Dawn Angela Dickson Van Ness is a Virginia-born, self-taught writer, poet, and artist. She grew up in the suburbs of Virginia Beach before moving out to the southern Virginia area. Although she trained for a career in media or public relations, her creative impulses never diminished. If anything, the training with a camera shooting stills and videos has just made her want to attempt works in completely different media. Her greatest inspiration comes from other artists as she sees how they communicate either their own personal visions or strive to make a socially significant statement. If a work connects with a person, that is what she lives for, but sometimes just seeing one of her works finished brings her much joy.