Jocelyn Somers, Neighbor

I am a Berkeley resident and love the eclectic mix of people, culture and diversity.

I like to focus my work on seeing things around us with a "fresh eye." We tend to take things around us for granted and our perceptions rarely change. Many times a simple shift in perception can make a difference in our life and the lives of those around us.

The power of the written and spoken word is immense. It travels through time and space and has the power to affect people, our environment and the unified whole  for good or ill. The very essence of our  thoughts and words, whether written or spoken, permeates everything. In many ways this is creation itself and it  is felt in the ways we think, speak, work, fight, and create art.

I like to observe the environment and those around us with a different eye. The eye that questions the very fabric of our ideas and from where they came.

With ideas that are untainted, we begin to see the beauty in all things and that we are playing a part of a greater whole. With this realization comes  responsibility to ourselves and others to contribute to this life in a positive way. It gives and strives to feed the idea of boundless possibilities. It reminds us that the power is in the people, not Congress to make change.  We awaken from our slumber and beg the question, "What are we thinking and why are we thinking that?"

The beauty of life and the myriad of collective parts contribute to a greater whole. In capturing our ideas as accurately as possible in the moment of perceiving; without judgment, we must strive to see the world in its entirety. Everything has some relevance, no matter how hidden it may appear be.