Daniel Gwynn
7/21/13
Surviving the System

Every morning I get out of my bunk and thank God for another day, good or bad. Some days it's difficult to make that declaration, but I do. I can honestly state that I feel blessed to be able to be a part of another day, because I get another chance to make a positive contribution to the world. I focus a lot of painting because it's woven into the fabric of my being. It's my universal translator. Everywhere I look, I'm inspired to create. The images I envision are so overwhelming and numerous, that at times I'm often brought to tears and compelled to paint.

My latest and greatest vision was of a young boy sitting in front of the Dept. of Human Services building (in Center City) dressed in rags next to a sign that read: "Will wurk for food and education." There were people and traffic buzzing all around him giving no care to his plight.

There's so many paintings like this one swirling around in my head that it's difficult to keep up with all of them. And often too many of them go unsung because I can't afford the time to paint them. My indigent status does not afford me the luxury of painting as freely as I would like or to purchase the books to further my education. My mission has been distracted by the pains of physical hunger (for the food here sucks! and the constant need for supplies (cosmetics, underwear, postage, etc.). My only source of income has come from whatever I can earn from my paint sales. I've had a few sponsors over the years that did what they could, but I still haven't been able to meet the rising costs of incarceration.

You would think that with three meals a day and a bed that we wouldn't need anything, which is far from the reality. Court fees, legal fees, lawyer fees, high phone rates, postage, medical, etc. I even had to take a prison job that only pays 19 cents an hour to help meet some of the costs of basic needs. The prison art sale has been canceled for many years now, and another local art sale venue has closed. Finding other venues to sell my paintings has been very difficult, and there's no guarantee that I'll sell anything if I do find a venue. But one of my greatest obstacles has been finding someone to record all of the paintings I create.

In spite of the many obstacles though, I've managed to survive with the help of some very good people. I've also suffered many broken promises by the well-intended along the way, but that's only made me stronger and more self-reliant. I've learned most of all to find the balance for what I need from what I want, even though I'm not able to put every thought to canvas. Some sacrifices had to be made to accomplish something of substance, one step at a time.

I've won a few local art competitions, got three paintings published in magazines, had multiple exhibits in the US and UK, and have several paintings in a touring exhibit to promote crime prevention dialogue. I'm surviving the system through my artworks, and it's proven to be very fulfilling. At the end of my day, I thank God again for the opportunity He has blessed me with to make a difference.

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