NICE TO MEET YOU
Photo by Troy Nebeker
Creativity has never been optional for me. It’s how I make sense of the world, how I connect with others, and how I move through life.
From an early age, I gravitated toward art, writing, music, and performance—drawn less to outcomes than to expression itself. That instinct eventually led me into an international career in advertising, where I spent decades working across agencies, brands, and institutions, borrowing freely from the art world to make ideas that were unexpected, human, and culturally resonant. Along the way, I helped shape award-winning work for more than 190 organizations, including Target, Google, Nike, and PepsiCo—projects that balanced craft, concept, and cultural relevance.
But creativity, for me, was never just about making things. It was always about meaning.
In 2017, I consciously returned to my art practice, using skills I’d developed in advertising to create work and businesses that lived outside traditional systems. That period marked a shift toward activist art—work rooted in questioning power, language, and culture—and later evolved into what I now call heartivism: art and creative work centered on connection, belonging, and our shared humanity.
Alongside my practice, I’ve always felt called to be of service. I’ve mentored young creatives throughout my career, taught creativity and critical thinking at the university level, and spoken publicly about creativity as a practical, human skill—not a talent reserved for a few. Teaching and mentoring deepened my belief that creativity is something we return to, not something we invent.
In 2023, I completed a certificate in Advanced Spiritual Psychology, which further shaped both my work and my worldview. It reinforced my desire to help others reconnect with themselves and each other, and it clarified my role as someone who uses creativity not just to question the world, but to help heal it.
Today, creativity is an art form I apply to every aspect of my life. It shows up as art, as public-facing activations, as workshops and conversations, and as collaborative work with individuals and organizations. The form changes. The intention doesn’t.
Creativity is a gift within us all—helping others tap into it, in whatever shape it takes, is the work.