Nature isn’t just a source of inspiration for my art. It’s been an essential part of my own personal growth journey, it’s been part of my healing process, and it’s been my motivation to connect with both something larger outside myself and deeper inside myself.

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The most I ever felt “at home” on the internet was when I started documenting my own progress, thoughts, and experiences in 2019 as I began sharing my “wanderings” that gave me so much joy—it could be the creek by the park behind my house, the huge trees just down my block, the nearby forest preserve, the sound of rain outside my window, or the flowers that just bloomed in my own backyard…that kind of “everyday magic” was something that made me feel alive, and sharing that with others allowed me to attract some wonderful souls who connected with me on a deeper level.

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Not long after, in 2021, a bad car accident left me paralyzed with fear of the outside world. Going back into the woods and volunteering with my local forest preserve finding and documenting mushrooms helped me overcome the severe anxiety that was keeping me trapped and uninspired, and soon my artwork started to change into what you see today as my reasons for creating and what I wanted to express changed with it.

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I wanted to inspire and create a space for others who might feel lost, uninspired, and trapped in life. Especially to other introverts who have BIG feelings, dreams, or goals that they can’t express very well, it’s essential to find a place where they feel they can just be themselves without fear—and I wanted to provide that.

And so Lavender Stew has grown into a place where we can grow together, discover our strengths, and sit with our fears together through the natural and imaginary world around us.

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I have a BA in studio art & after graduation immediately jumped into client work in children's book illustration & graphic design, tattoo design, logo design, & album cover art before realizing that what I truly want to create is an illustrated world of my own making.

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Throughout the years, I've continued my journey into art, my education & personal growth. I believe that studying personality theory of any kind helps us grow not only our language to understand & talk about what makes us who we are at our core, but it also gives us the tools & insights

to grow, heal, come together with those we love with more empathy.

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I myself am a proud INFP/Enneagram 4w5 with a passion for exploration in the mind as well as in nature, self growth, the psychology of  personality & what makes all of us unique.

 

I have 4+ years of studying & applying Carl Jung's cognitive functions theory as a personal growth tool, & I have seen the benefits it holds--especially when combined with other personal growth theories such as the Enneagram or attachment theory.

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I aspire to combine art, exploration & the beauty hiding not just in the shadows of the woods, but within ourselves. My goal in life & in art is to seek possibility, encourage self-knowledge, inspire personal growth, & create a community where we can be as in tune with ourselves as we are with the world around us!

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Everyone possesses unique strengths tied to their weaknesses, & I hope to shed some light on the tools we all can use on the journey towards our most authentic selves!