Q: Can you share how your artistic journey began? What inspired you to start creating, and how has that initial spark evolved over time?

A: I’ve explored art in various forms from a very young age. My parents still have a watercolour painting framed that was done by a 3 year old me in their downstairs bathroom. My dad is a writer and also has a degree in fine art. He taught me the basics of art and encouraged me to keep going and keep improving.

After I graduated from college, and got into the retail grind, I lost my artistic drive for a while. I don’t really know why or how. It was probably a combination of exhaustion and depression if I had to guess. I was in a pretty rough place mentally, my anxiety was getting really bad, and I just needed to do something to get out of that space. In 2017, my mom gave me a moleskin art journal for the holidays, as she often did, and I decided to commit to drawing in that journal every single day until it was full.

To my surprise, I actually followed through on it. That daily practice got the juices flowing again, and I started painting—first with acrylics, and then later with watercolour. Once I found watercolour, a medium I used to be afraid of, everything shifted. Working with watercolour is like an exercise in letting go of control and working with what’s there. Quick decisions are necessary, and you have to lean into mistakes. Today, It’s almost become a metaphor for my own mental health journey.

Q: What have been some of the most significant moments or challenges in your journey as an artist?

A: The biggest challenge for me has probably been just getting out of my own way. Imposter syndrome is a scary beast, and self doubt is a motivation killer. Taking the first couple of steps to share my work with others outside of my friends and family group, like making a public social media art account, showing it to new acquaintances that know the art world, and being open to feedback and criticism was the hardest part for me. Those first few steps pushed me to learn to bet on myself and start applying for exhibitions, festivals and now most recently, taking the big leap and leaving my full time job to focus on my art career.

Q: If you could offer one piece of advice to other creatives pursuing a career in visual arts, what would it be?

A: Make art for yourself first. Don’t focus on what you think you can sell or what you think other people will like. If you like it, that’s enough. If you put too much stock into what other people are going to say, you’re just going to limit your creativity and burn yourself out. Running a small art business has lots of aspects that are hard work and will feel like it. Making art should be the fun part.