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.

Ember James

With yoga and belly dance, students come and go. Their own lives take precedence over anything else. It can be disheartening when you have an empty studio, or only one student shows up. It’s easy to take things personally and think, ‘I’m not a great teacher.’ However, that’s not the reality. Read more>>

Bret Wickstrom

The main reason I keep going is due to the very thought of having to reinvent myself is more scary than to keep going. Yet, even though things don’t always go perfectly I work on those things that fail, and make improvements on those areas which have or are failing. After that I just keep moving forward. Read more>>

Tina Vourtis Smith

I think the most impactful thing I’ve done as a parent is to let my kids see me create — not just talk about dreams, but actively chase them, even when it’s messy or uncertain. They’ve watched me build businesses from our kitchen table, write books late at night, and show up for my passions again and again. Read more>>

Ashley Thigpen

I used to be an avid non-risk taker when it came to my passions. I always had a fear of ‘what will my passions turn into if I give it the same intention as any other career?’ For some reason, the thought terrified me. Read more>>

Michal Andrea

I believe working with your hands is one of the most gratifying and impactful ways to express oneself. From a very young age, my mother has called me her project child. In both of my childhood homes, I had a room in the basement filled with every type of arts and crafts supplies as well as science projects and costumes. Read more>>

Beau Carnes

I really felt deep down that I had to. I knew I had ideas that needed to be expressed somehow, and I’d been making music in my spare time for a while. It just wasn’t clicking, and I’ve always had images come to mind. I needed a visual medium. Read more>>