Carolyn Jones

As a person in recovery, I have had a wonderful opportunity to find spirituality. As I had no faith at all when I started, my spiritual growth has been phenomenal. Born in Pennsylvania and raised in Ohio, I graduated from Kent State University in 1974 with a degree in nursing. Shortly thereafter, I migrated to Colorado, where I purchased my first single lens reflex camera and for the next 22 years, practiced nursing and photography. Lured to Sausalito by dreams of ocean sailing, I moved to Califo ia and lived aboard a boat in the late 90's.

I then left my marriage and traveled the Western states and Mexico for the next three years, photographing dozens of gates, resulting in hundreds of images from my jou eys. I evolved from boater to landlubber, married to single, nurse to author, photographer, and publisher, and finally, from van living to homeowner. At the beginning of these transitions, I began my ultimate transition, my journey into sobriety. I dealt with old wounds and scars from having been a trauma survivor. The emotions felt, the discoveries made, and the gentle openings of my heart are reflected in my book, Opening the Gates of the Heart: A Journey of Healing. Also reflected in my book is my path to self love and authentic love of others.

I have shared the unusual and amazing story of my book on Blog Talk Radio as a guest of A Evanston, social media expert. I also told my story for inclusion in Peggy Pepper Wilkinson's book, Encoring Women, a book about women reinventing themselves. I am an inspirational speaker, available to speak to all groups.

At the recent 2010 San Francisco Book Festival, my book was awarded Honorable Mention in the photography/art genre. In addition to gates, I photograph the interaction of colored lights and cut glass. My abstract piece Down the Straightaway received First Prize from a juried online show with Guests' Gallery. The image Color Burst was awarded Curator's Choice and appears in Photo and Arts' Abstracts 2007: Volume Two. In addition, Color Burst was chosen as the back cover for that book. My work Blue Lava is published in Photo Workshop's book, Photos That Inspire.