I’m a career software engineer with a passion for all things creative. For years, I dabbled in graphic design and branding for friends, but in late 2023, I finally picked up a paintbrush—and haven’t put it down since. Painting quickly became an unmatched outlet for my creativity and proved to be deeply therapeutic.

This journey is where my mantra “Don’t Follow the Herd” came to be. As a former volleyball player at Marshall University (home of the Thundering Herd), my senior year took an unexpected turn with the blessing of my son’s birth. In that moment, I chose to give up my scholarship and leave the herd behind.

Decades later, the emotions I had carried for nearly 30 years found their release through art. My son, who shares my love of creativity, reminds me that leaving the herd behind was the best decision I ever made and inspires me to honor my true self.

Now, my journey blends painting and photography, using my photographs as the foundation for bold, creative expressions on canvas. Fittingly, I encountered an actual herd while celebrating my 50th birthday in Wyoming—a subtle nod that my journey is exactly where it’s meant to be.