Why I started creating
For more than fifteen years, I worked in the creative industries as a digital designer, illustrator, and Senior User Interface Artist. My career took me from graphic design into the video game industry, where I spent a decade crafting visual experiences for players around the world. During that time, I contributed to projects for major clients including Apple Arcade and Netflix, drawing on my background in digital design, animation, illustration, and user-centred design.
Creativity has always been at the heart of everything I do, but my relationship with art changed profoundly in 2024 when I experienced the most challenging four weeks of my life. I was injured in a bus accident that tragically took the life of a teenage pedestrian, suffered two strokes, and unexpectedly lost my niece.
The strokes affected my vision, cognition, vocabulary, and hand-eye coordination. I had to step away from a career in the video games industry that I had worked incredibly hard to build so that I could focus on my recovery and become a more present mum. I started painting as a way to heal and process the loss of two young lives, as well as regain my focus and hand-eye coordination.
After 18 months away from work, I was determined to return to the workforce. Unfortunately, due to the lasting effects of the accident, returning to a traditional 9-to-5 role just wasn't possible. One of my injuries, a neck artery tear, is stable but permanent, meaning I will remain on daily medication and undergo biennial scans indefinitely. Fatigue is still part of my life, and I continue to have both good days and bad days.
