Scratchings of a Madwoman will introduce you to what initially appears to be two disparate topics--pursuit of spiritual intimacy with God and creative communication through drawing. Through brief personal stories and colored pencil drawings Rhonda Nass communicates the deeper meanings of specific words often dismissed due to their religious connotation. Though these showcased words have at times made some feel as outsiders uncomfortably looking in, Nass' unreligious approach to mine for the more universally relevant nuggets may find you searching your memories to define the same words with your history, your imagery.For those wishing to add visuals to your stories, Nass leads you step-by-step from concept through final art in her process to create the drawing which defines FAITH, modeling steps you can follow for your own work.Recognizing that many creative people learn more effectively through visual over audible or written communication, Nass also captures each stage with photography and drawings, demystifying the unknown, thus crumbling walls of intimidation so familiar with a new endeavor. The author guarantees that if you have patience and a steady hand, you will be able to complement your stories with colored pencil drawings. To blatantly underscore that point, Nass relates the words of her high school teacher, "You could never be an artist" as a means to urge others to charge ahead no matter what others (or your own voices) say to detour your journey into creative expression. Even Vincent Van Gogh had to advance THROUGH such doubts: "When a voice inside you says, 'You cannot paint,' then by all means, PAINT, and silence the voice." Through the pursuit of intimacy with God and the plunge into a creative expression, Scratchings of a Madwoman may just turn out to be your entrance to realms you previously thought inaccessible.