05/23/2026
It's been over three years since my last post, and I’m finally back after a long season of creative burnout.
It was a heavy chapter: losing the father of my child to terminal cancer after an exhausting fight, painful transitions navigating what our family looks like after loss, then another sudden, devastating family tragedy with unanswered questions. The pressure continued to build, squeezing tighter and tighter until I could barely breathe let alone create.
Art stopped feeling important. It felt indulgent, almost irresponsible, like there were more important, necessary ways to spend my limited time and energy.
But life has a funny way of placing the right people and right messages right when you need to hear it. Some might call it coincidence, but I think it's much bigger than that.
Armando was that person, the catalyst that pulled me out of it.
After seeing my art, he reached out to commission me for a tattoo. At first, I was intimidated to take it on and basically tried to sell him on the idea of NOT choosing me for what might otherwise be an artist's dream project. I had stopped considering myself a "real artist" a long time ago, convinced I had lost my touch and he would be disappointed in the results.
Thanks to his trust and encouragement, I ultimately found myself spending evenings sketching concepts, realizing it felt familiar like muscle memory or reconnecting with an old friend. The excitement grew as fast as the pace of inspiration. At night, my mind would swirl with new concepts and ideas, instead of anxious thoughts about the future.
That feeling is such a gift. So thank you again, Armando, for helping me find my way back again. ✨
