You belong here.

I’ve done many things “out of order.” I became a mother before marriage. My husband proposed with a ring three years after we had already eloped. We held a big wedding celebration 13 years after saying “I do.” And I earned my fine art degree in my 30s and 40s, studying alongside 18–21-year-olds.

I don’t follow the beaten path—and for a long time, that left me anxious and uncertain. But looking back, I see how those choices gave me a story and a perspective that are uniquely mine.

When I became a mother, I chose to stay home, but I still wanted something that was just for me. That led me to art classes, and eventually—after 17 years of stopping and starting to make room for family life—I earned my degree in fine art. It took persistence, patience, and a willingness to keep showing up, even if progress came slowly and I felt unsure.

Now, as my kids step into their independence, I have the space, confidence, and courage to create and sell my work. My paintings reflect the same qualities that have shaped my life: layers of experience, reworking what doesn’t fit, building texture from the past, and finding balance in the present.

As I head into my 50s, I no longer question whether my path is the right one. It’s mine, it’s messy, and it’s beautiful. I belong exactly where I am.