I have been an artist for as long as I can remember. Drawing every chance I could get. Taking all the art classes my school had to offer. I lived for creativity. I still can remember my grandma laughing at me and telling me how foolish it was to go to college for art. She told me that work is called “work” for a reason and we aren’t supposed to enjoy it. As I got older I understood her cautious attitude as she was part of a generation that was forced to break through the glass ceiling holding women back in the workplace. But, what we all came to know as time went on, was that we were moving into a digital world. So when I earned my degree in Art and Commercial Design, I was in fact setting myself up for success.

I immediately began working in corporate America as a designer. Although the creative in me hated this idea, the creative in me was the very reason I needed to experience this workforce. As a creative we can tend to lack organization skills, time management, attention to detail, and pretty much any other analytical skill that can be useful in life. If you are nodding your head, then you are my people. We love living in a purple world, and we resist the idea of anyone telling us differently, demanding they don’t stifle our creativity. But, life taught me so much in the four walls of that cubicle. All of those analytical skills I protested against were the very skills that would help me later in life.

As months turned into years, I continued to find myself restless in this refined lifestyle. I continued to pursue areas of creativity. This led to countless art shows, selling my first painting, event planning, and a network of friends who became like family. But I was still longing for something. The creative in me was being fulfilled but I wanted more, I wanted life with a purpose.

I took my first international mission trip in 2007 to Mexico, then in 2010 to Africa, then in 2011 to Haiti. And that was it. I was hooked. I left my corporate job with their full support, put all my stuff in an alley, sold my car, and moved full time to Port-au-Prince Haiti.

Something I learned quickly, traveling to a country is one thing, living there is another thing. My naiveness was assaulted with unrelenting heat, lack of running water, no electricity, and standing out no matter how hard I tried to fit in. This was hard, really hard. But it gave me a heart of empathy and forced me to discover myself on a deeper level. I taught myself to speak Creole and painted my way through the pain of homesickness. As time went on I realized that so much of what we were doing to “help” Haiti really wasnt helping at all. Things seemed ok for a while, but once international funding was gone people were left to once again fend for themselves.

I was introduced to the idea of social entrepreneurship and using business as a hand up and not a hand out. I was able to find what I had been looking for all those years. A way to blend my creativity with impact. I started as a graphic designer for Papillon Marketplace and quickly moved up into management and leadership helping to run a company of over 250 people. I spent 7 years in this position and loved it.

I was able to use those corporate skills I tried so hard to run from. I was able to use my creativity that always lived inside of me. And I was able to find my purpose. I still wanted to do more so I gained my degree in Community Advocacy and Social Policy through the School of Social Work at Arizona State University.

I now share this knowledge with others as a social business consultant and recently joined forces with those of similar backgrounds to create HARK Creative Council. We offer creative solutions for global justice seekers through strategic marketing and communications.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal is to share my knowledge and experience with others so they can learn from me and not have to make the same mistakes. When we are working in areas of social justice we are working with vulnerable populations, therefore it is especially important that we know what we are doing before we start doing it. Many times we want to jump in and start working or helping but we end up causing a lot of hardship and having to backtrack. Businesses with the purpose of social justice are now all over the world and together, we can join forces to impact even more people.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being creative in your experience?

It sounds corny but the most rewarding part of being creative is being able to give back. When I first moved to Haiti I was teaching art classes to children who had never even held a paintbrush. To watch their faces as the mixed paints, put them to the paper, and create something new is still one of my favorite memories.