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.

Nneoma Onyekwele’s Story

I’ve always been passionate about storytelling. Back in secondary school and university, I lived for the stage. Every semester, I performed on stage, immersing myself in theatre and loving the magic of live performance. But after graduating, I took a detour into the corporate world because, you know, life. Read more>>

Taylor Stoneman

I started painting four years ago as a pandemic coping mechanism. Doing so opened up my vision, unlocking a new part of my brain and helping me see the earth and her unending colors, textures, and patterns in a new light, and I quickly fell in love. Since that gentle beginning, I have expanded my practice by taking classes, painting on bigger and bigger canvases, experimenting with new mediums, applying for and being accepted into exhibitions, and marketing my work both at small artisan markets and large fine art fairs. Embracing a career as a creative and channeling my energy into making art that represents who I am, what I feel, and how I dream feels limitless, like what I can make is only bound by what I deem possible. Read more>>

LeeAnn Stromyer of LeeAnn K Photography

Cut back to 2016– I had just finished my third year of teaching art when I decided I was finally going to start my photography business. I was in the thick of researching how to make it “official” when the unthinkable happened: my mother was unexpectedly diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer – too advanced to treat she passed just six weeks from the first ER visit. The worst part of all? Our relationship was estranged, and it had been for years. Read more>>

Amanda Yoa’s Story

WELL..Talk about it’s giving, “started from the bottom now we’re here,” vibes.. Talk about stepping into your GLOW UP era! lived a majority of my young adult life being a shell of a person – I’m talkin’ I was the top of the class in Depression & Anxiety with a Heavy Sprinkle of Panic Disorder 101. I was 300+lbs, no life direction, no sense of happiness, joy, passion and purpose..Living my life through the eyes of other people’s expectations.. UNTIL ONE DAY – I made the decision to choose MORE! I shuffled into my joy, my confidence, my worth. I found my voice, my passion and purpose and NOW I GET DOWN on that dance floor of L I V I N’! Read more>>

Zack Dionne

My journey as a filmmaker began during one of the darkest times in my life. There was a moment when I felt so overwhelmed by the weight of my struggles that I nearly gave up completely. At age 17, I attempted to take my own life, and while I survived, the experience left me searching for a way to make sense of my pain. My first true love and I separated and it left me with a hole in my heart that has yet to be filled, every character and story I create is fueled by the pain I feel about the situation, in hopes I can help someone resonate with the story and find closure within it. Read more>>

Torie Sannners

My affinity for all things beauty started when I was a little girl in Henderson, Kentucky. My mom allowed the space for me to be creative with my hair and nails, but I had to sneak to play in her makeup. As I’ve gotten older, my friends allowed me the same space to do their hair and makeup. I really, really wanted to do YouTube and just showcase my makeup skills. I finally grew the courage in 2021 and it’s been going on ever since. Read more>>

Juan Salinas

I am an immigrant from Honduras. I came to the US with the intention of realizing the American dream. I was 17 when I arrived at Newark, NJ with the excitement and fear that came along with starting a new life in a strange country. I started by learning English and then enrolling at a county college in NJ. I then transferred to Rutgers University where I got my PhD in Food Science. After college I worked for several of the largest CPG companies in the US as a Food product developer culminating my career in corporate as a director for product innovation at Nestle. It was at this last company where I was able to work on an area that was of high interest to me: Active Performance Nutrition. Read more>>

Jacquelyn Tolskdorf’s Story

Growing The Unglitch Marketing Studio wasn’t a breeze. There were a lot of mistakes and lessons learned along the way in the past 9 years. I’ve taken what I’ve learned from the pros that came before me, dusted off my bruised knees during economic crisis’ and launched the only service I provide. Read more>>

Nigil Crawford’s Story

I moved to New York City three weeks after graduating from college. New York is a humbling city known as a the “Concrete Jungle Where Dreams Are Made Of”. I thought I had it all figured out when I “secured” a brownstone apartment in Brooklyn off Craigslist. I blew all my money in my savings on a one-way ticket and an Uber just to get to the place. When I got there, I was informed that someone already moved into the brownstone a week before I arrived. I got no heads up, so unfortunately I had nothing to fall back on. I looked around the area to see where I could camp out, but no luck. I took all my bags down to the subway station (Newkirk Ave) and slept down there for a few days. Read more>>

Rachael Hanible of Missing Peace Financial Group

I grew up in a poor neighborhood in a single parent household. Where the crime was high and the hope was low because of the lack of financial literacy. In college I begin to teach myself about credit, budgeting, investing and financial planning. I created big money goals for myself. I wanted to be debt free, have a perfect credit score and have a years’ worth of income saved. I begin to share my progress and information with others on the journey. I became a personal finance coach for adults and I created my own personal finance curriculum for kids and teens. Now I can say that I am completely debt free! I have been 13 years without a car payment, 11 years without student loan debt and I just paid off my mortgage 22 years earlier than expected. I have had a perfect credit score for over a year. This is my 11th year being a personal finance coach and so far, my curriculum has been in 130 schools, universities and organizations, Read more>>

Kai Storm

Kai Storm in 2024 is a bigger brand than when I was first published back in 2011 but the best way to break it down is to list all the titles: Author of 5 books, one of which I recently revised called That One Voice Revised Edition, erotica Blogger for Vocal Media and last but not least, the Marketing Director/Editor/Co-host of Motherhood Sex Marijuana The Podcast. I have my own YouTube channel where I post videos about My Unpopular Opinions and that has gained me 968 subscribers. Slow steps are still steps towards the journey and thank God, I’m still going up! Handling the brand of Kai Storm definitely covers a lot but I only take on what I can handle. My creative side is my relaxed side so when I’m working on these projects, it doesn’t come off as work and everything I do in my creative cypher, I believe in big time! Read more>>

Tremaine Wills of Mind Over Money

On paper, my journey into a financial services company started over 10 years ago after having my offer rescinded from NASA. If you ask my mom, my journey started when I was a child. When most children are asked what they want to be when they grow up, they give a profession or job title. When I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I answered, “RICH” Read more>>

Chantal Blake of Honored Womb

My story is an unconventional one– my professional career path has included Nursing, Environmental Engineering, and Travel Writing. But since becoming a mother in 2010 to my firstborn daughter, I have felt the fire to help women feel fully well in the birthplace of our future– our wombs. Read more>>

Rachel Fawn Alban

I am a photographer, museum educator, and a public artist. I love many art forms, but I have a special passion for public art. One of the most rewarding aspects of my photography practice is documenting public artists, and I have also been a lead artist on mural projects in Newark, NJ and in New York City.

Like many photographers, I have been obsessed with taking pictures since I was a child. In 2013, I started becoming intentional about my photography practice when I created a series of articles documenting 5pointz Art Center for a website called Untapped Cities (now UntappedNewYork.com ). Read more>>

Mally Becker

I was a practicing attorney ten years ago, balancing work and family like so many of us. Maybe I was a little burned out—also like many of us. If you had told me then I’d become the author of a multi-award-nominated historical mystery series within a decade, I would have known you were nuts. Read more>>

Libby Supan of Food Freedom Breakthrough

Growing up, I struggled in school and internalized the belief that my only path to success was through my appearance and popularity. I felt that my worth was tied solely to my appearance, and I channeled all my energy into that.

This mindset led me down a dangerous path. I began restricting food in high school, starting with small, almost unnoticeable changes—cutting portions and avoiding meals. What began as minor adjustments quickly spiraled into an eating disorder. My relationship with food became obsessive, and I found myself avoiding social situations that involved eating, driven by anxiety and fear. Read more>>

Amanda Foster

Amanda Foster’s Journey: From CAD Monkey to eDesign Guru

Hello! I’m Amanda Foster, also known as Amandork, the heart and soul behind Foster Decor Consulting. I’m here to share my exhilarating journey from a traditional job to becoming a beacon for creativity in the interior design community.

<b>The Spark of Change</b>
Graduating top of my class from Sacramento State University with a BA in Interior Architecture, a minor in Graphic Design, and an AA in Fine Arts, I was all set for success. However, my initial roles in the government sector left me craving more creativity and less monotony. This led me to freelance, leveraging skills I honed since high school, from CD cover art to website apps. Read more>>

Michael Guberti’s Story

I am a results-driven digital marketer and freelance writer with nine years of experience developing and optimizing paid and organic marketing funnels across both B2C and B2B sectors. My marketing strategies have generated approximately $90 million in lifetime revenue for my clients, and I’ve managed over $1 million in online advertising campaigns. Read more>>

Susy Siddens

I have always made art, but at the age of 19, after just one year at art college, I decided I wasn’t good enough to be a successful artist and I turned to my next favorite thing, art history.

After graduating, I interned as exhibitions officer at Nottingham Art Museum, UK (my big achievement was the Dame Laura Knight traveling exhibition), Leicester City Gallery, UK (where I taught a dry-point print workshop) and San José Museum of Art, USA (where I was introduced to the work of Frida Kahlo for the first time). Read more>>

Oliver Caspersen

I’ve always been drawn to film and storytelling, and it all really started when I studied film in London. What I learned, though, wasn’t just technical skills—it was about seeing life as a dream, full of contradictions and surprises. Over the years, I’ve faced a lot of challenges, including a Western I worked on for nearly five years that was totally derailed by distribution issues. But I’ve kept pushing forward, always seeking discovery in my creative work, whether through film, cartoons, or new projects. Read more>>

Rose Golden

In true Rose fashion, I think it’s best we take the scenic route through my story since my path that has been anything but linear!

Let’s start in 2005. This time period is significant as it created my passion TV &amp; Film. I can remember being captivated and inspired by the Disney Channel series ‘That’s So Raven.’ Seeing another young Black girl who was both fashionable and feisty, yet didn’t fit into the ‘standard’ was incredibly inspiring. Inspiring enough to help me dream of being on TV and in media. A dream that I ended up putting on the back burner for over ten years as I dealt with issues of confidence and insecurity. Read more>>

Jordan Hosey

I was born in Dubai and grew up in Jordan before immigrating to Hoover, Alabama, in 1999. Adapting to a new country, learning English, and adjusting to Southern culture were challenges I tackled head-on. Coming from a background where financial stability was out of reach, I felt a strong drive to break the cycle and create a legacy of wealth and opportunity for my family. Read more>>

Dawn Ivey

Wow, thank you for this opportunity to share about my journey! I am grateful for the chance to reflect on some of the blessings I have received and the lessons I have learned.

Not too long ago, as I drove into the parking lot at my workplace, I thought to myself, “Wow, I’ve been doing this for over 30 years!” For 30 years I have been part of the workforce and when I look back, I can see that time has flown by. But I know I am not alone. Countless people have been doing the same thing as me and many of them have been doing it longer. When I reflect on my years of working, Read more>>

Mariah Smith

When I first started I was trying to balance an extremely demanding job, grief, a traumatic decision, in a relationship and friendships I questioned my importance in their lives while I overextended myself for them, and just battling the day to day woes.

Me now, because of having session 1-2 times a week and the power of self worth has helped to change things in my life a lot. I no longer let the demands of work overshadow my own self care and health. I have tools in place when life is getting the best of me. I let myself feel those emotions of grief but I do not allow it to consume me. I reevaluated my circle of friendships and ended those that no longer served me. I am not in that same relationship and I am clear about my expectations before I start any romantic dynamic. Read more>>

Larissa McGowan

My name is Larissa McGowan! A culinary graduate of 2017! I have been dedicated to my baking career since 2017, I started Wake & Cake a few months after graduating from culinary school! It’s definitely been a long ride full of trials and tribulations but I have continued to push through many obstacles to get to where I am now! Before culinary school I did not have a clear idea of what I actually wanted to be, but I always had a passion for baking and once I locked into learning more about it, I fell even more in love and knew that that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life! Read more>>

Caitlin Kelly

I grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs and was an all-around athlete. I played tennis, soccer, basketball, tennis, I loved it all. I dealt with a lot of anxiety and anger as a child, and sports and movement acted as the perfect energy release for me. I tried yoga a few times with my mom who practiced Ashtanga ever since I could remember. It made me more frustrated and angry. I just wanted to move and sweat, and the slow pace felt like torture. Read more>>

Natalie Spautz

Hi, I’m Natalie Spautz. I’m a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with specialization in financial therapy and couples therapy. I’m also an anti-oppressive financial coach for private practice professionals. I run two businesses in part because they are very different services, but also I wanted to create a community space for small business owners to work on their relationship to money as well as create sustainable, supportive financial systems in their practices. I use an anti-oppressive approach to financial coaching which means we look at systemic influences like capitalism, patriarchy and racism in how they shape our experiences as a small business owner and our overall financial socialization. Read more>>

Janene Ingram

I am a proud native Chicagoan from the far south side of the city. I started my business after a deeply traumatic experience. It was an inflection point in my life and my career in which I had to choose to stop listening to what society told me I was supposed to be doing because of my background and that I should continue to focus on my weaknesses in order to improve them. Honestly, mid-career, I know what I’m great at and the things that bring me joy. I decided to do that – my natural talents in being a strategic maximizer set me up for success when setting and working towards goals. I decided to do the same for others in my community who do not have the time or skill set that I have. Read more>>