Standing still at top of the Grand Canyon, we took in not only the view, but the long task ahead of us. Huge canyon walls along both sides and a faint trail that disappears into the horizon. Mile 0, at 4:30 am, Isaac and I were about to start on our first backpacking trip together, and all I could think about was if I brought enough snacks with me.

Fire, gas, glass, electrodes, mercury, and more. I’m used to juggling between my mouse, paintbrush, and pencil at most; but this was a whole new playing field for me.

Just as soon as the idea of teaching came up, that all so familiar “imposter syndrome” feeling also joined in on the fun. But how’s that saying go again? Oh yeah, it was from Susan Jeffers’ book, “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway.” And so I did, with 3 sold out workshops that year.

Since then, I’ve been invited to work on many more in-store events with them. I'm grateful for the opportunity to work with companies that are dedicated to making communities better.

I’m a big believer in the growth mindset. It’s the idea that our talents are not fixed traits, and can be developed over time through hard work, discipline, and experience.