After graduating from the University of Central Missouri with degrees in Fine Arts and Art Education, I pursued a life focused on painting and teaching. Inspired by my brother’s fight against cancer, my 2012 senior show raised awareness for the cause. Post-college, my art mirrored political and societal themes, but it left me emotionally drained. In 2016, I shifted my focus to joy, using birds as a symbol of freedom and adaptability. Through studying avian diversity, folklore, and movement, I rediscovered the joy of painting and began sharing it with others, striving to inspire and make a positive impact.