As an artist, what sparks my fire is creating multi-media pieces and seeing how each layer becomes something new thanks to a medley of visuals. I find it to be far more exciting than any one thing alone—it’s magic. As a business owner, I strive to create an environment that does a similar thing. One that uplifts and inspires and cultivates a unique community thanks to various additives … art, music, plants, flowers, coffee, tea … and the energy of the amazing people involved. Together, something new and unique is created that could never exist without the other. It is also ever changing—the faces, the objects, the conversations. It reminds us to be present to a moment that won’t be seen again.
Growing up in Alaska, my mom had arts and crafts readily available to us. Around 7 or 8, I had a childhood epiphany while designing a one-of-kind woodland mermaid out of yarn, glue, lichen, and bark. I knew that someday I would be an artist. I would paint rocks and drawings on discarded pieces of wood and put them up for sale at the end of our dirt driveway—of course, sales were light due to the fact that our rural home was off the Denali Highway, and we saw more caribou than people! My parents owned and operated a café in town, which became a hub for the small Alaskan community, and the idea that a business could be a safe space for connection was engrained early on.
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