What is your relationship with movement?

Movement brings me life. I recharge from it. I feel alive and inspired and most in tune with myself when my body is in motion.

Growing up – I embodied it. I was constantly on the move as a kid. A wild imagination with a courageous spirit, I was always looking for ways to play and connect in this way.

As an adult – I needed it. I learned the importance of maintaining a relationship with my body through movement and went on a journey over several years to discover how both my mental and physical health benefitted from investing in movement as I evolved as a woman.

As a mother – I crave it. I eagerly await moments where I can connect with myself through movement and have a moment of renewal by investing much-needed time into the overlooked muscles in my body. I’ve learned that movement is what restores my mind and spirit and is necessary to sustain my abilities as a mom. I’m also immensely grateful for movement and the ways my body allows me to use that as a source of connection alongside my son.

As an artist – I seek it.Give me more of it! Give me all the opportunities to be out and about in nature or outside or in a new place and moving and painting and lifting and building something with people. Give me all the movement necessary to create something new and good and special. 

Did you grow up playing sports? What skills have you taken with you into adulthood? 

I’ve played sports my whole life. I still play basketball and as an adult I’ve taken up hiking, surfing, indoor cycling, golfing and now I’ve fallen in love with tennis! I think so much of who I am I discovered through sports and being a part of teams. Perseverance is a major skill I carry, along with an ability to support and encourage others. I know that both winning and losing are imperative in shaping our perspective as we tackle new circumstances in life. Sports were a confidence builder for me from a young age and very much an outlet of expression and connection. They allowed me to learn patience in new practices, commitment in difficult or uncomfortable moments and focus when it’s time to make things happen – all which are skills I use regularly as a mom, a business owner and a creative.

When did you start painting? How did you find your style/voice? 

I have drawn and painted my whole life as a hobby, but never considered it as a career until I was in my late 20s. I originally moved to LA right out of college to pursue acting, but I also had a degree in Interior Design. I got heavily involved with improv and sketch comedy, which opened me up to so many different creative production jobs on sets and with brands - reigniting my love for art and installations. I started a business doing hand lettering and painting signs which evolved into the large-scale murals and artwork designs I create today. Over the past several years, I have worked to pursue jobs and creative opportunities that align with my mission to create tangible art that people can use, touch and experience. My color palettes are very much a reflection of my personality. All of my pieces have an energetic quality about them, full of excitement and movement, which feels authentic to who I am. Now my goal is to place these pieces in settings that push the boundary of how we can experience art and design.

What have been your favorite projects and why? 

I love public art projects that have a focus on merging art and athletics. I also light up on projects that seek to restore spaces for schools and communities – opportunities to problem solve and challenge a new way of thinking or how we experience places and spaces.

Murals/large scale installations are so physically taxing, why this medium/format? How do you care for yourself when you're in process? 

I love conquering the challenges of large projects and the opportunity to make major impact. I find the human response to scale and size very interesting, and these large installations really excite me in the way that they can affect people and communities on so many different levels. There’s opportunity through these installs to challenge the way we experience not only art and design, but each other, while expanding the ways we think about creativity, possibility and community. These projects really fill me up while I’m on site, and it’s usually not until I stop that I realize the exhaustion attached to the installations. Self-care for me can be as small as savoring a coffee in the morning before we dive in to painting or taking time to give myself breaks and hang with my team or community members -  which sounds so simple, but when you’re moving at such a fast on these projects, these little moments are really life giving. And manicures. Always a manicure to celebrate after a job.

It's one thing to be an athlete in school but another as an adult, how did you find community to play with?

I am always looking to try new things and stretch myself in new ways. I think following your curiosity is really important in adulthood, to continue to learn about ourselves and to move us outside our comfort zones. Any time I hear of an event or a group or a class that I find interesting, I choose to show up – even if there might be intimidation or fear involved. I’ve been to so many kinds of gyms and groups and activities to put myself out there in an effort to find my people in this city of MILLIONS or anything that can help me grow as a person. Several years ago, I was looking for a new way to meet people (and also just have fun playing ball) when I joined a basketball league. It was through this team that I met the INCREDIBLE Laura Prangley who told me about Casual Tennis, and I’ve never been more grateful for an invitation! So for me, the sport is what gets me there, but it’s the community that keeps me coming.

What does Casual Tennis unlock for you? What is the feeling? 

Casual Tennis always brings me back to myself. It makes me lighter, brighter, and allows me to shake off the weight of motherhood, work and life that can oftentimes make me retract and get in my head. I went to my fisst Casual Tennis lesson right around 10 months postpartum and I was desperate to connect with people and devote time for myself. It showed up for me in more ways than I could have ever known I needed. I cannot even begin to describe what a high I get after I leave the lesson! It checks all of the boxes for me. Movement, learning a new skill, laughter, and connecting with people. IF YOU HAVEN’T TRIED IT…GO!!!