Santo was able to see the beauty in just about everything, and this translated into everything he did, from his art, which consisted not only of sculptures that could easily sit aside those of Michaelangelo, but drawings, restorations, and many other types of handcrafting that he did.  I hope to gather photographs of different creations by Santo for you to see here.

One thing of significance—Santo did not have a college degree—or as he called it, a certificate.  While he could see its relevance in some instances, he believed that a certificate could only get one so far.  We have become too dependent on higher education to the point that we miss out on life, and indeed, I have witnessed this personally.  I work each day with PhD’s, MD’s, EdD’s….you name it, I work alongside it.  It is an atmosphere that has made me seriously rethink how much education is too much; it is certainly important in many respects, but the specialization of our society has caused us to miss what is really important.  Santo was a living example of the fact that advanced education is not always as important as enjoying what you do throughout your life—otherwise, you might spend your time chasing something that you will never attain.

I was especially drawn to Santo as an artist, because, in my younger days, I had considered myself an artist.  I first picked up a camera at around the age of 9 or 10, and pursued it like I never pursued anything else.  I wound up beginning college with a major in photography, filled with hopes and dreams.  However, once I started to spend time with my fellow “artists”, I saw that it was really all about who you knew and not really just loving what you do.  I felt out of place, because I created my images for personal reasons and nothing else—and this mentality just didn’t fit in the “real” world of art.  Soon afterwards, I abandoned my dream and dropped out of school, disappointed at what I had found.  After meeting Santo so many years later, I realized that it was possible to be an artist, but it had to be done for the right reasons—for the love of the work and not to please others.  This was the only reason he did what he did, because he truly loved it and I think his art did much more for him than he did for it.