10/13/2025
Three years ago, I was sitting at home, bored out of my mind after retiring from my career as a professional aerialist.
Then I saw a Facebook ad ā a painting by a 17-year-old prodigy with the caption:
āDo you want to learn how to paint like this?ā
Something in me lit up.
It made no logical sense.
I had never drawn a thing in my life.
But I felt a full-body yes.
I signed up that day and started classes that Monday.
My first painting was an owl.
I remember finishing it and thinking, wait... that was easier than I expected.
I was instantly addicted.
When something clicks for me without effort or struggle, I know Iām meant to be doing it.
At first, I was just following assignments. But eventually, I started painting from my own heart ā creating images that embodied the beauty, power, and strength I wished Iād felt growing up in a world that was obsessed with vanity.
Thatās when my style began to emerge: moody florals, ethereal women, wings, symbols of growth and transcendance.
Every painting became a quiet act of faith ā believing in something I couldnāt yet see and creating the evidence through my own hands.
I started posting my progress online, and people began asking if my pieces were for saleā¦ if I taught classes.
Thatās when I realized I wasnāt just a student anymore ā I was an artist.
And more than that, I was someone helping others see themselves in symbols of beauty, strength, and freedom.
I just had my first art show at the McKinney Performing Arts Center ā a historic courthouse-turned-gallery, with stone walls that once held jail cells.
To display something so beautiful in a space once used for confinement felt symbolic ā like transmuting darkness into light.
When a woman told me my floral piece reminded her of her grandmotherās garden, I was moved. You never know what thread of memory or emotion your work will pull for someone.
If I could tell the woman who clicked that Facebook ad one thing, it would be this:
This is the start of the craziest, and the most rewarding, journey of your life.
Because talent isnāt magic.
Itās just repetition, curiosity, and the courage to believe before you have proof.
And one day, youāll wake up surrounded by the evidence you created.
Thank you to all the collectors, friends, and family who showed out to make my first art show a HUGE success! I can't do this without you.
Special shoutout to .micheletto and for creating an unforgettable experience and your continued support of our local art community. š
