I started making jewelry with two goals in mind. The first was to find a creative outlet and the second was to prove that being disabled wasn't going to define my life.

I have narcolepsy. Which, if you believe what pop culture has shown you, means I fall asleep mid-conversation then go on as if nothing happened. That is definitely not the case.

People with narcolepsy (PWN) suffer excessive daytime sleepiness. No matter how much sleep we get, it isn't enough. Our brains don't produce melatonin and so our sleep isn't regulated. We are always (and I do mean always) exhausted.

Many PWN, like myself, also suffer from cataplexy. Cataplexy is a sudden loss of muscle tone. This can range from slurred speech and drooping eyelids to full body collapse with temporary paralysis. At times it is funny, but mostly it's just a pain, literally and figuratively.

With the love and support of my wonderful family, I've come to understand myself and find ways to work around the challenges having narcolepsy creates. And working with silver has given me a great new perspective. I can twist it, mark it, and mold it, but it will always be silver. What I create with the silver, however, is up to me. And I've chosen to create something beautiful.

For more information about narcolepsy go to http://www.talkaboutsleep.com/narcolepsy/ or http://www.narcolepsynetwork.org