Our Story

The Beginning

2020 forced the world to slow down.

For a lot of us, it was the first time we had to sit with our own thoughts without distraction – getting to know ourselves and our minds in new ways. In the middle of that stillness, I made myself a promise:

One painting every day until my wall was completely covered. Just to prove that I could show up – consistently, and honestly for myself. What started as a way to pass time became a practice. Six months of painting almost everyday. Six months of learning how to be alone with my own mind and turn those thoughts into something creative.

That wall changed everything. It was the first time I experienced what it felt like to create without overthinking, without rules. And in that time, after talking with friends, I started to understand how many of us were going through the same internal conversation – just apart. I wanted to do something for them. To show even in moments that feel isolating, you're truly never alone. You are seen and your mental health matters.

What began as a personal outlet slowly shifted. I started painting for my friends – facetiming and talking for hours about our passions in life. I wanted each piece to feel like them – something created from who they are at their core. I didn't know it then, but that daily commitment, the discipline, the emotional honesty, the act of creating for the sake of connection – was the real beginning of Creative Connections.

The Art Show

After a move, a new chapter, and a long stretch of not painting, I hit a low point. My anxiety was loud. Restless. Constant. I needed somewhere safe to put my thoughts. Somewhere to release them instead of carrying them alone. So I started drawing again. I wanted to give the feeling a form. Something I could looked at instead of just feel. It gave me a way to process it without being consumed by it. 

So I drew. And those drawings became the foundation for the art show. I wanted to honour mental health in a way that was vibrant and unapologetic – not quiet, not hidden. The show was about reminding people that what feels isolating inside of you is often shared by someone else. 

For three months straight I painted every day giving detailed attention to each piece — weaving in symptoms, drawing from lived experiences and doing research for the diagnoses I hadn't lived myself, so they all could be represented thoughtfully.

After all the hard work it was time to share it. The art show was phenomenal. The room, the music, the energy, the installations – one of my proudest moments yet. Every detail was created independently, but held together by one intention : connecting. 

The Drop

That brings us to now. After 2 years of painting here and there, creative blocks, another move and a lot of things to figure out – Creative Connections is here. 

At it's core it's built around the art. but more than that, it's about what the art opens up – conversation, curiosity, shared perspective. It's about finding unexpected similarities, learning from each others stories and seeing the world through new creative lenses. 

This first drop, Mental Monsters, is the catalyst. It's the first chapter – one exploration of internal experience. But Creative Connections is bigger than one series. It's a platform for ideas, for storytelling, and for the kind of connection that happens when people are willing to share who they are.

I can't wait to see what is created through this and we're just getting started!