My mother was very creative. I'd always watch her draw little flowers and cartoon animals. And it was those doodles that were the most beautiful thing in the world to a little girl like me. I wanted to be able to draw the way she did, so I started to copy her art. Once I managed that, I started looking for other things I liked that were easy enough to copy but still challenging enough that I felt accomplished when I managed to draw that. I turned to greeting cards and used their art to further my artistic vocabulary. I was fascinated with the variety of flowers, animals and characters.

After starting elementary school, one of my classmates had a very talented brother and she started bringing his art with her. It looked like pages from coloring books and all the children would crowd around her in hopes to get a page. I felt a pull toward trying my hand at making up my own characters and turning them into coloring pages. Of course mine were far from looking as good but I had a lot of fun making my own art instead of copying others.

I joined the art class in high school. It turned out to be more challenging than expected, especially since the teacher didn't provide much guidance. He would introduce a new medium, told us what supplies to get and it was up to us to figure out how to use them. Those difficulties made me think that maybe art wasn't for me after all and after graduating I gave up art for a while.

Fortunately, the break from art didn't last long. With my husband's encouragement I started working my way back toward art. We bought our first computer in 2000 and I was introduced to digital art. It presented a new challenge but one I was determined to master. And in 2014, I released a picture book. I didn't have the knowledge or money to promote it so most of my sales came through family, friends, and co-workers, but I'll never forget the feeling of accomplishment when I held the hard copy in my hands for the first time.

With the dawn of YouTube, I discovered art tutorials and it rekindled my love for traditional art. All those media that I had such a hard time grasping in high school, I finally got a chance to approach again with more knowledge and without the pressure of earning grades. My biggest problem at that time was too many options and no clear goal in mind. I jumped from medium to medium, pursuing various things and projects with the hope that something would stick. Watercolors became my go-to art medium during this time for how quickly I could paint something good and without the need to wait days for it dry.

In 2019, I signed up for oil painting classes online, but their focus was on realism. While I learned a lot and I don't regret taking those classes, I quickly realized that realism wasn't for me. I was looking for something looser and more expressive. In 2025, I found Milan Art Institute, and so far it feels like I found my home. They are teaching me how to find my voice and igniting my love for art once again. I'm excited to see how much more I can grow and how my art with change under their tutelage.