The first thing I ever fell in love with was art.

I grew up finding art everywhere. I loved reading children's books about artists throughout history. I had an eye for color and an awesome, creative, vivid and highly visual imagination.

The part I struggled with, was discouraged by, and eventually led me to abandon making art for awhile, was that I lacked technical ability. I struggled with building my portfolio in high school, as I prepared to go to school for fashion design. I didn't fit in with my peers, who followed assignments to a T, and their work looked exactly like the subjects they were drawing, painting, whatever. The criticism eventually got to me, especially when I got behind in my classes due to illness.

Art making slowly started to disappear from my life. However, I still longed for it.

I would sometimes dabble in photography, mixed media, creative writing, even baking, improv comedy, etc. I never felt like I could call myself an artist again. My practices never stuck.

Fast forward many years since leaving high school, with a graduate degree in a different field, I began to work in an art day program for people with disabilities. I was surrounded by creative people, both staff and participants in the program. Seeing so many people producing their art in many different mediums, led to my own experimentation with drawing, painting, collage, etc. When Covid-19 shut the company down permanently and I didn't really have a job, I spent my time making art. It was flowing out of me.

There were other-worldly collage landscapes embellished with glitter glue, found object and flower wreaths and crowns, the creation of a series of day-glow/black light style tarot illustrations I named "Terrible Tarot" (this was inspired by a participant in the program I worked at, who would ask me to draw Disney cartoons for him, and loved them even when they came out oddly familiar yet hilariously bad), digital collage, and abstract paintings (that are inspired by color therapy, healing, and infused with reiki).

I believe that when my work resonates with you, you are meant to have it, as it is for you, and your own healing process (whether it's to bring more beauty and wonder into your life, whimsy, or something more serious).

When you purchase my art, you validate me as an artist, as a creative, and honor those who helped me regain my confidence in my artistic vision. While I believe my art has the power to help you (or whoever you give it to) heal, know that you are healing me, at the same time.