How it all started ..

This is the story of how it all began for me & how I ended up here today.

Growing up I was always really intrigued by art but never actually got into it. I spent years of my life in sports, being in two long term relationships, and going to college to become a physical therapist assistant. When I turned 23, I had just graduated from my school program and thought I would be starting my job as a PTA.. but the more I sat and thought about doing that for the rest of my life, the more sick I would get to my stomach. I knew it wasn’t right for me, but I had already spent so much time going to school. I was torn. I decided to take the summer off and travel with my boyfriend at the time. Summer ended and I still couldn’t fathom doing the job that I had just invested so much time and money into achieving. So I kept traveling and putting it off. I eventually decided after years of being in denial, that unfortunately, it wasn’t the right career for me. Although it was a harsh truth, I felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders for finally being able to admit that to myself.

I spent the next 6 years traveling around to so many amazing places and also moved quite a few times. From California, to Minnesota, to Ohio & finally landed myself in Arizona. I grew up and lived in West Virginia for 25 years & although it is a beautiful state and I miss my family all the time, I knew that I was meant to be somewhere else. And sure enough, I made it happen.. with some help from my boyfriend at the time, of course. We decided to call it quits at the end of 2020, very civilly, and that is when everything changed for me. We were together for 8 years and although we had a lot of fun traveling around, I basically took no time in those years to really learn about myself. I partied a lot too, which didn’t help. So by the end of our relationship, I had completely lost myself.

I remember meeting new people and several times I was asked what I liked to do for fun. Such a simple question.. But I had no answers. All I did was work and party. And realizing that was my reality made me really sad. I spiraled into a depression for months. I had some money saved up, so I took a sabbatical from work and stayed home for about 3 months. I would babysit here and there for a little extra cash, but I mostly just hid away in my room. I started to notice that I was watching a lot of videos online of people painting.. so after a few months of wallowing, I decided to get up and get myself some supplies to finally start doing something.

I started playing with watercolors first. I had no idea what I was doing, and if you could see some of my watercolor paintings, they are not at all what you would expect. But I loved it and it was really helping me at that time. I started taking my paints with me everywhere. Down to the water, to work so I could dabble when I would get off.. I even took them on a hike with me once. I had finally found something that brought me joy that was good for me. After a few months I decided to start messing around with acrylic pouring and it became my absolutely favorite. I love how the paint flows on the canvas and you can use the same colors every time, but always end up with a different result.

I started sharing my art with the people closest to me and much to my surprise, they actually liked it. What a crazy feeling. To start doing something as a therapeutic release and to actually have people enjoy what I was creating was so new to me. But I loved it. I kept learning different pour styles and trying different techniques and eventually started getting requests from people to buy some of my work. I could’ve never imagined that going to get some cheap watercolors and brushes would lead to me becoming an actual artist and having people wanting to buy my art.

And that brings me to today. I have re-found my faith and I paint on a regular basis as a therapy for myself. I am so grateful for the blessings God has given me through this creative experience & journey. My ultimate goal now is to help others who are going through similar challenges. Anyone who struggles with depression, or just feels totally lost in life. I hope my art and the things I share can be an inspiration to others. This life can feel really hard sometimes, but I promise there is a light at the end of the tunnel! You just have to keep pushing forward.. & take the rest when you need to.

**Oh & TRY NEW THINGS! You just never know where it could lead you ☀️

Much love everyone & God bless 💛✝️