Through the work we do we are incredibly fortunate to find and learn about so many incredible local artists, creatives and entrepreneurs. Their stories, the lessons that they’ve learned and the legacies they are building inspire us beyond words. Below, we have highlighted a few of those amazing folks and we hope you’ll check out their stories and their responses to some of the fundamental questions the help form the foundation of our lives and careers.
Kaitlyn McManus
PATIENCE. When I’ve struggled the most, whether it be with technique, learning to market myself, the ebbs and flows of busy season/slow season, everything always works out. You just have to keep practicing and have patience. Read more>>
Tara Bierbrauer
Suffering, in all its forms, has taught me lessons that success never could. The first is how grief and trauma changed the way I move through life—especially in how I love the people I care about. I love recklessly, openly, without games, and without pretense. I don’t do nonchalant. Read more>>
David Feinberg
Unexpected Significance is the antidote to unrecognized conditioning and the key to originality. If you ask artists today if they are original, personal, and independent, the overwhelming majority of them would answer, yes, very much so. They wouldn’t weigh the consequences of conditioning on their response. Read more>>
Sarah Swenson
Time disappears any time I’ve got my camera in my hand. I can’t always find the just right words to describe the world around me in the beautiful way poets can. Being able to share the way I see things through photographs is what feels like me. Read more>>
Jennifer Marie
I’m releasing the version of myself that felt guilty for wanting more — more creativity, more fulfillment, more space to dream. That guilt kept me small for a long time, even though it came from a place of love and responsibility. That part of me did its job, but it no longer gets to lead. I’m choosing to move forward with permission instead of apology. Read more>>
Melissa Poley
Truthfully, God saw me before I could see myself. God creates all of us in love. You can think of it like we are all snowflakes! Every single snowflake is unique and different, and just like snowflakes, each of us have special gifts to share. When we are children, we are curious, joyous, playful, gifted, and full of love. Read more>>
LAURA VELASQUEZ
I believe my dad, my grandmothers, and one of my aunts were the ones who recognized my passion for photography before I did. Each of them, in their own way, influenced my choice of profession. Since I was a child, one of the activities I enjoyed the most with my grandmothers was looking through family photo albums. Read more>>
Amber Bisek
You have to be a natural artist, you do NOT! The stencil does the bulk of the work for you! You can make the project look amazing if you keep an open mind and aren’t so hard on yourself. Read more>>
Sharon Smith-Akinsanaya
I think a lot of people are struggling with not knowing what questions to ask and being afraid to admit that they don’t know. We live in a world that rewards having answers, but in my experience, knowing what to ask is often more important than having the answer. You don’t have to be the expert in everything. You’re not expected to know it all. Read more>>
Johnathan BrownA
My relationship with my Dad. He is part of how I see myself as well as my mother. I have a balance. My Dad give me the determination of getting things handled as a man. My mother gave me the way of a good heart. Read more>>
Hannah Ovik
People matter, family matters. Above all, our family holds a high value on the people we see every day whether that is our employees, customers, or those in the community. We are always working very hard to not only build our business, but to build the community our business serves. Read more>>
Juan Diego Perez La Cruz
Right now, I am learning primarily from my students and from the paraprofessional and special education teams I work alongside every day. The children I work with continually teach me how to understand communication beyond words, to recognize learning in small but meaningful moments, and to build trust as the foundation of growth. Read more>>
