Connect What is your favorite type of art to create?

I love to create art that falls between intimate and unsettling. My work invites viewers to sit with emotions they'd otherwise avoid and find a strange comfort within them. Each painting is deeply personal in ways I can't express with words, as though I'm hiding in plain sight. However, my hope is that each viewer can find their own story within my imagery. I want my art to be a reminder that we all have our own experiences, yet we are not alone.

Where do you find inspiration?

I've got so many ideas cycling through my head at any moment. It just takes a small push for it all to click into place and inspire my next painting. This push can come from anywhere, so I spend lots of time observing the world around me. I see animals as messengers, my friends are my muses, and the world itself is an evolving color palette. Often times, this push comes from music. Sometimes a single line in a song will stick with me for days, waiting for me to put it into a new, visual context.

What would you do with $25,000?

I'm more excited for my work to be seen than I am for the money, but $25,000 would go a long way. Recently, I've taken a leap of faith as a "starving artist". I quit a miserable day job and I'm pursuing my passion, whether it pays or not. So far it's been a struggle, so I'd invest in supplies to make my own prints/stickers/merch so my art can support itself. I'd likely use some of the money to support my rent and build a savings, allowing me to pursue my artist career with peace of mind.