I have been madly in love with the art of creating for as long as I can remember. I spent most of my childhood putting on concerts for my family, singing underwater at swim practice, writing poems, and skipping lunch to paint.

Despite the undeniable presence of this gift in my life, I had convinced myself I was not good enough to make it happen. While my inner voice tried its hardest to scream, “You’re an artist for crying out loud!” I drowned its impracticality out through overcommitment, fear, and a lot of “I’m doing really well!”s. In 2016, the mask fell off and I admitted to myself that I wasn’t doing so well after all. I had devoted so much time and energy to work, people, and projects not of my own conception, that I found myself completely lost and disoriented in my own life. 

I started small. “No” entered my vocabulary. Eventually, I even stopped feeling bad for saying it. I began to notice how many of my behaviors were not in accordance with my values. I was encouraged to ask myself, “What are you a ‘yes’ for?”

I’m a YES for pasta, art, and people. I’m a YES for my guitars (Ruth, Sarah, Shermy, and Jessie), my trumpets (O’Malley and Queenie), and singing in harmony with my best friends.

I’m an environmentalist, a proud vegetarian, and a feminist. I’m a writer and a musician. I’m an artist. I love sharing my art with people and letting myself fall into the art of others. I love you!