My Story

Art has always been more than just a hobby for me—it’s my therapy, my escape, and my passion. Whether I was capturing the best moments of my life or using it to express and release my deepest emotions, art has always been there to ground me. I’ve been drawing since I was old enough to hold a pencil, starting with cartoons before transitioning to movies, video games, and books.

Growing up, I experienced two very different worlds. My parents divorced when I was a baby, and I split my time between my mother in the city of Chicago and my father in the suburbs. My dad, an over-the-road truck driver, wasn’t home often, but when he was, he made sure our time together was meaningful. He introduced me to movies, rewarded my achievements with action figures, video games, and LEGO sets, and unknowingly sparked my artistic drive. I wanted to remember every scene of the movies we watched together, so I would fill notebooks with drawings of each moment I could recall. I still vividly remember redrawing the entire first Iron Man movie and the entire Spider-Man 3 video game, scene by scene, from memory.

As I got older, my art evolved with me. I branched out into anime characters, animals, creatures, and even early attempts at realism. But high school brought a major shift in my life. My mother, seeking to escape a toxic relationship, relocated us frequently. Her struggles with addiction led to instability, and by junior year, I had attended four different high schools. Each year, things became more difficult—furniture disappeared, then clothing, and eventually, my mother herself. I found myself in a basement apartment with no bed, no television, and no internet, caring for my six-year-old sister and my disabled grandmother.

It was during this time that I truly reconnected with art. With nothing but music and my sketchbook, I drew constantly—day and night. I poured everything I had into improving my anatomy, coloring, and realism. Art became my anchor, helping me navigate one of the darkest times in my life. Eventually, I was able to leave that environment and move in with my father. Now, I have a more stable life, yet art still calls to me as strongly as ever. Even with all the distractions of daily life, my passion for creating remains unwavering. Art isn’t just something I do—it’s an essential part of who I am. So Maybe in a way my story is Enchanted. Or maybe my story simply Enchants my craft, my Artwork.