What inspires your work?​

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     "My inspiration comes from a personal interest in nature and environmentalism as well as personal experiences. I have a degree in environmental science and I care deeply about protecting our planet, especially when it comes to biodiversity and protecting wildlife. I find so much beauty and inspiration in nature and I love to center my designs around that beauty."

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How would you describe your design process?

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     "I feel like my design process is kind of variable. Sometimes, like with my Crede Nemini piece, I start with a personal experience that I’m working through and I use those emotions to draw something that encapsulates how I’m feeling. Crede Nemini means Trust Nobody, and when I made that piece I was feeling very betrayed by someone who is extremely close to me and I truly felt like the moth in the image, being stabbed. I wanted to portray the feelings of a beautiful, innocent thing being terribly wounded because that is how I felt during that time. It was a drawing I made seeking catharsis and trying to really process the emotions I was feeling.

     As for a lot of my other pieces, I draw from my love of nature. I am so enthralled and inspired by moths, mushrooms, bats, trees, cicadas, cats, and so much more, and I love to try and capture their beauty by drawing them. I also love to seek symbolism within the beautiful things I see and find a way to connect their beauty to a larger concept. And of course my environmentalist side often comes out to speak up for the creatures and natural phenomenon that can’t stand up for themselves. I care deeply about our planet and I think that often comes through in my art."

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What is one thing you wish you had known before you started selling your work?

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     "I actually have not started selling my work yet although I am prepping to start selling in the next few weeks! I probably still have a lot to learn, but so far what I’ve found from posting my art regularly on instagram is that it’s really important to make art that is meaningful to me, not to make something that I think other people will like or that will sell well or do well in the insta algorithm. The authenticity of the art will shine through and attract people if you are truly making it for yourself. Focus on what you love to create and make things for you, be your own audience."

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What is your favorite piece you have made and why?

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     "I think my favorite piece is my Nocturnal Pollinators linocut because it is centered around one of my special interests, bats. Specifically bats as pollinators and how important they are to our ecosystem. I have lived in Austin Texas pretty much my whole life, and bats have always been a part of that due to the fact that we have the largest urban colony of bats in the entire world living in the heart of our city. 

     I have always been enamored by bats and when I was getting my environmental science degree I learned so much more about them and their role in our environment, and I am very passionate about doing anything I can to protect them. My Nocturnal Pollinators print was my biggest and most detailed piece I had ever done at the time and I worked really hard on it for a very long time. I probably spent around 40 hours total on that piece, and I am very proud of how it came out. It combines some of my favorite things; bats, moths, and the moon and stars."

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What is the biggest challenge you have faced with this career?

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     "I am very new to being a full time artist, and one of my biggest challenges is structuring my own time. I have ADHD and I struggle a lot with sticking to a schedule. I’ve found it’s really easy to put my art as last priority and allow other things to come before it to the point where weeks are flying by and I don’t get anything done on my business. 

I also need a lot of down time to recharge, and as a people pleaser I often let others take my energy and I don’t set enough boundaries around my time to allow me to rest as much as I need to. As an artist I need a lot of rest and downtime in order to feel regulated and be in a place where I can tap into my creativity, and it’s really easy to fall into the habit of giving that time away and then finding that I don’t have any energy left to work on my own projects."

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Is there any advice you would give to other artists?

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     "I would say first of all read the book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron for a huge confidence boost, and secondly get rid of your fear of rejection or fear of looking silly. Post your art unapologetically. Do not let your own inner critic stop you from sharing your art far and wide! It’s so scary and vulnerable feeling to share your art, and at times it can feel like shouting into the void, but do it anyway. If you can’t get past that fear, you’re only blocking yourself from becoming who you want to be."

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Is there anything else you would like to add?

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     "I’m so serious about The Artist’s Way, for real definitely go read it, and if you can do a book club with a few of your friends! Each chapter has tasks for you to complete to teach you about yourself and instill confidence in your inner artist, and it helps so much to meet with a couple others after each chapter to share your findings and hear their interpretations of the text and prompts. It was so fun and interesting, and I feel like I learned a ton about what I love to create, and I walked away with so much more confidence in myself as an artist. It taught me to notice when I’m blocking myself from achieving what I want and how to push past those blockers. It will change the way you see yourself as an artist and allow you to create authentically so I really recommend it to everyone, even those who don’t necessarily see themselves as an artist."