You have been painting since you were just a child. You grew up near the ocean and felt drawn to it’s powerful beauty. What advice would you give to women who are trying to find that inner child within themselves?

I have been painting for as long as I can even remember. Like every child, I loved drawing and painting and doodling any chance I had any surfaces and colors around me. I think that as I grew older, that I just never stopped. I truly believe Pablo Picasso's words, "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." I am very fortunate that my family was always supportive of my passion since I was 4 years old. It was actually my preschool teacher who first recognized my passion, and entered me into a national contest where I won my very first art award and was interviewed on national TV as a 4 year old. It is amazing how much that early of an event shaped my whole life, and I couldn't be more grateful how supportive my family and friends have always been towards this life long passion of mine.

Want to be an artist? Be one today! Make art. Want a gallery space? Go retail space hunting! Save your funds! Follow your gut. I didn't know what I was doing the whole time I started my artist-career/studio/gallery, and I still don't haha… I'm always guessing, always learning, always adjusting -- but the trick is to make moves, press the accelerator, because you can not steer a car that is not moving. Mistakes are inevitable, the sooner we make them, the sooner we can learn, grow, adjust. New obstacles are always popping up that I'm clueless how to get through. To be completely honest and candid with you, many times I over-plan, or over-analyze, and find that I'm afraid, & stop in my tracks -- I get afraid of failure. but truth be told, failure is unavoidable in the path to success. Some days it's hard to get going, but I know in my mind that I have to because I feel in my heart that it's my life's purpose to. --And I'm always glad to get moving even when I make mistakes or fail in my goals because at least it is progress even if it doesn't feel like it. You just have to keep moving through, trust your judgement, make adjustments, and do not be afraid of mistakes because they are unavoidable. Be thankful for them, because there is no better teacher than experience. Be open to where they lead you, because sometimes they lead you to places better than what you initially imagined. Be flexible and open to the signs of the universe.

Following the crowd is tempting, do you feel like it takes courage to incorporate the vulnerable parts of your soul during the creative process? When you were starting off, what did this courage look like for you?

It takes an incredible amount of courage to incorporate the vulnerable parts of your soul during the creative process! Courage to me is being steadfast in your passion for art and not being afraid to try new things to find your personal style. After I had many years of training and building my technical craft, my style evolved the most when I did not have all the influences from college art professors or peer critiques anymore. I have a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Pennsylvania as well as Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. In college, one is taught a magnitude of art, colors, techniques, and style; However, nothing much on running a business! I don’t know if any art schools teach the business side of things since “Commercialism” is very frowned upon in art academia. However, having artwork that is “commercial” just means that it is relatable with more people and salable! It isn’t something to run from like I thought in art school. How do you find out what your voice is? What is it that you draw/doodle/paint/create when you are procrastinating? What do you find that you naturally do when you create for nobody except your own happiness? Chances are, if it is something that truly makes you happy, it SHOWS, and I guarantee, there is an audience out there that is looking for exactly what shines from your heart.

Share a story that you feel like young creatives should hear.

One of my favorite experiences at PAFA was a quick, simple little moment in a sculpting class that changed my life. I was doodling mermaids in my sketchbook during a woodworking class. Steven Nocella noticed my doodles and complimented my mermaid drawings. I immediately hid my book out of embarrassment of my "silly subject matter". Mermaids were always private doodles that I didn't feel were very serious but I just loved to do. He encouraged me to pursue it, that if I believed in myself with them, that others who share my interest would love them too. Another week, he showed me other famous artists who painted mermaids and showed me how others took their interests seriously and that I should believe in myself too. I took his encouragement to heart and often think back to that moment when people now ask me about how I started to paint mermaids. I now know the power of a compliment, and try to encourage others in their own interests like Steve did for me.

Not only is Women's Empowerment a cause I am dedicated to with my whole heart, it is also what my heart is divinely inspired by, along with the ocean. And as it is, the ocean is such a powerful feminine force. It is life giving, mysterious, powerful, beautiful...all qualities women possess. In my paintings, I incorporate aspects of the ocean through women muses. Their curls will represent currents of the sea, & my color palette will be shades & hues of blue. Their gowns will be mermaid inspired, and the materials I use in the paintings of my women muses are from the ocean - mother of pearl & sea shell.□

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