All featured artists on W2C are currently working on ways to integrate their mind-body into their art and everyday life. Gabriel is an artist working in mixed media collage and shadow boxes. A former rock singer, he has now turned his attention to acting and is also considering burlesque. He has been in recovery for 4 years and his life is much transformed. Gabriel lives in San Francisco, where his is a mental health counselor. You can find him on Instagram at  ganthony7 or moonlighting on his friend’s blog at Write To Connect

I was so excited to find out that there was a St. Pete Zinefest !  Zines are tangible, low-key, simple but intricate, D.I.Y, portable pieces of written or drawn art. To me, zines are a perfect bridge between the body and writing. Here I am, all packed up to have a table at last Saturday's zinefest. I was going to use my massage table and offer poetic bodywork sessions, but the rain ruled that part out. (Though it did get me to thinking about having a booth at the Saturday Market with some such an offering.) Yes--that is a glitter-enhanced shot glass, yes--that is my new "doctor" bag with my very old owl amulet (shout-out to Candice, giver of enduring gifts), yes--that is the $5 zodiac Samsonite suitcase/stage from a thrift store in Berkeley that I made my mom and Arti Glove lug across the country.  The night begins. Here's my table,  with a range of offerings from my ongoing trifold projects and some older publications. The Black Panthers advanced ...

The following is a newsletter I wrote for VSA FL artist members. Besides being a great freelance gig, this VSA newsletter gives me the excuse to go out and meet interesting artists with disabilities across Florida Apropos, Winter 2013 Conversation, at it's best, is a kind of dance or musical score. I have interviewed many disabled artists, thinkers and doers in the past-but I always felt bound to hurriedly scribbling down their ideas in my notebook. As a low vision writer/reporter, it never occurred to me to really use technology to accommodate myself-even though I was an assistive tech counselor in previous jobs! So this time, when I sat down to talk with two performers who also have disabilities, I used a recording app on my digital tablet and speech-to-text features, so that I could keep my hands free and listen with my whole body. I hope a little bit of the dance in our conversations comes through in these Q & A's. --Amber DiPietra Paul E. ...