In January, 2020 I began a project called Quest of Sages. Quest of Sages is a multidisciplinary project following my artistic journey to photograph one person from every country in the world. Each person photographed for the project is asked to paint a line across a piece of blank paper and their portrait is printed on top of their painting, resulting in a collaborative artwork. Once all 197 countries are completed, the images will be displayed as an art installation by placing the portraits next to each other and connecting the line segments together, ultimately creating one unbroken line the entire world painted!

www.questofsages.org

In addition to being an art project, I've founded a nonprofit organization in an effort to give back to the communities I'm encountering along the way. The organization helps support the preservation of traditional and folk culture. This mission is the heart and soul of why I travel and I would love to get as many people involved in the project as possible.

A few notes about me as a guest:

I’m very adaptable and flexible depending on the interests of who I’m staying with. I can entertain myself while you’re at work and hang out when you have the time!

Unfortunately, I’m gluten intolerant. I never expect meals from a host, especially because I'm a terrible cook and cannot adequately repay the favor :p. In the past I have purchased the food and my hosts have prepared, if they insist. Or, I’ve treated to a meal out. I only mention the gluten issue because I’ve been surprised with a welcome meal on occasion that I shouldn’t have eaten, but out of respect I did.

I tend to request to stay with hosts longer than average, and I realize that. On top of working on my own project and organization, I also work a remote freelance job on the side. I try to stay 5-7 days in any given city, as I know most of that time will he spent in a cafe or hotel lobby on my laptop. I know this is too long for many hosts, so please let me know if you are interested but for a shorter number of days.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing has been an invaluable tool for me to make new friends all over the world. I have close friends I talk to almost daily that live in all parts of the globe. The people I meet are so humble and passionate for life. While I am traveling and working on this project I would love to stay with locals and share with them the experience of finding one person to photograph. Of course I will take portraits of my hosts as well :).

Interests

Contemporary Art. Photography. Philanthropy. Social Issues. Beaches. Boating. Lakes.

• contemporary art
• photography
• philanthropy
• entrepreneurship
• philosophy
• beaches
• ocean
• fine art
• social issues

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Jazz, Electronic, Alternative.
Movies: Mystery
Favorite Book: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I would have to say leaving a comfortable life in Los Angeles behind in order to launch a nonprofit organization and travel the world with purpose and intent.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach: Photography, English, Business Skills
Learn: About you, Culture, Art Scene, Traditions
Share: Cultures, Stories, Dreams, Ambitions

What I Can Share with Hosts

Digital and film photography
Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom
Language Exchange

Countries I’ve Visited

Andorra, Argentina, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Burundi, Canada, Chile, Comoros, Costa Rica, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Martinique, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin (French part), San Marino, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Spain, Sudan, Switzerland, Tanzania, Uganda, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States