The Path That Led Me Here

When I was little, I would spend afternoons painting watercolor fish and selling them to our neighbors from a makeshift art stand in our front yard. Looking back, I think I’ve always had the instinct to be a creative entrepreneur— but it got set aside for other expectations that come with growing up.

So instead, I followed the path I thought I was “supposed” to take. I went off to college, earned an MBA, built a career in marketing and product management for some impressive financial services firms, and achieved stability and success on paper. But deep down, something was missing. While simultaneously juggling the chaos of the COVID shutdown, a corporate merger, and my mother’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, I reached a tipping point and gathered the courage to explore a new path.

I leapt into entrepreneurship, experimenting with e-commerce and later starting a brand strategy and design studio. Each pivot taught me something valuable and along the way I discovered what I loved most wasn’t solely strategy, but creativity itself. I taught myself design, fell in love with creating, and realized I had finally found the direction I’d been craving all along.

Today, I’ve come full circle, focusing on surface pattern design. Creating patterns and illustrations feels like returning to that little girl with her watercolor fish—only now with the skills and perspective I’ve gained along the way. For me, it’s not just about making something beautiful. It’s about sparking imagination, opening space for daydreams, and reminding yourself of the joy that comes from seeing the world a little differently.