Paying attention to how people reacted to my paintings on social media, gave me the courage to continue sharing the works I created. During a manic episode, I found myself feeling very inspired by Spring, and all the colors from the blooming trees, and plants that were surrounding me, as well as my memories of running barefoot, suckling the nectar out of hibiscus flowers from my grandmother’s garden in Miami. A lot of paintings were made during that season, and I decided to take the chance and turned it into my first collection, called “Reborn Under the Sun”. I was surprised that every piece was sold in under a week.

I had no idea that making art and finding collectors around the world could have even been an option, because of all the stigmas surrounding being an artist, especially as a girl from immigrant parents who didn’t see much value in the arts.

Unlearning all the stigmas, and things I was told by loved ones about being an artist was the hardest thing I had to do. My mind was filled with so much uncertainty and ideas that weren’t even my own about what life as an artist would look like, and I have to admit that I continue to fight these thoughts daily. Once I realized that yes, I can make a living from being an artist and that it wasn’t impossible, I also accepted that those who told me otherwise were coming from a place of love and concern.

My mental illness is a tool that has been helpful in measuring how far I’ve come from a traumatic past, and I admire that it had inspired me to seek healing in nature, which in turn has given me so much clarity to convey onto canvases. I hope that through my art, audiences & collectors will be able to see the gentle journey of holding space for the things that heal & remind us of how far we’ve come, and of all the peace we are deserving of.