Frank William Carr was born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1951. The last of six siblings, he attended primary schools and high schools in the Transvaal Province. From the ages of 6 to 9 and 15 to 18 he was confined to boarding schools.

 

Throughout all those years, apart from loving being “out and about”, his favourite subject was art. He fondly remembers all his Art teachers, including his brothers Angus and Richard who were artists in their own right. He specially remembers his Metalwork teacher Mr “Floors” Van Wateren who taught him the very valuable basics of technical drawing. Although he read a lot he didn’t consider himself a good scholar. He fiddled around with the guitar, was a good swimmer and participated in other sports like soccer, rugby, tennis and squash. Travels in those early years took him all around South Africa, also Mozambique and twice to the marvellous Botswana.

 

1969 – Matriculated at Pretoria Boys High School.

 

1970 –Seeking adventure he joined the South African Navy based in Simonstown, Cape Province.  Was top of his classes in Basic Training and as a Sonar Operator Trainee. Worked on two ships, SAS Tafelberg and SAS Kruger.

 

1971 – Left the SA Navy (decided to see the world in another manner).

 

• Worked temporarily at the OK Bazaars in Sunnyside, Pretoria, as a Window Dresser

 

• Hitchhiked to Cape Town, where after month, found work as a seaman on a passenger/cargo Union Castle Ship that rounded the SA coast, stopped at Port Elizabeth, East London and Durban after which it returned to Cape Town. Eventually “sails were set” for Southampton UK. A stopover was made at the Canary Islands. Arrived in London, UK in a cold September (and thus decided to spend Winter there). Enjoyed his first Rock concert -King Crimson- on his first day there after casually walking through Hyde Park from a Bed & Breakfast Hotel in Sussex Gardens.

 

• Worked temporarily at William Whitley’s, London’s oldest Department Store, as a Window Dresser while living in the Bayswater area, a stone’s throw from Hyde Park and Notting Hill Gate.

 

1972 – February. Albeit the cold, hitchhiked to Bristol to see some very distant relatives before hitching through Wales to find his father’s birthplace in Carnarvon County in North Wales.  Unable to find the house he stopped over at Chester and Liverpool before crossing over to Ireland where he hitchhiked around the country for a few weeks. Stopped over at Donegal where he spent a week with a friend’s family.  His journey took him through war torn Belfast in Northern Ireland and finally back to the coast. He crossed over to Scotland via Holywood – Cairnryan and from there hitched, with certain difficulty, around Scotland before heading back to London via train from Newcastle.

 

 

• Back in London applied for design work at a number of TV Studios and Theatres as a design apprentice, however a Diploma in Art & Design was required everywhere he went. Making enquiries at The Art & Design Council set a ball rolling. Received a full Grant from the Inner London Education Authority to study for the next four years. (The only condition was to be accepted by one of the dozens of participating colleges).

 

• After hastily putting together a portfolio he was accepted at the close-by Hammersmith College of Art and Building. Living in a tiny, pound a week room in Bayswater, he started his “Foundation Year” (the first year of the four year course) in September 1972, where he indulged, with a lot of success, in drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, graphic and industrial design.

 

• After the first year at Hammersmith applied to study Graphic Design. Was consequently interviewed at the London College of Printing. While waiting for a response flew to Johannesburg to visit family and friends for two months. Received his letter of acceptance to the LCP during his visit.

 

• Back in London three glorious years were spent discovering the world of graphics. Overwhelmed by studies though and because Fridays were dedicated to extramural classes preferred -on Fridays- to do part-time work to cost his love of photography and travelling. Kept on working at William Whitley’s and also at a Pub, The Railway Tap at the end of Queensway Ave. Lived there too for a spell. Travelled to Sítges, (Franco’s) Spain by bus (The Magic Bus Company) and train during the summer of 1973.

 

• Met Abel Quezada, son of a famous cartoonist in Mexico by the same name at college. Was invited by Abel to Mexico City in the summer of 1974, to make a road trip to Cancún with a group of his friends. Bought a student ticket to New York, then bussed to Philadelphia and then hitchhiked to Laredo, Texas. Took the train to Mexico City, all in all a six-day journey. Missed the trip to Cancun but discovered Mexico City. Designed a door-sized mural for Abel Sr.’s office. Fell in love with Mexico at once and hoped to return one day. The journey back was initially dramatic as the train to Laredo was derailed. Luckily unhurt the episode was more painstaking because of the delay.  Finally arriving at Laredo and hitchhiked back to NY after a short stay in Memphis, Tennessee. Spent a week at the Manhattan West YMCA and got to know the area and all the art galleries.

 

1976. Was invited to work for Abel Quezada (Father) in Mexico City at his graduation in 1976. Jumped at the opportunity, having loved the experience there a few years earlier.

 

• Worked at William Whitley’s during the month of August, delivering furniture all over London.

 

• Travelled Europe. First stop was The Hague for a week, then Amsterdam for another week. From there hitchhiked through Germany to Munich and from there to Vienna in Austria. From there got a very good ride through “old” Yugoslavia to Greece where he spent a week in Athens and six wonderful weeks on two gorgeous Islands.

 

• Travelled to South Africa to see family. Would not return in 30 Years. Hitchhiked to Cape Town and from there all along the coast to Durban and back to Pretoria. Flew back to London late December. Stayed over with his best friends before flying on to NY where the intent was made to fly direct to Mexico City. Not having enough money for a two-way flight took a bus ride to Laredo, Texas. From there he covered known ground to Mexico City.

 

• (Little did Frank know that his friend and employee Abel Quezada, who had become the Director of Imevision, Mexico’s State run Television Channel, unfortunately held that post for a mere 24 hours, because during his inaugural speech he had criticized the outgoing President. Nevertheless, he was offered a job at Abel’s editing office next to Mexico City’s Zona Rosa where he worked during 1977. While there he also did some free-lance work that was then a very risky business because half the time one never got paid.)

 

1978. Secured a job at a design studio called Rion & Esquerro early in the year. Incurred in the world of corporate design with success. (One condition he asked for on starting this job was that he could travel at will as he intended on travelling as much as possible) Worked there for over five years, during which time travels were made to the USA, - a large number of times to Miami, twice overland, twice to Kansas City, New York, Philadelphia, Denver, Tucson, twice to Kissimmee, Orlando - Caracas Venezuela, Cartagena Colombia, Lima Peru and Sao Paolo Brazil).

 

1982. Got married. It was decided that a move to the province would be in order to start a family. Thus resigned from Rion & Esquerro in 1983 and moved to Morelia, Michoacán and later to Patzcuaro in the same state. Later to Mazatalan, Sinaloa where a graphic design job was found. Also ventured into selling Time-Share to help pay the bills.

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1985. Was offered a Time-Share job in Cancún. Left Mazatlan (via a ten day long road trip) and arrived in Cancun the 5th of May. Due to unforeseen corporate circumstances, the Hotel closed down after being there for six months. Got back in the design business and one month after starting part time, became the full-time Art Director at Grafika, Diseño y Publicidad for the next four years.

 

1989. A year after Cancun was devastated by a major hurricane (Gilbert, 1988) and now with a son and daughter (Jason Frank Harrison Carr, 1987 and Alanna Alexandra Catherine Carr) the family moved to cozy Cozumel Island for six months. Worked doing graphics and suchlike for a new, Cancún based, Advertising Agency.

 

• November that same year arrived back in Cancun. Started as Art Director for a very successful editing company called Cancún Tips - until 1991.

 

1991- 1992.  Started a new business altogether in Morelia, Michoacán – a small vegetarian restaurant – that started off well then went sour. Was soon back in Cancún.

 

• A new era had begun (1993) with the use of computers and only the young designers who had trained in this field were being employed. Also, Advertising agencies could now do their “own” graphics.

 

1993. Started working the mornings in time-share operations and the afternoons in printing businesses to learn how to work on a computer.

(Over the next ten years worked in different graphic orientated companies, morning, afternoon and night. Became an “expert” with computer design programmes.)

 

2002. Became interested – through a relationship with a girlfriend – in Traditional Chinese Medicine and started practicing Qi Gong at a local TCM school called Neijing.

 

2003 onwards. Worked at advertising agencies doing graphics and public relations. Travelled the Caribbean: Miami, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, St. Martin, Trinidad & Tobago.

 

2004. Started a three-year extra mural TCM course at the Neijing School, Cancún.

 

2006.  Travelled to a very changed South Africa after a 30-year absence.

 

2007. Started teaching Qi Gong at Neijing.

 

2009. Started teaching Chinese Medicine at Neijing. Travelled to South Africa.

 

2011. Travelled to Spain and South Africa. Started full time work as acupuncturist and professor in Neijing.

 

2012 – 2017. Full time work as acupuncturist and professor in Neijing, Mexico City. Designed Neijing’s (650-page) textbook for reprinting (again in 2017). Travelled to SA in 2013.

 

2017 to present - Independent TCM therapist and free-lance graphic designer in Cancún.

 

2019. Designed Neijing’s textbook  -English version- for printing in Spain. Designed a 170-page Musical Workbook on Acupuncture - printed in Cancún and to be printed in Spain. Travelled to South Africa. Started painting under the pseudonym "Starck", his mother's surname.