Over the past few months we’ve reached out to members of the CanvasRebel community to dive deeper into their stories. We wanted to learn how they got to where they are today and we heard stories that will keep our inspiration cup full for a long time. Their stories, lessons and humor have lifted our spirits and we hope you’ll take a minute to check out the stories below.

Shree Kalidass of Sizzle Asia

Thank you for asking! My journey has been quite an adventure. I started out in medical school, driven by a passion for helping people and making a difference in healthcare. But as I went through my studies, I realized I had a growing fascination with technology and its potential to solve complex problems. This curiosity led me to pivot from medicine to the tech world. I dove into learning about emerging technologies, especially blockchain, which captivated me with its promise of transparency and security. My experience in blockchain gave me a solid foundation and opened my eyes to how tech could disrupt and improve traditional industries. Read more>>

Manjit Rukhra of Prosper Path

From the age of 18 years old, I’ve had this entrepreneurial spirit in me to now being a full time real estate investor and investing coach. Born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, my business adventure began when a friend and I (with the support of our parents) ventured into the vending machine business. This initial foray into the world of business was challenging, especially as we had no prior experience and no mentor, but it laid the foundation for my future endeavors. After a few years of navigating the complexities of this business, trying to set up locations for the vending machines, we decided to sell that business. Read more>>

Royal Liedecke of 2Relentless Barbershop

I’ve been investing into myself since I was 17 living in a lower income area. I got exposed to 2 books that sparked my mind into self development ,credit, business & fitness. Rich dad poor dad and think and grow rich we’re the 1st 2 books that started my journey. At the time I was nothing near what I am now , not knowing my potential. Since then I’ve invested into multiple real estate properties, multiple businesses , stocks and crypto. I also have a job as well and a small family that keeps me busy. My main motivation was to change my circumstances and now my main motivation is to continue to elevate until I reach my version of what I’m capable of. Read more>>

Steve Sherrell

Hi, My name is Steve Sherrell, I am an artist and educator with a career spanning over fifty years in the greater Chicago art scene. My father was a modern artist and display person in Muncie Indiana where I grew up. Having a passion for contemporary art, I pursued studies at Ball State University and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where I was mentored by renowned artists such as Thomas Kapsalis, Ray Yoshida, and Whitney Halsted. In the 1980s, I balanced part-time jobs, teaching, and establishing myself as an artist in the then thriving Chicago art scene. I participated in numerous exhibitions, co-curated shows, and became involved with the Hubbard Street scene co-founding West Hubbard Gallery and the Mythopians artist collective. Read more>>

Brendan Jeannetti of Music You’re Missing

I created Music You’re Missing after losing my job as an on-air radio talent due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even before the pandemic, I felt disconnected from my work because it seemed so separate from the actual music. I wanted to highlight my favorite artists and engage with listeners about the music, but radio’s detachment from the actual music itself made this not possible. After a cross-country road trip from Boston to Montana, I realized I needed to create a platform where I could do just that. With no job due to COVID, it was the perfect time to start. So, I launched the Music You’re Missing podcast, seeking out artists who I personally felt deserved more recognition and opportunity.  Read more>>

Laura Perkes of PR with Perkes

My story started when I was 17 years old and choosing what to study at university. My dream was to become a radio presenter. But that dream shattered into a million pieces when I visited a university open day and saw what being a radio presenter actually required. In my dreams I’d play music, interview guests and have so much fun it wouldn’t feel like work. The reality smacked me in the face when I was shown the recording studio and there were knobs and buttons from the floor to their ceiling. I’m not a techy person and wouldn’t have trusted myself with so much equipment. Read more>>

Minjoo Kim

My days as a 17-year-old teenager were quite ordinary concerned about my future. In the music class, we watched “Aida”, brightly projected in the dark classroom was fascinating to the point where my eyes and ears were captivated. As I became overwhelmed by its grand scale and brilliant lighting I had watched the entire play in a state of awe. I felt a bright light shining down in the corner of my heart that had, for so long, been colorless. Afterward, I gradually became interested in ‘theater’. I became greatly interested in Lighting Design. I was completely captivated by an intangible matter called ‘light’.  Read more>>

Kari Serrao

I am a self employed full time artist and decorative painter living in Toronto and working as far afield as Europe. Being an artists is all I ever wanted as a child, drawing and painting were pretty much the only things I focused on in school growing up in Trinidad – which gradually lead me to post secondary education here in Toronto. Following graduation in the early ‘90’s I worked for an interior designer here in the city for whom I did some mural work, her projects were published in Canadian House and Home and from there my decorative painting career took off. After about 15 years or so of this being my primary creative focus I decided to explore the possibility of a fine art practice once again.  Read more>>

Idara E. Bassey

I’d be happy to! While I am an attorney by training, I have had a lifelong interest in personal development and esoteric studies that I have cultivated and developed even going as far to earn a Doctoral Degree in Metaphysical Counseling. I had every intention of keeping these two worlds separate until I received a phone call from an Atlanta-area lawyer in 2015 who had inquired about booking some energy healing sessions with me. She insisted on retaining me over other practitioners as she felt as a lawyer I could “speak her language.” She was a client of mine for many years and during our work together it dawned to me that these two worlds I inhabited, so to speak could come together. Read more>>

Lisa Crites

I began my career as a health/medical broadcast journalist in the Orlando television market. After many years on air, I decided to move into a media strategy role for a large hospital/healthcare system. I soon was diagnosed with breast cancer and that’s when my career trajectory changed. After seeing a massive need in the-post mastectomy care arena, I invented a product titled, The SHOWER SHIRT, so individuals undergoing mastectomy, or general chest surgery, could easily shower safely after surgery. Sadly, I had nothing to shower in except a trash bag and why I have worked so hard for future breast cancer patients to have a product to protect them while showering. Read more>>

Karlie Muncrief

I think the last time I filled you in about my journey, I was working as a freelance beauty copywriter – which I still am! But most of my life has changed since then. Lets rewind a little bit… I’ve always been a wordy gal. I remember sitting at my desk in room in elementary school, pages thrown about and a blackened hand from being a lefty. I had a raised bed, like a bunk bed, but instead of having a lower bunk, I had a desk. A variety of colored gel pens and pencils carefully organized in cups sat at the top of my desk, and I effortlessly worked on the opposite side of them. There, I’d scribble stories – mostly fiction – but what I had hoped would be my nonfiction someday. I wrote about what I imagined life as in middle school, high school, driving a car, having a boyfriend. And from there, I’d let my imagination take control and the stories would unfold. Read more>>

Sophia Wyrick of Alex And Andy

Alex And Andy was originally started as a fundraiser for my Uncle Andy after he suffered a hemorrhagic stroke in June of 2020. After speaking with his sister about potentially having to sell some of his belongings to pay for his therapy needs after his stroke, I started to come up with ideas on how I could keep that from happening. This is how Alex And Andy started! Alex was wearing a cheap bandana and I thought to myself “I wonder if I could sew bandanas and raise money for Andy’s care”. After the funds were donated to Andy, we decided to take the fundraising idea and turn it into a business that could keep him busy and give him a purpose again! Read more>>

Mardell Rampton

My path to being an artist came through a career as a software engineer in the telecommunications industry for more than three decades. The intensity and pressure both from the work and my own internal drivers took a toll on my health. I’ve always worked with cloth, making garments for myself as a creative outlet. Learning how to dye and paint cloth was a pathway to the work I do today, together with working with an art coach on how to develop a body of work. Read more>>

Saurabh Ahuja

Yaa really, it’s been an incredible journey throughout.I have completed my bachelor’s in the business administration (Regular), and a Post graduate diploma in the Finance stream (Regular), and I passed both with flying colors. I am a poet, content writer, content editor, content strategist, script writer, dialogue writer, screenplay writer, song writer, editor, producer, director, and a filmmaker. By the Grace of God, I am the winner of 29 Indian and 33 international awards. I worked as a manager for a number of firms before destiny changed my path and pushed me to select writing as my future profession. Read more>>

Lauren Fonvielle

I had a career in corporate marketing. If someone would’ve told me ten years ago that I’d be doing holistic healing work, I probably would have laughed! But, it has been an amazing journey to get here. Life through some curveballs – sick family members, 3 deployments ( my husband just retired from 20 years in the U.S. Navy), and a whole lot of anxiety along the way. I didn’t have the tools at the time to acknowledge, sit with and ultimately move through all of the emotions that I was feeling. This resulted in me having panic attacks. They were brutal, and really scary. This is what kick started my interest in different healing modalities. Read more>>

Jas Bhandal

Yoga has always been a component of my life from the time I was very young, only, it wasn’t called “yoga”. It was simply a part of the lifestyle my family and I lead. Meditation, movement, introspection, community impact, and understanding our mind and breath, were all modelled for me at a young age and infused into the culture. I was first exposed to a western “studio” practice when I was in university. The practice itself felt good, the movement, the heated studio, and the calming essential oils. The first thing I noticed though, was that there were not very many people who looked like me in the commercial yoga space. Most of the teachers were white, slim, and considered pretty by western standards. Read more>>

Gary Moore

Professionally, I chose to embark on my current path, this pursuit of art, soon after the pandemic shut down the school district that I was teaching in. I then wrote the children’s book series featuring What Daddy Do and What Mommy Do*, debuted my first published work from CreativeOnion Press, the poetry collection Songs For The Cleveland Avenue Warriors: Poetry from the Past, Present and Future, self-published the second edition of Songs For The Cleveland Avenue Warriors: Reality and Fame*, an Afrofuturist short story collection, The Wayward Home For Retired Superheroes and More Astonishing Tales From The Hood*, and Portfolio and Poetry*, an eclectic mix of my original art, in various stages of completion, and poetry. Read more>>

Johnny Felix

My name is Johnny Felix and my art character name is TALENTO reference as in TALENT. My hometown is Aurora, il which I share and enjoy my artwork through the community & with local artist. I started to draw & paint at the age of 9. Art has always been a meditation for me to be creative in my life. Baseball was mostly my passion and my primary dream to play in the Majors. Challenging myself was from baseball to learn how to fail and become successful. I use baseball to challenge my mindset into art to creative and innovative of projects never seen or to impact the communities by creating platforms, such as collaborations and donating to organizations. Read more>>

Nemo Chen

I’m Nemo Chen, an artist who’s delving into lens experiments across still and moving images, AIGC Arts, and image installations. I earned my bachelor’s degree at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and now split my time between Chicago and several cities in China, allowing me to infuse diverse perspectives into my work. It’s been humbling to see my works and interviews featured in international media outlets like Vogue Italia, Harper’s Bazaar, ELLE China, and Cosmopolitan, among others. Read more>>

Zoe Violett

I hear the phrase, “You’re so talented” often when I am at a venue displaying my artwork, or posting works in progress online. I don’t want anyone getting the wrong idea, I am incredibly grateful for these compliments. However, there is a part of me who wants to tell everyone who uses the word “talent” that, actually, you are seeing the result of 10+ years of hard work, dedication, and patience. I did not pick up a pencil or paintbrush and automatically know how to draw a human skull, or a proportionally correct figure. I did not know what I was doing for the first year of oil painting, in fact I still learn new things every time I finish a painting. There is really no such thing as talent, unless you’re a child prodigy, which I am not. Read more>>

Kimberly Wilson

Have you ever realized that what you’ve spent your life creating no longer fits? Like a pair of too tight leggings that you keep tugging at to try to make them more tolerable. At the “wise” age of 26 (25 years ago), I hung fliers about yoga around my neighborhood and invited strangers into my living room in Washington, DC. This launched my entrepreneurial journey in 1999! Since then I’ve created: * feminine yoga studios filled with chandeliers, a nourishing practice, and a loving community * global retreats and offerings with a nurturing, luxe vibe * lifestyle books and a blog on finding tranquility in the every day * a podcast, Tranquility du Jour, featuring authors, artists and activists that I admire * a cozy and chic eco-fashion line, TDJ, that transitions from day to night Read more>>

Natasha Mayet

Hi everyone. I’m Natasha and I’m an international actor, filmmaker and acting coach. Since our industry is now global, I’m based between Atlanta and South Africa. I also co-host a film festival called the Cape Town Squad International Film Festival that has international sponsors and welcomes short films from all around the world. The creative journey began nearly 11 years ago when I acted on an impulse and decided to fly to LA and enroll in an acting class at the New York Film Academy. I remember walking out of class and looking at the posters at Warner Brothers and having the realisation that working as an actor and living in LA was something that was possible and that I wanted to do this as a job. I received a calling and I decided to answer the call.  Read more>>

Morgan O’donnell

Creatively, I started out writing poetry in elementary school. I was fortunate to have teachers who encouraged that. Additionally, my mother was an elementary school teacher and encouraged reading. I remember many happy hours spent in the library because my mom would take us there. I focused on poetry for many years then I started exploring creative nonfiction and environmental writing. After being in Toastmasters and seeing how people resonated with my humorous speeches I shifted to focus on humor writing. Shortly after the pandemic hit, my mother passed away during the lockdowns and I was unable to attend her funeral. I found that my words were frozen. Trying to process her passing and the uncertainty of COVID lockdowns, I stumbled into art primarily using materials I could find around the house. In New Mexico, there are many shaman, spirit, and kachina sculptures and art.  Read more>>

Jared Mcphoy

My name is Jared McPhoy. I am currently a Graduate Senior Assistant Master at Annandale Secondary, a part time lecturer at the Cyril Potter College and Education and a writer of a self published memoir: ‘By Grace Through Faith: A journey of Self-Discovery.” Upon completion of secondary school I attended the Cyril Potter College of Education where I became a Grade 1 Class 1 Educator (trained). After my first year of teaching I started the University of Guyana where I pursued my Bachelor’s Degree In Education- Secondary (English). This enabled me to become the part time lecturer that I am today, got me into volunteering at the Guyana Learning Channel and into many other opportunities within the Education system. Read more>>

Yiqing Xiang’s Story

My name is Yiqing (Mandarin, pronounced “Yee-Ching”), and I am a board-certified music therapist currently practicing in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada. After graduating from the music therapy program and working in the US for over a year, I moved to Canada with my husband to start a new life. I now work with a variety of populations, including those in hospice settings, school settings, neurodivergent children and teenagers, youth with emotional needs, and adults with disabilities. Driving around Simcoe County and visiting nursing homes and group homes is a typical part of my daily work. Ontario has a significant number of retirement and nursing homes, making music therapy in long-term care a major focus. I usually spend from an hour to a full day at one nursing home, providing group and individual music therapy services to the residents. Music and engaging in music benefit residents experiencing isolation and dementia in long-term care. Read more>>

Morgan Frew

Well, both of my parents were artists as well as academics. My Mom was primarily a painter, and my Dad was a master printmaker – although he also painted, drew frequently, and made sculpture as well. So, I was raised in an intellectual artistic environment. I essentially grew up around creative adults until I finally discovered some neighborhood kids down the street, when I was around the age of 6. I always knew that I had to pursue an artistic career. What that looked like, I wasn’t sure of, until I decided to become a painter. In the beginning, I tried a lot of creative paths. Graphic design, metals, film, photography etc. But, when I arrived at painting, something clicked for me. I knew that was going to be it.  Read more>>

Ryan Stelzer of Strategy of Mind, LLC

My first “grown-up” job was, unbelievably, working as a Presidential Management Fellow during the Obama administration. I had every intent of staying in grad school and becoming an academic, but Washington DC was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. From DC I moved into a traditional management consulting role. One day at work, a friend sent me an article in The Economist entitled “Philosopher Kings.” It argued that business leaders would benefit from studying great writers. I had no idea how to do it, but I knew that was what I wanted to do.  Fast-forward eight years and here we are. I co-founded a consultancy that focuses on the qualitative skills that so often get left behind in business education. We wrote a book called “Think Talk Create: Building Workplaces Fit for Humans,” delivered a TEDx talk, and published our ideas across a range of media outlets including The Washington Post, Quartz, and Fast Company. At the end of the day, we’re trying to help companies be profitable without sacrificing the well-being of their team. Read more>>

Nichole Kolb

I always had a love for photography, but didn’t pursue it and study until I was almost 40. I often wonder why I didn’t start earlier. I went to college to be a Paralegal and built a successful career doing so. While it was a great career, I never experienced the passion or joy that I experience with photography and my clients. It’s so easy to get caught up in the mundane of every day. Working for the weekend and the next paycheck. We only have one life to live and I can’t think of a better way to do so than waking up everyday and doing what you love. Read more>>

Beth Suter

I’ve always loved making art. My first memories are from when I was five- years- old tightly holding a crayon, drawing cows and swinging my legs at the kitchen table. Growing up, I was lucky enough to have parents that recognized my love for art. They purchased me endless art supplies and my mom would take me to local art in the park events. My dad made me an easel when I was a teenager that I still use to this day.  Despite their support and my obvious love to create, when it came time to graduate, it didn’t seem like a realistic option to pursue an art degree. Instead, I became an elementary teacher because I had always loved kids and wanted a job where I could make a difference. Read more>>

Ruth Lague

I began my career as a graphic designer and creative director with a focus on user-centric design. This practice helped to inform my belief that “less is more” and that concept carries over to build a strong foundation for my work. Read more>>

Hassan Ahmad

I started out in 2014, where I would make very basic edits for fun of my favorite sports players, teams, and leagues. I was on Instagram at the time, and was motivated to showcase my work and be able to share it to other sports fans like myself. As time went on, I consistently shared my edits, and it reached other graphic designers who were doing the same thing as me! I was able to learn from them and this helped me grow a lot and improve. By continuously staying with this passion of mine, I’ve been able to turn this hobby into a profession.

Robin Monique Rios

I was born to be an artist. Creativity has always been the one thing that moved my soul. I am endlessly captivated by the beauty of nature and the infinite wonders it holds. In my artistic endeavors, I strive to honor and reflect this awe-inspiring world. Each piece I create is an attempt to translate the emotions evoked by my surroundings into tangible forms, guided by the medium that best conveys the essence of the moment. I resist the confines of a singular medium or subject matter, as my artistic voice resonates through the diversity of expression. Through my work, I aspire to capture the essence of the world as I perceive it, inviting viewers to share in the wonder and beauty that surrounds us. Read more>>

Kelly Sturtevant of Blue Page Social Inc.

Back in 2017, I was returning to the workforce after being a stay-at-home mother for the past 10 years. I knew I didn’t want to go back to a corporate desk job, so I looked into ways I could stay home and bring in a little bit of extra money for our family. This led me to learning about online businesses and I soon started my own business, Blue Page Social Inc. I first started working as a Virtual Assistant, helping businesses with odd tasks like data entry, blog writing and SEO optimization. But I learned quickly these were skills I really didn’t like to be doing. I knew that in order for my business to be successful, I needed to be doing things that gave me joy and purpose, not just a paycheck. After all, if I wanted just a paycheck I could go back to a full-time J-O-B. Read more>>

Trillizos Torres Pacheco’s Story

We Leonel, Lorenzo, and Luis are triplet brothers and we are a collective of artists who have become known in the world of art as Trillizos Torres Pacheco. Ever since our childhood, we all knew that our place in the future would be within the world of creation. The only thing we always wanted to do as kids was to grab a piece of paper, some pencils and draw our favorite characters from videogames, anime, and cartoons (so convenient for our mother so that we would not make a mess on the walls of the house) doing our best to create the most accurate copy of them. We all three always shared the same sketchbooks, colored pencils, and even the work table. While drawing, if one of us ‘discovered’ how to replicate such color or texture, he would share this learning with the other two right away. So, teamwork was constantly there. Such thinking was developing and gaining strength as we grew and progressed in our artistic path. Read more>>

Mackenzie Belcastro of Mackenzie Belcastro Healing

I became interested in personal development first when I started having panic attacks in university, and then again later when I quit my job in the fashion industry and had no idea who I was or what was to come next. From there I took on a series of odd jobs, from working in an art gallery, to doing digital marketing work for a variety of solopreneurs, but it never felt as inspiring as the events a friend and I would host a few times a year for creative entrepreneurs, where we’d essentially organize a number of talks and live interviews and bring together a group of passionate, young, aspiring go-getters. I didn’t realize it then, but those were the catalyst for me growing interest in working with people as they moved through their journeys and came to realize what sort of life they wanted to create. Read more>>

Adri Norris’s Story

As an artist, I have been doing this my whole life. You know how they used to put crayons, glue and scissors on the back to school shopping list in elementary school? Well, I just never stopped buying those things. I developed a passion for portraiture in high school and haven’t looked back since. It wasn’t until I graduated from the Art Institute of Colorado that I officially started my business. I went from being a freelance graphic designer to a freelance portrait painter to a freelance mural painter. My work painting women in history has proven to be the most fulfilling and I hope to continue doing it for as long as I’m able.  Read more>>

Megan Blaising’s Story

I started in the mental health field and always found ways to write on the side – as a contributing writer or otherwise. Fast forward a few years – I decided to step away from direct care as I wanted to generate impact but on a more macro-level. I was fortunate enough to find a role that allows me to do just that a while merging my passions. Read more>>

Diondra Filicetti

It was my early twenties when I started my first corporate job after graduation and I couldn’t have been more excited. I was ready to put my skills to great use and to work on projects that would make a difference in the company. Reality however, fell short of my expectations. I thought I had the ability to make a difference, but I was up against a huge slow-moving corporate machine that was already set in its ways. The confounding problem was that the function of my role was to bring about change and increase efficiency. In my attempts to do just that, I was met with roadblock after roadblock, some by the system, and some created by people! To make things more difficult, there was a culture of fear and a general sense of disengagement in the company. For me, the writing was on the wall, and I knew that if I stayed, my engagement, enthusiasm and passion would die a slow death. Read more>>

Maggie Giles

Like many authors, I’ve written something or another for most of my life. I loved to craft (terribly written) original stories when I was younger and began really writing novels when I got into writing Fan Fiction. I’ve been a storyteller for as long as I can remember. When I first sat down and penned an entirely original novel, I never really considered what the next steps were. I’d never edited my own work to make it better, I’ve always just written and it was what it was. I was lucky enough to be put in touch with a multi-published Canadian author who was a guiding light in helping me better understand the writing world and how one goes about getting their book out there.  This began the long journey of learning how to properly write a book, how to edit and ultimately how to find that person to get that one illusive yes.  Read more>>

Christina Marz of MarzMethod

Hi there, I´m Christina. I teach coaching and healing with herds of horses all over the world to promote emotional well-being for myself, the horses and our clients.  How does one come across that profession? For me, it was my personal experience.  I grew up in a complicated home in Germany. My parents divorced when I was only 3 years old, and my younger sister and I never developed a functional relationship with our father. Our mother focused on her work as a teacher to make ends meet, but she struggled with depression and her severe social anxiety was always present in our day-to-day life.  Thankfully, our neighbors had horses and that herd became my happy place. I spent entire days hanging out on the fence and observing them, waiting for my chance to lead them back to the barn. Read more>>

Stelly Tchana

My name is Stelly Tchana, and I am the founder of Pagne at Home. My story begins in my youth, driven by an innate passion for African fashion. This fascination led me to establish Pagne at Home in 2012, initially as a simple blog. Over the years, I have transformed this passion into a thriving business, offering a platform where the cultural richness of Africa meets modern elegance. It hasn’t been easy, especially while juggling the role of a single mother to three young children. But my determination and passion have been my driving forces. Today, Pagne at Home is much more than an online store. It has become a pillar of African fashion in Canada, offering an exceptional range of both emerging and established brands. Our mission is ambitious: to put African fashion on the global map. And I am proud to say that we are making strides toward that goal, step by step. This wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our incredible team and devoted customers. Read more>>

Bethany Pendleton

I have had a camera in my hand since 2008 when my parents gave me a point and shoot for Christmas. Little did I know after college graduation in 2017 that I would want to get back into photography. I initially wanted to become a photographer to photograph the U.S. Navy Blue Angels while living in Pensacola, FL. In 2019, after substitute teaching for a year I purchased my first DSLR and have not been able to put it down ever since. Initially, I started out by strictly being an aviation photographer. It was not until 2021 or 2022 I realized I actually love capturing people and their emotions. This led to me launching my business officially and offering wedding, portrait, and event photography. Read more>>

Rey Grandoit

I grew up in a Haitian immigrant household, where I saw my mom and dad work hard every day. My mom would sell jewelry, shoes, and clothes on the weekend to make extra money to pay bills. So, I was motivated to be and do better, looking at my circumstances and not letting it define me. I was paralyzed at the tender age of 14 years old due to bacterial spinal meningitis, which left me wheelchair bound. My life and my dreams were shattered in an instant. Dreams of going to the NBA, having a family, and buying my mom a house were gone or at least I thought. I was devastated internally. Can you imagine all the adversity, challenges and obstacles that comes with being in a wheelchair? Well, I knew it was going to be a fight, however it was self-development without me even being aware of it. Like Mike Tyson said, “Everyone has a plan, until they get knocked out.” I was knocked out with no plan. Even the doctors said, “You will never walk again.” Read more>>

Robyn Lytle of In The Middle Corp

I graduated college with a Journalism degree, knowing I did not want to actually go into journalism. I bounced between marketing jobs and sales jobs for about 8 years before deciding I wanted to work for myself and start my own business. My wife worked as a wedding photographer at the time, and on the weekends I would work with her as her second shooter. We loved exploring unique properties and buildings all over Chicagoland–the photography work allowed us access to so many awesome Chicago buildings. We decided we would love to own our own venue, and we started working towards that. I started my event planning company, and we started looking for the right property to be home to our business. Read more>>

Kayrajay

My name is Kayra J. Clouden, also known as KAYRAJAY, and I’m an Artist from St. Croix, U.S Virgin Islands. Since graduating from the University of New Haven with a B.A. in Digital Media and B.S. in T.V/Video Production, I’ve curated a unique career between the entertainment realms of television and digital media.  Some of my career highlights include my role as Development Producer at Antoinette Media, Associate Producer across Paramount Global’s hit franchise show Love and Hip-Hop, VH1’s Family Reunion, VH1’s Couple’s Retreat and more in addition to being the former Development Assistant at MTV/VH1, & former Associate Producer at Jezebel (G/O Media). Independently, I created and executive produced the award-winning digital series ADULTIN’ on YouTube and I’m curating the budding non-profit: 4 DA BM’S – A Safe Space to be a Baby Mama in Peace. Read more>>

Essie Faye

I’m the daughter of a deacon and a missionary in the Pentecostal Apostolic Christian Reformation. I admire my parents greatly–they are people of great faith, love, and compassion. My parents have served God and people passionately and faithfully for all of my 41 years. They’ve taken countless families under their wings and nurtured so many children besides their own biological children. I have 14 siblings. We were raised in the Englewood neighborhood on Chicago’s South side. For those who don’t know, Englewood at the time was a gang and drug invested food desert. We were planted there and by the grace of God and under the guidance and protection of our parents, we grew and thrived. I finished High school at JFK High and went on to attend Northwestern University and I became a teacher. Read more>>

Anastessia Bettas

Thank you for the interest in my work and featuring me again. I retired from the dot com world and decided to attend art school to fulfill a lifelong goal. After graduating from art school I came full circle and have shown my work in over sixty juried exhibitions; I’ve been featured in magazines and one of my paintings was purchased from the Petroff Gallery and appeared in an Adam Sandler movie. Since my last Canvas Rebel interview, I had an exhibition at Galerie St. Laurent + Hill with my Rewilding series. My art career has allowed me to explore my passion for creativity and expressiveness. Read more>>

Monica Cox of Finding Fertility

At 27, I was fit, healthy, and ready to have a baby. After three years of trying naturally and being diagnosed with unexplained infertility, our new OB/GYNs in York, England quickly suggested IVF. We had done everything else in the medical field, so it seemed like the natural next step. I knew my cycle well enough by then, and I just thought, “Well, okay, IVF gets people pregnant.” I never believed that it was going to solve my issues, but I was hoping that it would expose something or, better yet, give us a baby! Read more>>

Urmi Hossain

I started my career in finance in 2016. I graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce with Honours in Finance.When I began working, I didn’t realize that I had to take on many jobs before landing my dream job. My goal was always to be in portfolio management, but it wasn’t something easy or something I could achieve immediately without the necessary experience. I had to take a few different routes and gain various experiences in the market before reaching my goal of where I am today – portfolio management. I took my first job in a well- known finance company and I told myself that even if this wasn’t what I initially wanted to do, it will still be the first step towards my destination. Read more>>

Romuald Pliquet’s Story

Photography is an art that has always fascinated me because of the power that a photo can release. A painting, a sculpture, a drawing can also release and provide a strong emotion at the simple sight of them but unlike the photo, it is the fruit of the imagination and the talent of the artist while the photographer is, for his part, , active spectator of a moment, a magical moment that happens at a given moment; which gives, in my opinion, a whole other dimension… Some photos have even changed the course of history: veterans of the Vietnam War, for example, are unanimous and say they lost the war the day they saw this Vietnamese NCO shot in the head of a Vietnamese enemy in the street; They claim to have understood that day who they were dealing with… Read more>>

Ainae Nielsen’s Story

Bio: Ainae, currently immersed in her musical journey at the prestigious Lillehammer Institute of Music Productions and Industries (in Norway), Ainae effortlessly weaves the threads of Soulful R&B, Hip Hop, and Contemporary Pop into a tapestry of empowering and honest sounds. Handpicked by Kelly Clarkson as a standout on The Voice, Ainae’s ethereal soprano vocals resonate deeply. Hailing from South East Washington DC, her music is a lyrical canvas of personal experiences and fantasies of what reality could be. Stages like Union Stage, NBC’s The Voice, and The National Museum of Women in the Arts have witnessed her captivating performances. Ainae’s unyielding commitment promises an indelible mark on the music world. Read more>>

Lorena Carreno of Mezcal Carreño SA de CV

Created in 1844 by a family of farmers and landowners in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, the Hacienda Carreño played a leading role in the agave process for the production of mezcal, mainly promoted by Apolonio Carreño and his mezcal masters since the beginning of the century XX (1904); a tradition that is still alive today by the fourth generation who maintains the ancestral and artisanal process, projecting it at the level of any spirit drink. Various varieties of wild agaves grow on the Carreño family’s land. For Mezcal Carreño, in honor of the grandfather, only organic varieties are used which after going through a double distillation give rise to a sophisticated drink, of Premium quality. Read more>>