I live with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, OCD, and ADHD. Chronic pain is part of life, and so is a busy inner world. Strong fears, rumination, and a mind that doesn't quiet easily are the norm. I'm not separate from these things. They are present in every painting I make.
Art is how I navigate that. When I start a painting, something shifts. As the composition emerges, my brain begins to quiet. My inner world takes over, and a story surfaces, calming the noise. That process is not incidental to the work; it is the work.
Growing up, I felt isolated from childhood trauma, carrying experiences others my age didn't have. That shaped a deep belief that every person's experience deserves to be seen. I make work that holds space for struggle without asking people to explain it. Resilience, to me, isn't triumph. It's continuing, and finding beauty worth returning to along the way. My hope is that each piece is a reminder that we are resilient and whimsical even through the hardest of times.
