I was born and raised in Brazil, surrounded by vibrant colors and sounds which had me drawing and painting from an early age. I told my parents that I was going to be an artist when I grew up, despite their love for me and my creations, my very practical mother sat me down and told me Van Gogh’s story of misery and the loss of an ear. I was told to pick another profession and pursue art as a “hobby”. I pursued a degree in social work and later a received a Master’s degree in the same discipline. I moved to the US and worked full time as a clinician and part time as an artist. Today, I can happily say that I am a full time artist that works part time as a clinician.