So how does it feel in real human terms to find oneself in the furnace and how did I survive? All I can say is that none of us have any idea what we can put up with until we are thrown in at the deep end. Fortunately I was blessed with a stoical nature and a very strong will, otherwise as a deeply sensitive child I could not have even survived my childhood… These were not the only tools at my disposal I’m happy to say, I also discovered I had an enormous spirit and imagination, as well as a very strong sense of justice, (the latter, no doubt serving to give me more problems at times). However it was my spirit and its resulting creativity that I would say ultimately saved me from going over the edge, for when things became just too unbearable, out came my pencil or my paint or even some cement, and I would create my way through it all, often working right through the night if necessary.