We were fortunate to catch up with some brilliant artists, creatives and entrepreneurs from throughout the Houston area and they share the wisdom with us below.

La-Doniea Nisbeth | Self Care Enthusiast, Project Engineer & Startup Founder

Yes, I do and the affirmation is “it’s better to have tried and failed than fail to try”. This quote slash affirmation brought me through university and continues to keep me driven in moments of self doubt and fear of failure or rejection. Read more>>

Erin Taylor, RN | Nurse, Dietitian, Mushroom Medicine Woman, Author, Publisher

The mushrooms ‘found me’ at the tail end of my nursing career, when I was in severe burnout and severe denial. Around this time, one of my mentors guided me to “follow the threads of joy”. Read more>>

Annie Johnson | Wedding + Elopement Photographer

I think it’s easy to define success through the dollars in my bank account. And while that may be the most measurable way to determine one’s success, for me it all circles back to fulfillment. Do I feel good about what I am doing and what my life looks like? Asking myself that question while leaving room for not everything be 100% amazing at all times is where I gauge my success. Read more>>

Tay Blackman | Owner / Operator of Taysian Spa

Success is the continuous pursuit of a meaningful goal. For me, it’s not just about achieving success; it’s about finding unrelenting joy in doing what you love and loving what you do, which is the true reward of patient effort. Read more>>

Ben Davis | Coffee Equipment Service Tech and Business Owner

I have worked as a Coffee Equipment Tech since 2016 in about every version possible. I worked for a local coffee roaster (Boxcar Coffee Roasters), which is where I learned how to be a tech. In 2020 when COVID hit, I was understandably let go, took a little time to look around me and see what the next path was going to be. Read more>>

Gabriela Galvez | Digital Artist

I think the simple answer here is to always keep going. I don’t really think of it as giving up; I like to think of it as a learning opportunity. The beautiful thing about starting a new project is that it gives you the chance to reflect on what went right and what went wrong before. Read more>>

Lacey Perash | Homeschool mom and literacy advocate

As a parent, the most impactful thing I’ve done is to create a supportive and flexible learning environment that respects and nurtures my children’s individual interests and needs. By focusing on homeschooling, I’ve been able to tailor their education to their unique strengths and passions, allowing them to explore and grow in ways that align with their personal identity. Read more>>

Dora & Lemar Griffin | Timeless Visionaries Co-founders

Deciding to work with our significant other. Choosing to go into business with your life partner can certainly come with it’s own set of challenges, but over the years, we’ve learned and grown through these challenges, and contribute a lot of our success to them. Leaning on each others strengths, learning from one another, and realizing that communication is key in both our personal and professional lives, are just a few examples of how this decision has contributed to our overall success. Read more>>

Anianne Rivera | Founder, Mourning Hair

I’ve experienced being so broke that I couldn’t even fill my gas tank. Feeling like life is happening to you and being out of control is a horrible experience. Then I realized that I had all the power to change my situation. I started believing that there was nothing I couldn’t do. Read more>>

Catherine March | Artist, Author, Illustrator, Book designer

One of the most overlooked components of a successful business is developing and executing good habits. Many people have great ideas, excellent skills, and a creative business plan. In the beginning, we are excited to start a business, implement our ideas, and begin to make our dreams a reality. However, getting started is the easy part. Read more>>

Artemisa (Mimi) Heitkamp | Vintage fashion enthusiast and model

Dresses have always made me happy, ever since I was a little girl. I vividly remember the first dress I fell in love with—a pink one adorned with white daisies and a built-in stiff tulle layer underneath to fluff it out. Wearing that dress, I felt like a princess and never wanted to take it off. Read more>>

Daniel Jenkins | Photographer – Design | Architecture | Travel

For me, the end goal is fluid. I believe a career in photography, like life, is all about the long game. It’s a journey that will inevitably have setbacks and successes. It is continuously evolving. Today, my professional work is centered around architectural and design focused photography. Read more>>

Jock Armour | Art Gallery Director

Where are you from has always been a question that gets a long winded answer…born in Vegas, moved to Scotland from first grade till 4th, then Ohio for most of my formative years. I believe this travel early on helped form an appreciation for the size of our world and a appreciation for my place in it. Read more>>

Mike Maurer | Musician- performance and instruction

This has been a constant battle, most relevant question because i have been and continue with dealing with work life balance. there is a feeling of well, you get to do this for a living so that trade of his you do it constantly and not take anytime for your self, so new client, new projects always say yes too. Read more>>

Natalie Adele | Feminine Awakening Mentor

I love this question, because so much of my journey the past five years has been ‘unlearning’ so many systems about how we relate to ‘work.’ I used to ‘work’ in the medical field as a Nurse Practitioner and Nursing Professor. I got paid by the hour, worked 40 (let’s face it..much more!) hours per week…and was told what time I would begin and end my work day (don’t forget to punch in no later than 3 minutes past the hour, Natalie, or you’ll be docked as ‘late.’). So much of how I related to work before was transactional. Time in, money out. Read more>>

Matty Long | Sewist and Designer

My favorite affirmation that I use in my everyday life is simply “Do The Thing.” If I’m trying to find the motivation to do something, if I’m trying to decide whether or not to do something, I just remind myself to ‘Do The Thing.’ It’s easy to say, it’s easy to encourage myself or others, and I find it motivating. Read more>>