The gift of being commanded by creativity had begun to reveal itself to me when I was a young child.

Before I could read I could draw, while I preferred to stay silent my creativity spoke for me. What started out as drawing became sculpting with clay, then screen printing, all of which are foundational art skills that would later lead to my desire to become skilled with my hands.

Later when I picked up rudimentary sewing skills I was still altering garments but more so each time, until I reached the point where I was making them from scratch. As I progressed, my ideas became more bold and even outlandish, to the point where I had to research mediums and materials I had previously deemed off limits due to the challenges they would bring. This is what introduced me to my love for leather, a pivotal skill that has shaped human history.

Before I had realized it I found myself at the intersection of all my interests grateful to be aware of the array of benefits each skill I’ve developed has to offer me. My love for art has ingrained in me many things but here are the most valuable. The skills of problem solving, persistence, ignoring doubt, and communication. It took me many ideas, and countless hours of effort to learn the simple lesson that an idea and persistence are the most critical attributes of anything or anyone that has ever succeeded. By creating with my hands, I learned everything starts with your mind.