My path, like yours I’m sure, veered and strayed from the path I’d originally laid out for myself.
The usual ups and downs have brought about many adventures and revelations.
I hope my story pushes you to create a life of inspired passion, where your imagination can run free.
I distinctly remember my four-year-old self excitedly showing my parents a coloring book with a simple brown square.
This was the first time I'd colored an object without going outside the lines, AND I'd kept my strokes in the same direction! I was so proud of my little four-year-old self that I remembered declaring in the middle of supper that I was going to be an artist when I grew up.
But, life has a way of throwing various lessons our way that can slow us down, sometimes completely derailing where we think we're heading or want to go. Mine developed over a brief time playing the board game "Life" (no pun intended). At some point, my young brain noticed the salary for the artist card didn't get you as far in the game as say, the doctor or the lawyer.
I KNEW AT AGE 4, BUT DIDN'T LISTEN
Somehow through that...I came to understand the "STARVING ARTIST" limiting belief, and just accept it.
From this moment on, the idea of doing something you love changed into doing something for money. Thus, art became a hobby, nothing worth investing serious time or money into. Likewise, I'd adopted the belief that college was the only way to get into the salary bracket I wanted.
I was thoroughly invested in the TV show "ER" at the time, and if the game of "life" taught me anything, it was that someone always got sick and the medical field 'made bank'.
So why not, right?
I delved into the sciences, even though I didn't enjoy most of them, and when my small 2A Texas school decided to offer an anatomy class our senior year I jumped on it. Between dissecting a cat and visiting a gross anatomy lab, where I saw my first (and last) cadaver, I became blatantly aware that I was a semester away from graduating and not cut out for the medical field.
WHAT TO DO?
I'd already invested all this time & energy
into joining the wrong industry.
Any extra time was spent at a side job, in sports, our once-a-year one-act-play, or drawing. I wasn't a great athlete, so no help there, theatre and drawing were fun, but those weren't 'stable professions'.
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I'd seen enough people work years at a job they detested just to get a paycheck, and that didn't sound very appealing.
I was at a crossroads and decided to take a risk for one semester while I decided what my "real" major would be. I knew I didn't want to do something I didn't enjoy, but I wanted there to be some stability. AKA minimal risk.
I chose theatre. People will always need to be entertained, right? So there was bound to be some stability there. Of course, there was the ever-so-usual backup plan of teaching.
Needless to say, I never changed my major, and even went to grad. school to specialize in costume design. It was an honor in 2011 when my costume designs were selected for exhibit in the: USITT Young Designers’ Forum, the Michael Merritt Design Showcase in Chicago, the National Design Portfolio Review in NYC, and Showcase West at UCLA campus.
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I'D BECOME AN ARTIST AFTER ALL
and was truly enjoying the fast-paced, ever-changing world of entertainment.
That was until I noticed life was passing me by, and there were non-negotiable things in life I still wanted, like a family. While I had a supportive boyfriend, at the time, would they always understand why I couldn't always be home on the weekends, home for dinner, etc…
How might this affect any future children?
Once I looked at what I might have to sacrifice to be (so-called) successful, it didn't take long for the excitement to wear off. When we finally did have our daughter, the stress and demands of the industry left me so drained of energy for my family and friends, that there was little left for myself, let alone any 'hobbies'.
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Something was definitely missing. I'd somehow lost myself, who I was, what I truly wanted, and what made me excited about life.
I knew I needed to re-ignite a spark in my life but it wasn't until playing dress-up with our daughter, Evina, that I saw her excited child-like imagination and was reminded of how much enjoyment I used to get from playing make-believe, developing characters, and creating stories.
I began carving out time to continue my artistic journey. I used my theatrical background to explore human psychology and the disposition behind my characters to develop stories we can relate to. I'm embracing the idea of learning through play, using folklore, mythology, and cultural beliefs/norms to dig deeper into my own belief systems and perspectives, a passion I hope to pass on to my daughter.
when we can create a connection through art
that triggers self-reflection & growth.
SO MUCH CAN BE SHARED
I aim to bring something deeper to the subject or character that we might be able to recognize within ourselves, despite culture or time period. I wish to show that universal gestures, specific events, beliefs, and shared circumstances transcend race, language, and gender, ultimately uniting us all.
I've found as I grow older, I've focused more on feelings of aspiration, contemplation, limitlessness, and spirituality. Art, and how we relate to it can magnify many things. It's been my desire to ignite those shared emotions, in hopes that when we can personally reflect, and offer the opportunity for growth and realization that someone may have been looking for.
is also very indicative as to how we relate to the world.
THE WAY WE GO ABOUT BUYING ART
If you’re interested in what your buying habits can reveal about you feel free to check out this fun quiz and get to know yourself a bit better.
If you're interested in some of the fantasy or portrait art I've created, please check out my gallery to get an idea of the type of art I enjoy making.
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If you'd like to have something special made, please feel free to contact me here.
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Looking for design services?
Check out my portfolio sampling, and let's book a chat if you like what you see.
BRING IMAGINATION BACK
INTO YOUR LIFE
