Art has always been part of my life in some form, even if it was just in the back of my mind as something I wanted to get back to doing. In college and law school I would work on a painting here and there, but I never really liked anything I painted. Much like my life at that time, I had strict standards for what I should paint…it had to look realistic, be perfect, and have profound meaning. All of these rules paralyzed me into not painting for years.

From 2013 to 2018, I practiced Immigration Law as an Attorney in the San Francisco Bay Area. Being in a state of constant learning was stimulating and rewarding, but I didn’t realize the price I was paying. I hardly spent any time being creative during this period. I felt like two different people, the “work” version and the “creative” version of myself, even though I wasn’t really creating.

About six years into practicing law, it became clear that the stress levels, working hours, and demands of being an attorney would only increase over time. I ultimately decided that it was time to pivot to a profession that provided balance in my life. I spent the next four years as a Project Manager driving projects and programs at a global immigration law firm, and ultimately obtained a PMP (Project Management Professional) Certification. In supporting the law firm and its Fortune 100 and 500 tech companies, I learned to shift my mentality from being directive to being a facilitator.

In 2021, my amazing sister, Jodi Harary, taught me the painting process that her talented friend, Kat Furrow, had taught to her. This intuitive painting process encouraged me to start with no expectation or idea of where the painting would ultimately end up. It helped me to take it one step at a time, to stop and reflect on the current state, and to make a decision about the next move rather than the final outcome. It gave me the freedom to pick up a brush without all of the pressure and perfectionism that I was putting on my previous paintings, and on everything in my life really.