I’ve always liked to create. When I was pregnant with my first child (a definitive creation in itself) I took a 2 week crochet class. Within a year I threw away all my crochet patterns and created my own. After selling my patterns freelance to national crochet magazines for awhile I got offers to write my own columns designing my own patterns for 3 crochet magazines, which I did for a few years.
Until my three children reached puberty I had several volunteer jobs delivering Meals on Wheels, Recreational Therapist at Bethany Hospital’s children’s ward in K.C., KS, various duties for my local battered women’s shelter, and the Rescue Squad for our local Shawnee, KS Volunteer Fire Department, among other shorter term community activities, including our local drama troupe.
My health forced me to be less active. That’s when I began writing. Thomas Nelson Publishers published two of my historical novels in the 1980s, Chase The Wind (which I coauthored with Deborah Lawrence), and Rightfully Mine.
I enjoyed freelancing with poetry, articles, how-tos, and wrote 3 columns reviewing computer software, while for a short time was contributing editor for Christian Computing Magazine. (Side note: I once wrote a letter to the Editor asking why they called it Christian Computing. Is that as opposed to Satanic Computing?)
I then founded and directed Mid-America Fellowship of Christian Writers, a biennial three-day writer’s conference, and taught at various conferences in colleges from Wichita to Chicago to Minnesota.
My grandparents, who raised me, were the biggest influence of creative thinking in my life. My grandfather, Reverend Vernon A. Vance, was, believe it or not, a Southern Baptist Minister. But they taught me through word and deed that if I am true to the Word of God in my own personal life there will be few in line with me, least of all those within the church, who need someone else to do their higher thinking.
They taught me that God is our Source for everything—period. We need no human interpretation clouding his clear guidance. For more on this topic please see my Artistic Vision statement.
You may have noticed I’ve excluded a mantra of educational institutions and degrees. There is a simple reason. In the early 70’s I turned my back on our educational system as I became increasingly aware of its purposeful destruction of creative intelligence. I am in full agreement with the philosophy of “the longer they teach you, the dumber you get.”
Rather than have my brain molded into conformist requirements, I walked away from institutionalized education (i.e. I dropped out of school), and in the nearly 40 years since have never looked back nor ever regretted my decision.
So, with my mind untainted, and molded mostly by influences of choice, I humbly present my little collection of photographic art as seen through an “Aggie Lens.” Or, more accurately, interpreted by what friends and family have dubbed “Aggie Logic.”
And THAT is probably more than you ever wanted to know “about the photographer.” In the event that you could possibly want to know something more, you can reach me at the cabin from the contact page.
Have the greatest day ever,
Aggie Villanueva
