I met Charlease at Panera and we became fast friends. Big voice, funny and kind...I liked her immediately. We laughed about life and talked about coffee and what we were both into. She has two beautiful boys, Bryan and Branton. Bryan, 11, plays the Bass Tuba in he band, Branton is 5 and loves legos.

This entry is long overdue, but began a project a friend and I are working on called Beauty from Ashes that speaks to the restoration of women in the midst of hardship and trauma, something I am personally so passionate about. I am working on a series of images on Women and Dignity that I hope to display and use to show the incredible perseverance of women in the South and all over the world.

Some of the most rewarding and passionate work I have done has been with the Change Center, located in the heart of the intercity area of Knoxville, TN. In response to the shooting death of 15-year-old local football player Zaevion Dobson, who threw himself on top of his friends and saved the lives of two teenage girls, a plan was mobilized to create a place for young people to come off the streets and have a safe place to go with a strong police presence.

Bobby Whisman is one of the most talented, purposeful artisans I have met, and thinks a lot about how to turn four walls into an intentional living space, or a forgotten attic into bedrooms and a place where people can live together comfortably. He also creates beautiful furniture, and can do more than with a piece of wood than anyone I know.