Connect What is your favorite type of art to create?

I create work rooted in emotional tension, pieces that feel a little uncomfortable and too honest. I use painting, pyrography, and mixed media, but it’s less about the medium and more about what the piece holds. Wood burning is especially meaningful because there’s no undoing it, you commit to every mark. I’m not chasing perfection, I’m trying to make something real that reflects the quiet, heavy parts of being human.

Where do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration in emotional experiences, especially the ones that are hard to put into words. Art is how I process and make sense of what I feel. I’m driven by freedom mentally, creatively, and emotionally. I’m drawn to work that feels a little uncomfortable, because that’s where real connection happens. I care more about honesty than perfection, creating pieces that turn something internal into something others can feel too.

What would you do with $25,000?

I would use the $25,000 to expand access to art education and expression based spaces for people who don’t feel seen or heard. As an artist and teacher, I’ve seen how art can hold what words can’t. It can be a lifeline. I want to create spaces where people feel safe to express what they’re carrying and experience what it means to be truly seen.