A Personal Story About Me

Wow — this is incredibly difficult to write. I’d much rather talk about other people and the amazing things they’re doing to inspire me. But… here it goes.

I’ve always been a creative person and a problem solver. People naturally come to me for help with all kinds of things — “Hey, can you draw a tattoo for me?” “Hey, can you take pictures for me?” “Hey, can you make a video for me?” or “Hey, can you help me with my website?” Every time, I feel honored — and sometimes a little overwhelmed. Often, I think, you could do this too; I’ll show you how!

Coming up with one defining experience is hard, because creativity has always been part of who I am. My bigger challenge has been truly pursuing what drives me creatively — finding that niche or two to focus on. I’ve gone to school for what feels like forever, poking my head in and out of that creative door but never quite stepping through it completely. Fear of financial instability and failure has always held me back a little.

A few years ago, in an effort to figure things out, I randomly joined an Artist’s Way book group in Phoenix. I didn’t know what to expect — maybe a little direction, maybe some motivation. The Artist’s Way is a course book that gives weekly tasks and reflections designed to help creative people reconnect with their artistic flow.

When I first walked in, I thought, “Okay, not everyone who starts will finish.” I’d never seen myself as the “support group” type, but the experience surprised me. I was humbled by the variety of struggles everyone shared. It reminded me that creativity — like people — is complex and layered.

I decided to give the process my all. Like exercise, you only get out what you put in. And it worked. I met incredible people who kept the discussions positive even when they were deep. For the first time in years, I pursued my own art show and began to really flow creatively again.

I learned to step out of my own way and just do. That’s the heart of creativity — the act itself. The hardest part is coming up with the idea, then pushing past ego, fear, and self-doubt. And maybe the most important lesson: learning to fail. Falling down is how we grow. Failure isn’t nearly as terrible to others as it feels to us.

For me, the challenge is not letting failure stop me in my tracks but instead using it to push forward. What keeps me inspired most are other creative women — their persistence, their courage, their drive. Watching their journeys keeps me in awe and constantly asking myself, What am I doing next?