My Journey

Growing up in a military family, I spent my childhood in Germany for 7 years and ended up on the Florida Gulf Coast, with many places in between. I think all the traveling and adjusting to sudden change made me a little braver and stronger.

 

Since I can remember I have always had a passion for creating anything awesome and colorful!  It didn’t really matter what. In grammar school, a friend and I made fanny packs out of jean pockets and belts and then puff-painted them. Instead of lemonade, we had a “fashion” stand in our driveway. Needless to say, it didn’t go so well.

 

However, I kept on creating. I tried so many things from childhood into my “Adult Life” … the fanny packs, paper-making, puff –painted T-shirts, jewelry, painting, pottery, sewing, re-purposed furniture, interior design, wood-working, - the list goes on. My first art shows in my 20’s were catastrophes. Each setback seemed so personal and crushing, but I kept at it – failing bigger, failing better, failing forward.

 

Finally, I realized that I was failing because I was always leaving myself an “out,” and the only way to make this work was if I absolutely had to; so, I just quit my ‘regular’ job. This way, I had no other choice but to make it work and to be successful.

 

It was a very rough start, but I never gave up. I went back to my childhood and wood-working, relying on my old love for power tools and building things. A cohesive style began to emerge out of my phobia of repetition. I threw in a little of everything. Soon, these pieces of art began growing up out of any materials I could find around me and random verses that have inspired me in my life.

 

Now, it has been five years, since I left my “normal” job. I have learned that my art will support me, as long as I support it. Settling in Nashville has been so great for my work. If you want something bad enough, there is no way it won’t happen. I work longer and harder than I ever have.

 

It has been a long, exciting journey with plenty of ups and downs. However, I love what I do, and I am so grateful every day that I gave myself a chance.

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