I was an artist, but I didn’t know it.

I grew up in a typical suburban neighborhood in the Midwest.

I either wasn’t told (or didn’t hear people tell me) that I could create art for a living. Among my peers, athleticism and intellect were valued.

So I conformed. I played the sports, and got good grades, and then went to college like I was supposed to.

I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I knew I didn’t belong. Something was off.

I had an alter ego who sought answers at night, writing poetry and songs to soothe my angsty soul.

And then at 20 years old, I had my first taste of magic.

I met someone who could add music to my poetry. In a whirlwind, we wrote songs and recorded an album. I printed 1000 copies of the CD and sold 5 at a family reunion…and then the story was over. I graduated from college and got a job in finance. The CD’s lived in my parents’ garage and later the dumpster.

Three years later, still working in small corporate America, my soul was dying.

I could not shake the memory of the magic I felt when creating music, and it called to me. I struggled to choose between financial security and misery or instability and freedom.

And I chose freedom. There was no turning back. I quit my job in finance and started a rocky journey as a full-time musician. I wrote songs, released records, and toured the country. I joined bands as a keyboard player, traveled internationally, played on late night television and made a tiny bit of money.

Meanwhile, I started another company with my best friends: Good Arts Collective.

An organization that welcomed artists of all backgrounds into a shared space where creativity and community abounded. However, I noticed a cyclical nature to the memberships. Many would join, full of excitement and burgeoning ideas, and then just as quickly, they’d taper off and leave. We had all the resources they could need, but something stopped them from making their art come alive.

So what was standing in their way?

Self-limiting beliefs, a lack of time, or money.

These artists lost steam as the demands of life overtook their motivation to create. Obstacles began to creep in like ivy and cover up their joy and dreams and potential. In the shadows, they could no longer thrive.

They had lost their wellbeing. I wanted to help them find it, but I didn’t know how…yet.

I then unexpectedly entered into my own season of shadows. A devastating breakup and a sudden move sent me reeling. I rapidly lost my stability and sense of self.

But then I met someone who helped me change everything.

Anne, my Wellness coach. Each session, she handed me back a piece of myself - a tool I could use to build another step up and out of the pit I’d fallen into and toward what I wanted. This was coaching. And it was brilliant.

Coaching is the missing piece that can help artists achieve wellbeing. With a full cup, you can pour forth an endless well of creativity.

And here is what I fully believe: You can absolutely thrive.

You can build the life you want. You can take care of more than just your basic needs. You can support your body. You can have healthy relationships.

You can have it all if someone would just hand you the pieces of yourself, one at a time, and help you build the ladder up and out of the pit and into the clouds.

And that is what I am here to do for you.