Silk and Soul: Rediscovering My Creative Voice

In a year when social media felt overwhelming and AI seemed to be encroaching on so many creative spaces, I made a conscious decision: to lean even deeper into my humanity.

The reason I became an artist has always been simple: I love to use my hands. There’s nothing like the feel of paint on brushes, the textures, the satisfying mess of a studio in full creative swing. When someone suggested I get an iPad to paint and design faster, I hesitated. Sure, it seemed practical, a smart business move. But for me, it felt like a shortcut to something soul-crushing.

So, in mid-2024, I took a break. A real break. No social media. No sharing or filming. Just me, a variety of mediums, and my creativity. I gave myself permission to play.

Needing a fresh challenge, I traded my paper for silk and my watercolors for dyes. It was a shift, a completely different way of working, yet still my own voice. A voice that’s always been about following intuition and diving headfirst into color.

Working on my first silk-on-wood pieces.	Signing and preparing the first collection.

As I painted, I wrestled with a question that’s always been on my mind as an artist: how do we create something meaningful in a world already overflowing with things? Years ago, I found an old, discarded frame in the garbage. After a little love and restoration, it became one of my favorite pieces of decor. That memory sparked an idea: what if I reused vintage and forgotten frames to showcase my silk paintings?

What followed was months of exploration. Trials, errors, frustrations, breakthrough, everything you’d expect from trying something entirely new. But eventually, I found it. A renewed voice.

And so, my first silk paintings were born, followed by silk-on-wood paintings later in the year.

I’m excited to share the first collection of these works in 2025. I’ll still paint with watercolors, of course, but this journey has reminded me of the importance of making space for creativity to evolve.

Here’s to following intuition, embracing messes, and finding beauty in the unexpected.