I’m a self-taught artist living in Tacoma, WA. I’m originally from a small town in Missouri. I’ve been creating art ever since I could pick up a pencil. I don’t remember a time where I wasn’t drawing or painting or writing. I’ve always been inspired by emotions and I believe personal and emotional art has the amazing ability to bring people together. I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety most of my life. My mental illness has never deterred my ability to create art, if anything, it inspires and motivates me to keep creating. I’ve been experimenting with surrealism more and more and find it is the perfect style in which to tell my story. For me, the surreal world I paint is an escape from the reality. An escape from the toxic thoughts that dance through my head daily. I also use shapes, lines, and color to create an abstract look that is chaotic but also flowy. Dark but also beautiful. Desperation but also hope. It’s important for me to show the light and dark in this world.
I find inspiration in my mental illness to create meaningful art, but I am also inspired by so much more: music, love, sex, heartbreak, nature, the ocean, mountains, silence, video games, poetry, other artists, and so much more. I often write poetry for pieces I create. I want people to connect to my art emotionally. I want people to get lost in my surreal world. I hope to inspire and help those who also struggle with mental illness. I want my art to be a reminder that there is hope, no matter how small, in the darkest moments. My secret? I find beauty in anything and everything. I have to, or I’ll drown. Today could be the worst day of your life, but tomorrow could be the best day of your life. Keep going.
