I think there are five major influences,

books,

movies,

music,

peoples' words,

and poetry.

For me, the strongest of these is poetry.

It sticks with you like a book

and makes you want to change like a movie

it brings you back to certain places like music

it makes you think twice 

or three times

or four

the way someone's words can.

I never really got to know the beauty of this form of art

until my sister came to me and asked if she could

share something a little different 

and our parents took us to jams 

and it was like meeting someone golden

for the first time

and knowing that there's nothing more powerful 

than this.