Like that first kiss or the time a teacher told you that you were talented so it’s what you believed about yourself for the next decade. It’s those things that build us and make us whole.
It could have been the fact that my grandma was one of the original radio city music hall rockettes who passed on a love for glamour and dance and fashion.
Or that I know what it is like to sleep squished in a tiny hotel room with eight bandmates.
Or that I worked as a photographers’ assistant in a photo studio and our niche client was body-builders—steroid driven, pumped up and greased down bodies ready for a shoot.
Or that I know what a petticoat feels like because I dressed in square dancing regalia with a busload of seniors as an assistant travel host.
Or that I named a family of squirrels who came to watch us work in Douglas Couplands’ kitchen (Tim, Harry, Ivy) while working on his website. Or that I was one of the children in the meadow on a children’s television series for years.
But it wasn’t any of those things…
For years, I led an effort to bring water to the people of a Tanzanian Village too small to even be on the map. Over the span of nearly 3 months, we dug a 170-meter-deep hole that—with the help of solar technology—supplied water to 7 points around the village. For the duration of construction, I lived in the village and documented the process, and life there. I saw hunger and joy, determination and frustration. I saw a little part of life that wasn’t fair and saw things that shook me to the core, but I also saw myself fight for something with a drive so deep that I have no idea where it came from.
Over the last 20 years, I’ve built a catalog of skills that all seamlessly blend together—developer, website designer, strategist, musician, and artist and they are all connected in some magical way. I’ve come out on the other side of these experiences knowing who I am and where my strengths lie. I know not only when to say “yes,” but also “hell no.” Understanding myself in such a way allows me to devote myself to my clients’ projects all the better. You are welcome to read about it.
All of this — design, development, music, travel, lived experience — comes with me into every project. It shows up as clarity, momentum, and an ability to see patterns quickly. It shows up as restraint when something doesn’t need more, and confidence when it does.
I build websites as living systems, not just finished products. I care about how they function, how they feel, and how they support real people doing real work.
This practice is grounded, intentional, and fully alive. It’s shaped by experience, curiosity, and a commitment to staying creatively engaged — so every project benefits from that energy.
