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.

Janeen Ettienne

My journey has been shaped by resilience, community, and the power of inclusive youth programs, all deeply influenced by my Trinidadian heritage. Growing up in Trinidad, I was surrounded by a strong sense of togetherness, creativity, and cultural expression. Whether through storytelling, music, Carnival, or the way people uplifted each other, I saw firsthand how culture can be a powerful tool for connection and empowerment. Read more>>

Rocky Walls

I got into filmmaking via a very winding road. I started out as a molecular biology major in college, though I left that to pursue full-time youth ministry, and ultimately became an entrepreneur. There’s a whole keynote presentation about how to focus on your purpose as you consider your career that I’ve given to middle and high school students many times, but the summary is that all along I had a passion for storytelling and just didn’t know it. That’s why I always tell people (especially students) to get out there and try as many things as you can. Until you test some things out, you’re not likely to discover your true calling. Read more>>

Jami Starling

I’ve been doing drag since the pandemic started in 2020. While some folks were learning how to make sourdough bread, I was learning how to do drag makeup! I made my first foray into producing and hosting with a Twitch drag show called “The Baby Shower” which was created for drag artists who were getting started in quarantine like me. Read more>>

Zulma Terrones

My journey to founding Life Stages has been shaped by a blend of personal experiences, professional work, and a deep curiosity about what truly supports lasting well-being.
I grew up in urban Chicago, where my understanding of nature included Lake Michigan, city parks, and the vast Midwest cornfields. After earning my undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago in 2012, I spent a few years working for local startups. During that time, however, I struggled with my own mental and behavioral health, questioning my place in the world and what I wanted out of my life. Read more>>

Theresa Swan

Seven years ago I went for a massage and before the session the practitioner offered me a vaginal (yoni) steam session. There was beautiful smelling aromatic herbs in the water, and the experience was deeply relaxing. But I did not know *why* I was steaming my yoni. Read more>>

Ruth Fleury

My journey started with a deep love for education and literacy. With 16 years of experience in the education field, I saw firsthand how representation and access to books could transform children’s lives. I wanted to create a space where aspiring authors, especially Black and Brown voices, could share their stories with the world. Read more>>

Mar Della Greca

I started completely from zero, with zero. I just put on the work and evolved rapidly. Read more>>

Alan Li

I started my career in corporate finance, working in investment banking at Goldman and private equity at Siris Capital. Although I learned a lot, I soon realized finance wasn’t for me—I wanted to do something different and build my own company. After business school, I joined a venture-backed startup that built health and wellness mobile apps. We built a solid product, but our business relied on venture funding. When capital dried up in the summer of 2022, we couldn’t secure our next round, and we ended up selling the business to a buyer in Singapore. That experience showed me I preferred not to depend on external funding. Read more>>

Dominique Treadwell

If you ask me how Spoonlight Ice Cream came to be, I’d say it all started with a love for the joy ice cream brings. There’s something magical about how a single scoop can light up someone’s face, how an ice cream truck rolling through the neighborhood could make kids (and adults like me, for that matter!) drop everything and run. That feeling—the nostalgia, the excitement, the pure delight—is what I wanted to capture with Spoonlight. My dad was my first introduction to artisan flavors with his obsession with coffee ice cream. I had a bite and I was hooked! I never wanted the same ol’ stuff ever again! As the privilege of being a military kid and traveling the world, I sought out anything that challenged my tastebuds, and looked to turn it into ice cream. Read more>>

Xavier Damo

I started back in 2018 while I was being deployed overseas. It was just a little montage recap video I was trying to create while performing my mission. When I came back, my friend took me to Beyond Wonderland 2020 and I saw all the after videos and photos which later sparked my interest to do more. I started messaging clubs, djs, friends just to get into the scene to even practice using my camera and getting creative with the work. Read more>>

ISZ

I always into music as a kid. When I got a little older my parents bought me a keyboard that I would play different melodies on. Eventually, when I got to high school I would make beats and put them on tape and rap to them. I made songs to my beats and would give them out to other students. Now, I’m more polished, looking to drop my second album. This should be interesting. Read more>>

Megan Gilmore

For as long as I can remember, I have been a student of life and death and cycles. I think, similar to many other people, I was curious about how life works, and I focused mostly on how a human life could be fully lived for quite sometime, a very “carpe diem” approach, if you will. And then, I noticed that maintaining that kind of pace is incredibly difficult and ultimately harmful to maintain. So, I shifted slightly from a life fully lived to living a life that was fully alive. I know that might sound like semantics, but it shifted so much for me. Read more>>

Morgan Bender

My photography journey began in 2009, when I first stepped into a darkroom in high school. From that moment, my passion for the craft snowballed. I was drawn to photography because it’s such a multi-dimensional art form. It blends physical elements with mechanical precision, and, for me, it’s a channel for creativity. What I love most is boosting my clients’ self-esteem and helping them see themselves through a different lens. After college, I explored corporate and retail management, but after having two children, I rediscovered my true love for photography—especially weddings. I truly believe that’s where I thrive. Read more>>

Roey Qiu

My journey in photography began with a deep fascination for visual storytelling. I have always been drawn to the way images capture emotions, identity, and unseen narratives. Over time, photography became my primary medium for expressing complex themes, particularly those centered around empowerment, individuality, and human connection. Read more>>

Alex Kolokolov

My journey into business intelligence began not as a business plan, but as a passion. I was working as a Team Lead in a major IT company, implementing enterprise analytics solutions from IBM and Microsoft. While competitors were focused on showcasing the technical power of their tools, I was more interested in how businesses could actually use dashboards to uncover insights. Read more>>

Evan Levitt

My story begins with a pivotal turning point—getting clean and sober in 1998. That decision reshaped my life, giving me the clarity and discipline to move forward with purpose.

In the early 2000s, I was living and working in New York City during 9/11—an experience that left an indelible mark on me. Witnessing the chaos, resilience, and sacrifice of that day deepened my understanding of preparedness, response, and the critical need for capable individuals in times of crisis. Read more>>

Dario Mohr

I began painting seriously in high school and started exhibiting during undergrad, with my first solo show taking place in 2008. I always had an interest in the occult and when I wasn’t painting portraits, I was exploring symbols and pictograms from different cultures and learning about how different cultures uniquely stumble on similar mystical truths. During this time I expanded my practice to encompass other disciplines to include assemblage and mixed media and by the time I went to gad school, I began working in sculpture, installation and experimenting with digital and video art. By the end of my MFA program at The City College of New York, I was making enveloping shrine installations. Read more>>

Elisabeth Caraballo

My first trip at the age of four was to Disney World in Orlando, Florida. I like to believe this is what started my love for travel. I remember growing up and going somewhere every year for summer or spring break. Mainly it was within the United States; except for one time we walked over to Mexico for a day trip while visiting family in Texas. Read more>>

Kiara

My journey started with a deep passion for understanding human behavior and helping others heal. As a Latina woman, I grew up witnessing how mental health was often overlooked in my community, and I knew I wanted to change that. I pursued my degree in mental health counseling and eventually became a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC). Read more>>

Hugo Brument

Born and raised in Paris, France, I came to the US when I was 22 to study dance and musical theatre. I was supposed to only stay for a year, but I ended up auditioning and getting contracts that made me stay longer.

I was lucky enough to create strong connections with artists in both LA and New York, which had me work in different settings. I worked on a lot of commercials, for example, for the brand Uniqlo, which, back in 2018, had a bunch of concepts for dance videos to promote their new ankle pants collections. Read more>>

Mariana Gómez

Before graduating from university, while presenting my thesis project, one of Colombia’s most prominent art collectors contacted me wanting to purchase my entire art project. Being so young and achieving such a significant sale without an established career as an artist was a tremendous accomplishment. This experience showed me that making a living from art was possible – I just had to try. Read more>>

Joshua Diliberto

I started making chainmaille after watching the movie “Braveheart” when I was 17 years old. I was so inspired by the chainmaille armor in that movie that I knew immediately this was what I wanted to do in life. I studied how to make chainmaille by looking in books at my local library. I built a jig in my parents garage to coil wire. Back then, I cut the rings with a jeweler’s hand saw. Now, I have very expensive machines that cut the rings for me. Along my chainmaille art journey, I had to quit three times; I wasn’t making enough money to live off of. I kept coming back to it; finally made enough money to support myself. Selling supplies and teaching materials has really helped me to be able to support myself. I am so thankful each day that I get to continue doing what I love. I don’t take it for granted and I work hard to keep the dream alive. Read more>>

Christopher Galiyas

I started back when social media wasn’t a thing, when everything wasn’t blasted out to the masses with the click of a button. I had to print out pictures from my camera roll and put together picture books to take to local hair salons, barber shops, and my mother’s bank(s) she worked at (she had a Christopher Mark Galiyas Gallery Wall behind her desk) & people would see my work this way.,,,,yep, ancient times, Read more>>

Narmin Kassam

I came to Canada in 1973 as a political refugee from Uganda, part of the mass expulsion of Asians under Idi Amin’s regime. Like many others, my family arrived in Vancouver with very little, having left behind a thriving business—a soda factory—and a life we had built. Thankfully, we spoke English, which helped us adapt, but assimilating into a new culture was still a challenge. Read more>>

Annalise DuSell

Wow! Where to start? My journey into the world of physical therapy started when I was fairly young. I grew up playing a lot of sports and played hard. I started going to physical therapy when I was about 8 years old after having a few ankle sprains and then I continued going on and off as maintenance to keep my shoulder health as I was a softball pitcher for many years. As I was going through therapy, I always thought it would be fun. Mostly because I wouldn’t have to sit at a desk all day and I didn’t have to be with the same people all day long. Read more>>

Richard Merrill

Starting my journey in the spa industry was driven by a passion for personal growth and meeting new people. 🌟 With an unwavering commitment to honesty and ethical conduct, I established Richard Merrill Consulting, LLC, with the goal of empowering spa professionals. Read more>>

Lumalia Armstrong

We hung all the bridesmaid dresses up on a clothesline, as if we were Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music, yet we were in New Mexico photographing a backyard wedding set against the Jemez mountains. Something in me then knew I loved the highs of events in breathtaking locations. I was a wedding photographer for years, and I thought that was what I loved. Little did I know then that what I loved was much bigger than just weddings. Read more>>

Amanda LaMendola

I’ve always resonated with the mythology of Lilith—a rebel, an advocate, a cycle breaker. I was never one to follow the script written for me. As a first-generation college graduate—and the first woman in my family to earn a degree—I’ve spent my life pushing against the roles I was expected to accept. A too-loud eldest daughter, a fierce advocate for women’s liberation, and a firm believer that defiance is a form of self-preservation. I’m proud of who I am today—and I fought like hell to get here. Read more>>

Sarah Amaro

Hello! I’m Sarah Amaro, a Dominican illustrator and writer based in New York City. I came from Santo Domingo to Parsons School of Design to obtain my Bachelors of Fine Arts, and now I illustrate books as a freelance. I’m work as a Design assistant at Lehman for the Arts & Humanities Dean, and on the afternoons, I am currently a fine arts teacher for children at Upper West Side. At Lehman, I will pursue a Master’s of Fine Arts. Read more>>

Latoya Smith

I started my editorial career as an administrative assistant to New York Times bestselling author, Teri Woods at Teri Woods Publishing while pursuing my Bachelor’s Degree at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. I graduated Cum Laude from Temple in August of 2005. Afterwards, I attained a full-time position at Kensington Publishing in March of 2006. In October 2006, I joined Grand Central Publishing, an imprint at Hachette Book Group. I worked there for eight years and during this time I acquired a variety of titles from hardcover fiction and non-fiction, to digital romance and erotica. Read more>>

Steven Felicetti

I have always enjoyed creating art. I have been drawing and painting as a hobby for almost my entire life. I love to create from my own ideas and I get great satisfaction when I create something for others. Through my art I can touch the soul.
While I was serving in the military, I did many sketches, drawings, and paintings. I did portraits for people, I designed Unit T-Shirts and Commemorative Unit Coins for different military organizations I became a part of. I designed tattoos for soldiers and friends. I was tasked to do paintings and murals on the walls of conference rooms and in other spaces we operated in. Read more>>

Tony Khawam

Khawam Gallery specializes in post-war, contemporary European, American, Latin American, and Middle Eastern art established in 2017 in West Palm Beach, Florida, and opened a new location in 2024 in East Hanover, New Jersey. In addition to original artworks, we offer limited editions, custom frames and we present the artwork of Kahlil Gibran. the famous Lebanese American poet, novelist and artist. The gallery is led by director Mirna Asmar and artist, curator Tony Khawam. Read more>>

Nicole Saavedra

My journey in the beauty industry began unexpectedly after a significant life change. Following the economic downturn in 2008, I lost my office job of over five years while also being pregnant. Despite numerous interviews, I struggled to find a new position. That period led my husband and me to discuss the possibility of me staying home with our young children, a dream I hadn’t anticipated given my longstanding work history. Read more>>

Jane Lee

From South Korea to New York City! Growing up, I was always surrounded by music. My parents and aunt took me to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra concert and I still remember the very concert we went to. It was a Halloween concert so all musicians on the stage were wearing costumes. I remember sitting in the audience, heart pounding, knowing that one day, I wanted to be the one on stage, illuminating the room with music. Read more>>

A.M. Harte

The beginning of any story can be difficult to pinpoint. As a writer, I’m used to considering the themes and emotions I want to highlight. Do I start in the middle of the action? Do I start with the prequel to the main events? So many circumstances, both big and small, shape a lifetime. I can pull out different threads to unravel various parts of the story, but all of them weave together to tell the tale of “me.” Read more>>

Wyatt Poindexter

I began my real estate career in 1996, but my path to where I am today was anything but immediate success. Before real estate, I worked for a medical company in Tulsa. Eventually, I decided to move back to Oklahoma City and joined my father, David Poindexter, in his real estate business. It was during this time that I learned the foundational skills and values that would shape my career. Read more>>

Halo Scot

I was born just past midnight under a new moon as an Aries, and I blame all three for my love of darkness and depravity.

If my life were a Hollywood training montage set to dubstep, it would look like the following:

• Infant born almost a month late, not breathing, because she has a toxic relationship with change.

• Baby who holds breath when angry (a theme apparently) till she almost passes out from a destructive ambition that manifests early. Read more>>

Cen Si

I am a fashion designer who specializes in apparel prints and graphics, and people sometimes call me a textile designer as well! What I really do is draw artwork, by hand or digitally, that is printed on garments, accessories, and sometimes even home items! Read more>>

Koku Gonza

Koku Gonza is a Tanzanian-American Afro-soul artist whose musical journey was inspired by her parents’ skills. She blends Afrobeat, R&B, and neo-soul, drawing comparisons to artists like Sade and Miriam Makeba. With roots in Tanzania and America, Koku is a D’Angelico-endorsed guitarist, singer, and songwriter. She has performed at major events like the 2019 Umbria Jazz Festival and the IATF Creative African Nexus in Cairo. Her 2024 single “Motto” is part of her upcoming album Young Maandazi, a collaboration with Ghanaian producer Nee Mantse. The project fuses highlife with Swahili and English lyrics, celebrating Tanzanian and Ghanaian cultures. Koku’s name, meaning “the one who loves,” reflects her deep passion for music. Read more>>

May Best

I was born and raised on Oahu, Hawaii. I was very lucky to grow up in such a beautiful and diverse place. My parents immigrated from Japan, and emphasized the importance of hard work and education since I was young. I went to a public elementary school, but later attended a private middle and high school. The wonderful education I received as a child, the connections I built with my dedicated teachers, and the support my parents provided, set me on a path to success. I got my undergraduate and graduate degrees at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, and committed to being an elementary school teacher. Looking back on my childhood and upbringing, I really appreciate the rich diversity and culture I was surrounded with. As an Asian American person and educator, it is important for me to help my students and own children feel seen and heard in their communities. Read more>>

Tanya Momi

My story begins with a young woman in her early twenties, full of dreams, stepping into a new life in San Francisco after marriage. I quickly became a mother of two, juggling the responsibilities of raising a family while building a business from the ground up. On the surface, I had everything—two beautiful children and a thriving career. But behind closed doors, my marriage was unraveling, pulling me into a storm of emotional, mental, and physical abuse. Every day felt like walking on eggshells, never knowing what would trigger the next explosion. I was isolated, silenced, and made to feel like I was nothing. I lost myself in that marriage, shrinking a little more each day until I barely recognized the woman in the mirror. Read more>>

Sophia Phoenix

Asking me how I got started feels like asking how I got brown hair, or brown eyes, or beauty mark. It was just always there, I am today who I was then; a girl compelled to create and live a life worth writing about. Read more>>

Fanny Nordmark

I am a design director at the company Hugo & Marie in Brooklyn, New York. I am originally from Sweden where I attended Hyper Island, before landing an internship at Hugo & Marie 14 years ago, and the rest is history! I have always been interested in design and problem solving, so a path in web design felt natural to me. I gravitate towards web design that is more visually driven in combination with being a seamless user experience and that is what I found in working at Hugo & Marie, where I now oversee our design team. Read more>>

Alicia Ethridge

I am a mixed-media collage artist and oil painter based in York, Maine. Originally from Northern New Jersey, I grew up in an artistic family, cultivating a deep connection to the creative process. Since relocating to Maine in 2008, I have honed a contemplative art practice that is not only central to my work but also to my spiritual journey. Read more>>

Walyaira Irizarry

My story in music began at a very young age. I studied music all my life and life took me in directions that shaped who I am today. I am a Puerto Rican born and raised in the city of Ponce who immigrated to the United States looking for a better quality of life, leaving music behind. But music never left me. I ended up in Nashville studying Entertainment Business and Audio Engineer/Producer. I have done so many things in my career but the most important of all is my latest project, my new album Nomada. Read more>>

Xiyao Wang

My journey into architecture and design has been shaped by a deep fascination with how people interact with space. Growing up in China, I was drawn to the urban environment and how cities evolve over time. This led me to pursue architecture at Tsinghua University, followed by a master’s degree at Harvard GSD, where I refined my design philosophy. Read more>>

Eleni Duffy

Absolutely! My journey started in an unexpected way. Before launching Pottery by Eleni, I worked as a costume designer in the film industry for 14 years. However, when the pandemic hit in 2020, production shut down, and around the same time, I suffered an immobilizing injury. Pottery became my creative outlet and source of healing. Read more>>

Amanda Hudes

I am a woman who has combined a multitude of passions into a passion-project called life.
Everything I do has a purpose.
When I worked in the fashion world (I’m a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology), my goal was to help create a world in which women felt beautiful in their skin and got excited when they went to put an outfit on because, whether it was the colors, pattern, texture or shape, it made their smile bigger and their heart full. Read more>>

Ahmad Fielder

It all started in my adolescence when I was around many different sounds, such as the 70s/80s Funk, Prince, Marvin Gaye, Earth, Wind, and Fire, and 90s Hip Hop. Being exposed to a plethora of music helped me expand my horizons and allowed me to be curious about other sounds as well. With creating music, I was 17 during the summer break of 2011. I’ve always loved music and studying/discovering different genres. But my intuition kept giving me the idea of creating it independently. And that summer day, I dared to make my first beat on Fruity Loops. This courage gave me the ignition to make concept albums and collaborate with other artists as well. Read more>>

Krista Landis

I’ve always dreamed of traveling the world, exploring the natural wonders around the planet, observing unique architecture and discovering the hidden gems each location has to offer. As a young girl I would daydream about visiting far off lands, wandering through fairytalesque locations and spending lazy afternoons in dreamy destinations. Growing up I was given multiple opportunities to travel and experience life outside of my small town. Multiple European countries, Mexico and several provinces in Canada were some of the first destinations I visited outside of the US; each provided unique adventures and insights to other parts of the world that captivated me, captured my attention and stole pieces of my heart. Read more>>

Stells Di Rossi Hurst

Since childhood, I have been blessed with a natural inclination towards creative expression. I have always been fascinated by expressing myself creatively, engaging in activities such as dancing, crafting, and tinkering with art and musical instruments. This creative expression has been my way of metaphorically connecting with the world that I haven’t always felt apart of for several reasons and societal inequalities. Read more>>

Brittany K. Lewis

I’m a Jersey girl born to create. Growing up surrounded by hairstylists, seamstresses, and fashionistas, I naturally picked up hair styling, doing braids for classmates by middle school and running a small hair business in high school. Around the same time, I stumbled into modeling, drawn in by school fashion shows and connections with industry pros. Read more>>

Marita Karpetta

I am a professional actress and content creator living in an island called Cyprus. I am a graduate of Acting Coach Scotland holding a Professional Diploma on Stage and Screen Acting. Moreover I have over 2 years of experience as a Video Specialist / Actress in one of the largest online media companies worldwide – Thesoul Publishing, where I was a part of the development of multi million views Youtube channels called La La Life and La La Life Games. Read more>>

Camille Zenobia

My journey into oral health has been anything but conventional. I started as a hairdresser first, working with Aveda as a ‘Purefessional’ where I cut my teeth on product science. I became enamored with how products can hinder or help us and chose to move into science where I developed a deep foundation in academic and industry R&D, earning my PhD in microbiology and have been working across clinical, medical affairs, and product development roles in both pharmaceutical and personal care sectors. My experience spans cosmetics, skin, hair, and oral health, with a strong focus on translating research into real-world solutions. Read more>>

Nina Feliciano

Music is a passion that my parents passed down to me. My mom, especially, wanted music to be a part of my life, so she started taking me to parent-child music lessons when I was about two years old. From then on, I started my musical journey as a performer. I’ve had multiple concerts as a solo pianist, a singer, a drummer, and a percussionist. However, when I was applying to colleges, I knew I didn’t want to become a professional performer. Music theory was something that always fascinated me. In my high school a cappella group, I found out that I really liked arranging music. I continued to arrange music at George Washington University and realized that I didn’t have to write the music exactly as I heard it. I could take creative liberties with it while also maintaining the essence of the piece. Read more>>

Arsen Dimitriou

I started my journey in Cyprus, where my early years were dedicated to playing football. I poured my energy into the sport, which eventually earned me a scholarship to study in the USA. Moving to the States was a pivotal moment in my life. While balancing soccer and my studies in International Business Management, I started working various jobs to support myself and began exploring opportunities outside of football. Read more>>

Andrea Corsini

I had a 6 years art break, burnout is another way to call it. I gave up my pencils and tried to focus on finding a job that helped me survive. It was a long period without art and it made me suffer a lot even if it never really left my life completely as I began to take pictures and experiment with my clothes. One way or another I had the impulse to create something. Read more>>

Andrew Moore

I began playing piano when I was 8 years old. I was forced to take lessons for 2 years. I am glad that I was now that I look back. I played on stage at church growing up through my teenage years. Then I drifted away from playing. I began strip mining coal for 7 years in Kentucky and West Virginia. I then moved to Florida and got married to my wife Tara. I became a commercial diver, welding underwater and could tell you a million stories on that alone. After a couple of years in that industry I moved north to the Adirondack Mountains where my family had an 1891 built Inn. We rebuilt a speakeasy in the basement that had existed long ago. Read more>>

Bianca Smith

I started my entrepreneurial journey in 2016 when I had to PCS (move) again and leave my job in banking which I loved. As a military spouse I had to move often and leave jobs that I loved or not work at all.

My initial journey into entrepreneurship with an Etsy shop and craft fairs allowed me to hone my skills in product development, customer service, and basic marketing. Then, leveraging my MBA in Accounting, I transitioned to providing bookkeeping services for e-commerce businesses, which deepened my understanding of financial management and the unique challenges faced by online entrepreneurs. I then transitioned into becoming a virtual assistant and social media manager, and then a VA coach. Read more>>

Chris McCoy

I started piano lessons at age 6. Although I was able to learn to read music, I played mostly be ear. This was a gift I inherited from my grandmother. She was an accomplished musician, playing organ and directing the church choir in her small town in Iowa. She also played in the silent movie houses back when that was still happening. Read more>>

E.G. Seven

I began my writing journey in middle school. We were asked to write a short story and I soon discovered that I enjoyed writing. The following year we were asked to write poems. I wrote a poem and was approached by the teacher about allowing my poem to be an example for future classes. I knew there was something there. So, I began reading more. I read fiction of course but also read the dictionary. Choosing random letters and learning new words. Read more>>

Frances Ledgewood

Ledgewood Fine Stationery didn’t start in a boardroom or with a grand business plan—it started with a love for beautiful paper, a passion for meaningful celebrations, and a little nudge from a dear friend.

My journey with stationery began long before Ledgewood had a name. In high school, I worked at a local party shop in my hometown of Florence, Alabama. The store sold wedding invitations out of albums, and I found myself drawn to the artistry, the elegance, and the significance of those carefully chosen words on paper. I loved watching brides flip through the pages, dreaming about their perfect wedding day. Read more>>

R.A. Ellis

confidence and I felt I lacked knowledge. Juggling life as a single mother was still relatively new, combined with my disabilities and my children’s disabilities, made me believe it was a farfetched dream. I decided there was no harm in learning. Building my skills and knowledge base, and learning to accept feedback and criticism, took about a decade. I needed to learn the art of accepting rejections. It wasn’t until my mid-30s that I felt ready enough to try. I planned to start by submitting short stories to different publishers as I worked on my longer projects, so I did. Read more>>

Mindy Hamilton

In 2022, my journey with BONDED began when I was introduced to its founders, Christee and Rachel. With a background in event planning and social media marketing—and a deep-rooted passion for jewelry—this opportunity felt like the perfect fit. Jewelry had always been close to my heart, dating back to my very first “big girl” job in the industry. When the chance arose to combine my expertise in creating memorable experiences with a business that resonated with me on a personal level, I knew I had to take the leap. Read more>>

Michelle

I graduated with a Master of Education, majoring in English, from the University of San Agustin in Iloilo City, Philippines. I was once a college professor, teaching subjects like literature, speech and oral communication, creative writing, drama, and theatre arts at Colegio San Agustin – Bacolod and Riverside College. I also had the privilege of being an English teacher at St. Mary Mazzarello School and VICMICO in Victorias City before I ventured into book publishing. Read more>>

Josh Vogel

I started doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 2003 after seeing VHS copy of UFC 2 and being amazed by seeing how someone of Royce Gracie’s body type was able to beat people who had a much more traditional “tough guy fighter” look. Read more>>

Kat Irwin

I’ve always loved being creative. I grew up building things from bits of wood or drawing alone in my bedroom. I followed this passion through my teenage years and eventually studied Product Design in Milan. After graduating I moved to London to pursue a career in Furniture design. I applied for many jobs – and got rejected from them all. I thought I’d be working in a pub until I die… until I met a nudist in a cafe. Read more>>

Joe T. Johnson

My name is Joe T. Johnson, and I’m a London-based indie rock artist with a ‘new wave’ twist. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of performing at some of London’s most iconic venues, including Old Blue Last, Jaguar Shoes, and 93 Feet East, where my band and I have headlined sold-out shows. My music has also been featured on BBC London, with BBC Introducing naming one of my tracks as ‘Track of the Week.’ My debut EP went on to achieve nationwide success through Rough Trade Records, solidifying my connection to London’s thriving indie scene. Read more>>

Ramona Lee Soo-Jun

I’ve been a storyteller for as long as I can remember – long before I even knew how to write. I have cassette tapes from when I was little, where I’m retelling cartoons and fairy tales. I loved adding my own spin to the stories, with new episodes and events. When I was about 2 or 3 years old, I thought I was lying, because I didn’t quite understand that you could create stories. If it didn’t really happen, then in my mind, it must be a lie. So, in a way, I’ve been lying my whole life; just now it’s in longer, more polished written form. Read more>>

Drew Samuelsen

I’ve loved stories for as long as I can remember. From early on I’ve always had great respect for anyone who can tell a good story, set up a joke, or write it all down in one massive book. To me the story tellers have always been the artists with real, lasting magic. Read more>>

Nikki Grebel

I built a successful salon with 12 stylists from a place of wanting to create what I never had – a safe, supportive space where people could thrive. Coming from a chaotic childhood and complex family dynamic with a mom with Dissociative Identity Disorder and a partially paralyzed dad, I learned early that I had to work hard to create my own destiny. Read more>>