My Creative Journey: Trusting My Intuition, One Messy Leap at a Time

"And suddenly you know: it’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings." —Meister Eckhart

Over the last several years, I've been learning to trust in myself, my creativity, and my intuition more and more. But I had to ignore my intuition and get lost before I could learn to listen and trust. It took me a while to work through expectations I had for myself and recognize what I really wanted and pursue it. This is my story of how I became a creative entrepreneur and discovered the freedom of working for myself.

From Artist to Designer

In 2014, I headed to college—a big move from Atlanta to Los Angeles to attend the Roski School of Art and Design at USC. I planned on deepening my art practice and honing my skills in hopes of doing something with art after graduating. I went into college thinking my main focus would be drawing and painting, but I left with plans to make it in design.

I specifically became interested in experiential marketing because I interned at Imprint Projects, a boutique agency that created and curated socially and culturally conscious experiences. For me, it was the perfect balance of art, design, and social good.

While I was excited about working as a designer, I felt a deep internal conflict. I had to let go of this dream I’d held since I was very young—to be a working artist. Choosing design felt more practical, and believing I could make it as an artist felt too uncertain.

My First Job

My first job out of college was as a graphic designer at a startup branding and marketing agency. It was a very small team of four women, and I looked up to the three women running the business. I was valued on the team and even helped land one of our biggest projects—The Amber Rose SlutWalk—through my passion and advocacy.

But my work was undervalued, and eventually, I began undervaluing myself too. High-quality design was expected to be delivered fast and cheap—a recipe for burnout. I lost my personal creative practice and became a creator for others.

During this time, I was depressed. My intuition told me to start making again, so I did.

Rekindling My Creativity

It wasn’t easy. I battled a lot of self-doubt. Then over the holidays at my parents' house, I rediscovered a book gifted to me years earlier: The Artist’s Way Everyday by Julia Cameron. It gave me the daily encouragement I needed to rekindle my creative practice.

Eventually, I left that job. Soon after, I found a remote web design job with a small team based in Massachusetts. While the job was better in many ways, I still struggled with boundaries and self-worth.

One incredible gift: we were given one day a week of paid time to work on personal passion projects. It helped me cement my creative practice again. I began a pet portrait series and taught myself hand lettering. Even though I only stayed less than a year, that creative time was transformative.

Seeing friends from college launch successful creative businesses gave me hope. If they could do it, maybe I could too. I started allowing myself to dream again and launched my Instagram.

My Last "Real" Job

My final full-time role was at an experiential field marketing agency—the job I thought would launch my dream career. But just months in, it didn’t feel right. My intuition was nudging me again.

I stayed for nearly two years, hoping for change that never came. Finally, the universe gave me a nudge: I was let go due to budget cuts. I was relieved.

The Benefits of Working for Myself

Now, I’ve been working for myself for over a year. I’m much happier. I get to choose my clients, set my schedule, and prioritize my health. I’ve reclaimed time for personal projects, like finally starting my blog and releasing my story on childhood trauma. Writing it helped me better understand my experiences and led me back to therapy.

This path wasn’t linear, but every step gave me the tools, skills, and confidence I needed.

Listening to My Creative Intuition

Now, when my creative intuition speaks, I listen. It told me to leave my job. It told me to write. And now, it’s telling me it’s time to make one of my biggest dreams come true…

I’m Launching My Shop!

I'm so excited to announce that I’ll be launching a shop featuring prints, paintings, and other creative products. For years, I held myself back—thinking I didn’t have enough followers or fearing failure. But no more.

In the coming months, I’ll be closing my Society6 and Etsy shops and launching my store right here on my personal website. The shop launches early January and will include original paintings, stickers, enamel pins, and more. My vision is to build a shop that reflects my values: creativity, sustainability, social good, and spreading joy and wellness through art.

Thank you for being part of the journey. The best is still unfolding.