Picture this: You’re in high school, and a counselor asks what you want to do with your life. If you’re like me, “artist” or “writer” doesn’t even make the list of acceptable answers. Creative work gets filed under “hobby”—something nice to have, but not something you build a life around.
I spent years trying to ignore that voice inside that craved storytelling and creation. I’d pack away art supplies, abandon half-finished stories, and convince myself I was being “selfish.” But creativity isn’t something you can turn off. It’s woven into our very being.
Creativity Counts
There’s profound value in the act of creation—not just for others, but for ourselves. Yet those external pressures of adolescence teach us to see creativity as optional rather than essential. By high school, my art and writing had been relegated to “hobbies,” and they were definitely not my future.
Attempting to gouge out a vital piece of my identity left me miserable and isolated. Over time, that misery has taught me a crucial lesson: listen to your intuition. That excited, nervous energy, that innate pull toward creation—don’t ignore it. Feed it, protect it, help it grow. There’s something precious in all of us that we too often abandon to the lonely dark.
Building Worlds Through Storytelling
My love affair with stories began thanks largely to my mother, who wanted to cultivate that same joy in my sister and me. I have vivid memories of her reading to us—fairy tales, fantasy adventures, mysteries—stories that transported us completely. Regular library trips meant returning home with towering stacks of books every few weeks. Her plan worked brilliantly.
Most of us remember drawing pictures as children to tell stories—entire narratives captured in crayon and construction paper. I never stopped trying to do this. I’d sketch endlessly, attempting to capture whole worlds in a single image, always frustrated that it wasn’t enough to contain everything I imagined. Wasn’t ‘good enough’ to match what was within my mind.
Looking back, I realize all those characters and impossible worlds stemmed from an innate need to tell stories. To create. To dream up fantastic, completely unrealistic places and find joy in their very existence.
Charting the Path Forward
Through a lifetime of consuming stories, maintaining that creative drive, and learning to research, structure, and create for audiences, all paths have led me here—to storytelling as both craft and calling.
This blog chronicles that journey. As I navigate the transition from UX Designer to professional storyteller, I’ll share the tools, discoveries, and hard-won insights I gather along the way. Think of it as real-time documentation of creative transformation.
But this isn’t just my story—it’s an invitation. Whether you’re wrestling with your own creative calling, looking for practical guidance on the writing life, or simply curious about what it takes to turn artistic passion into professional purpose, there’s a place for you here.
Creativity deserves to be cherished, encouraged, and allowed to flourish. If you’re ready to honor that creative voice that’s been whispering (or shouting) at you, join me. Let’s explore this territory together.