We recently connected with Canessa Thomas and have shared our conversation below.

Canessa, appreciate you joining us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

Growing up, there are two things my parents got especially right that have benefited me deeply in both life and business: they didn’t allow us to quit simply because something became uncomfortable or difficult, and they made sure we experienced places beyond our hometown and state.

If I signed up for a class or committed to an activity, quitting wasn’t an option just because it wasn’t what I expected or because it turned out to be harder than I imagined. If something was difficult, the answer wasn’t to walk away. It was to study more, work harder, ask for help, or learn from someone who excelled in that area. If I committed to a season or a semester, I had to finish it.

At the time, I probably didn’t always appreciate it, but I’m grateful for it now.
That lesson gave me something incredibly valuable: evidence that I can do hard things. It taught me not to run from discomfort or abandon something the moment it becomes challenging. Whether in life, business, or my creative practice, I’ve carried that with me. I don’t give up easily, and I trust myself to stay with difficult lessons long enough to grow from them.

The second thing was travel. My parents took us on trips outside of our city and state, and I think that expanded something inside of me. Seeing new places made the world feel bigger and possibility feel more real. It showed me that life wasn’t limited to what I could immediately see around me.

Those experiences created room inside of me for more…for bigger dreams, more openness, and more imagination about what my life could look like. They helped shape the way I move through the world now. I approach new places, new people, and new opportunities with curiosity instead of fear.

Looking back, I think my parents gave me two gifts: perseverance and perspective. Both continue to influence not only how I live, but also how I create.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a self-taught, intuitive visual artist and the creator behind PhloArt, specializing in digital art, mixed media, and collage work.

My creative process is deeply intuitive. Rather than beginning with a rigid plan or trying to force an outcome, I allow inner guidance to lead the process and let each piece unfold organically. Sometimes a work begins with a feeling, a memory, a question, a single color, or a fragment of an idea. I follow it until it becomes something fuller than what I originally imagined.

My work is rooted in healing, connection, release, and self-discovery. Symbolism plays a large role in what I create, and one of my favorite things is seeing how different people find pieces of themselves reflected in the same work. The people who connect with my art often feel less like an audience and more like community.

PhloArt began during a break from my career in healthcare reimbursement. I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at 19, and during my own healing journey, art became an important way for me to process, reconnect with myself, and create space for expression and restoration. Creating wasn’t about perfection or technique. It became a way of listening inward and making meaning from my experiences.

As I started sharing my work online, I noticed people responding in ways I didn’t expect. Conversations started. Connections formed. People found pieces meaningful in ways that mirrored what creating them had meant to me. That’s when I realized this wasn’t just something I loved, it was something worth honoring as a real business and creative practice.

One thing that sets me apart is that I don’t confine myself to a single style. I allow curiosity and exploration to guide my work. I’m proud of that versatility and of giving myself permission to evolve rather than becoming attached to one visual identity.

What I’m most proud of isn’t a particular accomplishment. It’s that I kept creating and trusted what was unfolding enough to share it. I hope people experience my work as an invitation: to feel, to reflect, to reconnect with themselves, and to remember that there is beauty and meaning in places we sometimes overlook.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My creative journey is driven by healing and connection.

At its core, I create because I believe art can help us return to ourselves. My work is rooted in the idea that creativity can become a space for reflection, release, self-discovery, and remembering parts of ourselves we may have lost, hidden, or forgotten along the way.

While creating is deeply personal for me, my work isn’t meant to stop with me. I hope what I create contributes in some small way to something larger. I hope it offers comfort, recognition, curiosity, or connection to those who encounter it.

My spiritual journey is deeply intertwined with my creative practice. For me, both feel like a walk home. A return to myself through unlearning, learning, listening, and becoming. Art has become one of the ways I process that journey and give shape to things that are sometimes difficult to express in words.

If we truly are walking each other home, then I hope my work can serve as a small ripple that reminds people to trust themselves, stay curious, feel deeply, and reconnect with what is true for them.

That’s the mission I keep returning to: to create work that heals, connects, and leaves people feeling a little more seen and a little more connected to themselves.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I built my audience on social media by focusing less on growing an audience and more on cultivating genuine connection.

From the beginning, I approached social media as a place to build relationships rather than simply broadcast my work. I share resources, support fellow creatives, and engage intentionally with the work and stories of others. I don’t post and disappear. I reply to comments, interact with people, and make time for connection because I recognize that attention is one of the most valuable things someone can offer. When someone chooses to engage with my work, I don’t take that for granted.

I also believe in being what you wish to receive. If you want support, support others. If you want community, contribute to community. People can usually feel when engagement is transactional versus when it’s genuine, and I think authenticity creates relationships that last far longer than chasing numbers.

That doesn’t mean giving with expectation. It means participating because you genuinely care.

For anyone just starting to build a social media presence, my advice would be: be yourself and give yourself time. Growth rarely happens overnight, and meaningful connection can’t be rushed. Don’t be discouraged by slow seasons or compare your beginning to someone else’s middle.

Be brave enough to connect. Show up with generosity, share what matters to you, and trust that what you put into the world has a way of returning. It just may not always be in the way or timeline you expect.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://phloart.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phlo.bella/