Had I painted myself into a corner? I had sacrificed everything for my art career, but when would it ever pay off? I invested my Jeopardy! winnings into my biggest and most ambitious solo show yet, but that show, like so many other things, didn’t yield the results I hoped for. Was I right to believe that my “big break” was just around the corner or was I lying to myself? Where would I find the patience to keep on going despite numerous rejections? What was the use of making art when it seemed like nothing mattered and no one cared? Not everything can be salvaged, but I pieced together what I could to try to create some semblance of imperfect beauty. This is the chronicle of an art career that, during a time of great despair, disappointment, and discontent, did not flourish but did not die.