We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ariel. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ariel below.

Alright, Ariel thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

This is a personal story, but it resonated for me about how I take risks in general, and how I learned to take more. A few years ago I was at a beach with my family at the tip of the west coast of North America. It was a very nice resort. We were in a condo that was at the top of the building. I went back to the room to change clothing. I went out on the porch while my family was down playing at the pool, very far away. The condo had it built for security so that the doors locked if you go out on the portch, even that high up. I was locked out. It was a hot day and I didn’t have my phone, it was inside. I tried calling down for someone to hear me, but no one could. I thought about what to do. Do I wait for what could be several hours in the heat and try to meditate and rest until my family returned? After about a half an hour I decided to take a risk. I was going to jump off the room of the building and down onto the sideway and open window below. When I gazed over the side of the balcony, I could tell that if I draped my body over it and hung down I would only have to fall about 1-2 feet. I could injure myself, or the roof that was below a bit, but it would likely not be too bad. It was calculated risk. I didn’t just leap off foolishly, but I did know that there could be some potentially negative consequences for the choices. he upside of being free and not wasting my precious time with my family outweighed the risks. I did it, and I did scrape up my knee and elbow a bit. There was a lot of adrenaline involved. In the end, we laughed about it. Being an entrepreneur, and especially a sensitive disruptor, feels a lot like this to me. I’m willing to take risks, but I also put a lot of thought and care into it.

Ariel, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m Ariel Grace — mama first, and a lifelong creative soul.

I’m a multi passionate entrepreneur, currently with a game for ocean conservation and helping moms build thriving online businesses without losing their spark or soul. Beyond that, I’m a creative director in tech, award-winning photographer, intuitive coach, and multi-published author.

My work includes *Kora Kelly and the Life Keeper*, a hand-illustrated children’s graphic novel supporting ocean conservation, plus two volumes of poetry and art (*RESHAPE Vol 1 & 2*), and contributions to books like *The Creativity Workbook for Coaches and Creatives*. My macro floral and women’s portrait photography has been shown internationally and won awards.

I’m deeply passionate about helping regenerate the ocean and restore nature — weaving this love into my art and storytelling to inspire collective care for our planet.

As host of the **Creatively Free Podcast** (a Feedspot Top 40 Creativity Podcast), I guide creatives to reclaim freedom and deepen their expression.

What sets me apart? I bridge soulful art, strategy, and environmental care — helping others create beautiful, impactful work while honoring the earth. I want people to know you can nurture your inner artist *and* help heal the world at the same time.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My mission is to help people come home to their truest creative essence — to remember that we can live, create, and build businesses in a way that feels deeply soulful and free.

At the heart of it, I’m driven by a longing to restore connection: to ourselves, to each other, and to the earth, especially our oceans. Through my art, writing, coaching, and tech work, I want to inspire a world where creativity isn’t just a side hobby but a force for healing and regeneration, both personally and collectively.

My hope is that my work helps others feel braver, softer, and more alive — and reminds them they can create a life and impact as beautiful and wild as the ocean herself.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

A big moment of resilience for me was when I created *Kora Kelly and the Life Keeper* with my daughters. It came after a tough chapter — navigating single motherhood, rebuilding my creative career, and healing old wounds all at once.

Instead of letting that overwhelm swallow me, I chose to turn it into art and connection. We painted, wrote, and dreamed together, pouring all that messy, tender energy into a story meant to help protect the ocean.

That project reminded me that resilience isn’t always about pushing through; sometimes, it’s about softening, creating, and letting your heart lead you back to life.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.creativelyfreestudios.com
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/arielgracefull
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arielgracefully
• Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/arielsnapp
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@creativelyfree