How was art important to you growing up? I was always super into art and creating things. I loved Legos more than anything as a kid and from there I slowly got into drawing and other creative stuff. In my teenage years, I actually moved away from it a bit because I got bullied for being creative, so I leaned more into sports instead. I got pretty good at it, but honestly, it always felt like something was missing. Later on, after picking up some knee injuries and going through a couple surgeries, I ended up picking up a camera while I was healing. From there my photography journey really began.

What motivates and inspires you? People, friends, family, and experiences are a huge source of motivation and inspiration for me. I love going to art exhibitions and watching movies because both always spark something in me. Nature is another big one. Just being outside in it always gets the ideas flowing.

What does neurodiversity mean to you? I think neurodiversity can honestly be a superpower. I was diagnosed with ADD growing up and was on medication throughout my uni years. It took a while, but eventually I learned how to work with my ADD instead of against it and I stopped needing the meds. What I used to see as a hurdle has actually helped shape my work ethic and the person I am today. I really believe there’s so much we still don’t understand about neurodivergence and I hope more people can start seeing it through a more positive lens instead of just medicating it or suppressing it.

Does it affect you and/or your family’s life? And if so, how? Yeah, definitely. Aside from my own experiences, I also have a family member with schizophrenia. When I was younger, I didn’t really understand why or how she acted the way she did until I saw her drawings. Her art gave me a glimpse into her world and showed me how different her perception of reality was. That really stuck with me. People with neurodivergence, even across different types, experience life through a totally different lens. Reality itself feels different to them so of course they act differently.

What would you like your artistic legacy to be? Honestly, I just hope I leave some kind of mark and that maybe I inspire people to tap into their own creativity. I really believe the world would be a better place if more people explored their creative side.

Do you have some new work to share? What is the story behind it? Yeah. The two prints I have shared are part of my recent debut solo exhibition called Prisma. The show is a reflection of ten years of creating across both photography and painting. Both prints show my love for color and the way it can shift the feeling of a moment. They are shot on film and hand-printed in the darkroom, where I like to experiment a bit to bring out different moods. I am always looking for that balance between vibrancy and something a little more moody and raw. Prisma is about capturing those in-between moments, the ones that feel almost like a memory or a dream, even when you are standing right there.