"...Being a cancer survivor is not my sole identity but it is a part of who I am and plays a large role in how I now view the world around me. In the spring of 2005 I was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML - a cancer of the blood). It was a scary, painful journey for me as well as my friends and family. Luckily, things have gone well so far and I continue to try to live one day at a time, blessed with the many "gifts" from my cancer experience.

Among these gifts is a re-energized passion for creating art, exploring my imagination, and nurturing my creativty. In 2006, on the one-year anniversary of my diagnosis, I started a sketchbook called The Daily Zoo and set out to draw one animal each day for a year. My hope, in addition to being challenging and fun, was that it would help my healing process and give me a focused opportunity to appreciate the gift of each healthy day." - Chris Ayers

I love caricature. So when I came across Chris Ayers' The Daily Zoo at Barnes and Nobles last year I decide to look up his website to find out more about him. I was amazed to find out that he created The Daily Zoo during his cancer treatment. Losing my parents in their early 60s to cancer in 2007 and 2010 changed my definition of living. Just like Chris' statement. His work and his thought absolutely inspires me.

Chris Ayers's website