Growing up in Detroit was far from a storybook wonderland but it was my home, my reality. Detroit made me scrappy, resourceful, and determined to seek out joy wherever I could find it. My creativity was born out of making do with what we had, and it still serves me to this day. The city had its flaws,
no doubt, but it made me who I am. And for that, I wouldn't change a thing about growing up in the Motor City.

While sirens wailed and tires screeched outside, I escaped into worlds of my own making. As the only girl with four brothers, I often slipped away to a quiet corner with my pencils and notebook. I'd draw for hours, bringing to life the fairies, monsters, and magic lamps that filled my imagination. Music was my other refuge, thanks to Motown being just a block over. I'd belt out a Diana Ross song and dance like James Brown until I was dizzy, the soulful melodies transporting me to a place of pure joy.

After experiencing many super cool adventures and gearing up for the next one, I was stopped in my tracks and blind-sided with breast cancer. "Bam!" The diagnosis hit me like a ton of bricks. Little did I know that those two words would change my life forever. Fear, anger, sadness - my emotions were all over the place. My poor husband, so patient and caring through it all. The doctors and nurses, angels in scrubs who comforted me during the long days and sleepless nights.
And yet, strangely, what ticked me off the most was having my routine disrupted. How could I be upset about something so trivial when cancer was in
my body? Not to mention the time they almost lost me.

But then the fog lifted. After staring mortality in the face, my priorities crystalized. Life's simple pleasures shone brighter than ever before and I saw time itself as a gift to be treasured, not wasted. My perspective shifted. Life became Technicolor, each moment and the darkness of my cancer brought light - the light of gratitude, connection, presence. I emerged, transformed.

One Christmas, I was stunned when I unwrapped a gift from my husband. A top-of-the-line digital camera that was way out of my league! My husband grinned excitedly, but I just stared at it blankly, intimidated by all those buttons and the thick instruction booklet. This high-tech gadget gathered dust on my shelf for a year before I finally worked up the courage to crack open the box.

It was perfect timing really. I had just taken a buyout from my soul-crushing corporate job. No more fluorescent lighting and monotone meetings for me! As I turned the camera over in my hands, I realized this was my chance to reinvent myself. The broken bits and pieces of my life got reimagined and rebuilt into something special. Cancer was my ugly duckling that forced me to grow. It shook up my priorities and showed me what really mattered. My mess became my masterpiece.

As I started getting the hang of using my camera, my photos began telling stories, conveying emotions and that's when it clicked - Me and my camera, capturing stories through art. I wanted to create art with my photos! My life did a complete 180. Talk about a magical transformation!

From the ashes of that experience, a new passion sparked within me. Like an old piece of junk upcycled into a trendy work of art, I found my calling: finding forgotten relics and breathing new life into them through my art. A splash of paint here, a prop there. My creative juices start flowing as I invent quirky scenes and whimsical narratives around my latest prize. I let my imagination run wild, dreaming up how to highlight the beauty of this discarded treasure.

What once held me back propelled me forward on an incredible journey of growth and self-discovery. The old me wouldn't recognize the new me now. It just goes to show you never know what you're capable of until you're tested. I found strength I didn't know I had and created beauty from the ashes. If I can do it, you can too.

But my art is about more than that. I want to spark that feeling in you, too. Discover the extraordinary in the ordinary. Like a caterpillar morphing into a butterfly. It reminds us that even when life feels dark or difficult, beauty and joy can eventually emerge if we have faith. The caterpillar doesn't give up, knowing instinctively that it is destined for something greater. Anything is possible if you believe in yourself.