At my core, I have always been drawn to what I think of as ‘the spaces between.’
Not the obvious destinations. Not the places everyone talks about. I have always been curious about the quieter spaces that seem to exist just beyond the known path, the ones you only discover if you are willing to wander a little.
I remember feeling this even as a child. I would build forts in the bushes. The ones with the juicy, succulent branches that I could break off and create tunnels in, and disappear into small hidden worlds that felt entirely my own. There was something magical about stepping out of sight, about entering a place not everyone noticed. I would take books and blankets and even little toys I stole from my brother. It was SECRET. Even then, I sensed that what was waiting in those in-between spaces might hold something meant just for me.
That instinct never left.
It followed me into adulthood and shaped the way I move through the world. I love to go to new places. When I travel alone down unfamiliar roads, walk through a quiet alley in a foreign city, or find myself somewhere I never imagined I would be, I recognize the same inner pull I felt as a child. A gentle but persistent curiosity that whispers, “There is more. Go see.”
I like to say “I’m fearless,” but I don’t think of this as bravery so much as orientation. It is simply the way I have learned to meet life. With excitement. With curiosity. With a willingness to lean toward what has not yet revealed itself.
Perhaps that is why, when the opportunity arose to audition for an art reality show, my first reaction was not hesitation but recognition. It felt less like stepping into a competition and more like turning down another unknown road. I felt like, “Oh, yeah, this is me. This is something I need to do.”
Of course, I hoped to do well. Every artist wants to feel like they are objectively good in a subjective world. But what drew me most strongly was the experience itself. The chance to enter unfamiliar territory and see what I might discover there.
Because if my life has taught me anything, it is this: Some of the most meaningful moments are not found in the places we plan to go, but in the spaces between. Where expectation loosens, curiosity leads, and we meet parts of ourselves we might not otherwise have known.
Painting comes from this same place within me. Each time I begin a new piece, I have the distinct feeling that there is an image waiting. One that has never existed before. One that only I can uncover. My task is simply to find it.
Saying yes to the show felt no different. I could not see exactly where it would lead, but something in me trusted the journey. And over the years, I have learned to trust that voice. It has led me to extraordinary places, both in the world and within myself. It continues to remind me that there is always more to discover for those willing to look.
So when this new adventure appeared, I followed the same instinct that has guided me since childhood.
I said yes to the space between.
Follow along for more in this series.