scene in Colorado Springs. I am a member of Poetry West and have held two offices within that wonderful group. I like to perform slam poetry, participate in open mics, and recently was selected to partake in "6 Women, 60 minutes." I was a semi-finalist in the 2006 Pikes Peak Performance Poet of the Year award; the winner of the 2011 Pikes Peak Performance Poet of the Year award; Page Poetry 2012; and have a poetry show taped on Dec. 14 in Ft. Collins, posted on Creative Thinkers, International. I have had the I had the honor of passing audition and doing street performance street poetry last summer. I am currently putting finishing touches on a first book of poetry and artwork. Music is a great passion for me, almost neck and neck (pardon the cliche) with writing. I have been composing since age 9, and have performed in several states and many, many venues. I write for piano, piano/flute, piano/cello, and recently was commissioned to write music to go with the poetry of Yousuf Zaigham. I am working on getting that performance posted. Previously, at the same venue, Classically Alive, I was honored to perform two original works. I teach piano, am a trained classical pianist, but play in public when work is available, in all genres (jazz, blues, ragtime, classical, rock, etc.) I often say that when I "capture" a great line in poetry, I get a shiver, and when I capture a great line in music, goosebumps. I am currently about to resume studies with icomposer Ofer Ben-Amots. Painting is a more recent love. I work mainly with acrylic, and the artwork is abstract expressionist. I also take a lot of photographs, and then work with them on photoshop, creating some pretty bizarre (but apparently acceptable, or more) digital art. I was just juried into three galleries during National Poetry Month, have been juried into others, and had several one-woman shows. I just participated in the WomenBuild Show, to raise money for Habitat for Humanity. I rotate art-forms when I am "blocked." if all three are blocked, I eat chocolate, do my chores, or sulk and make everyone around me miserable. I donate a percentage of all art-related monies to charitable causes. I think that art, in its content (its message) and in its selling, should not only charm the viewer or listener, but, at least some of the time, have a social conscience, helping to ameliorate society. Personal website under construction, but you can see my poetry and some of my artwork on Authorsden and Creative Thinkers International.