The story
Rearing a creative
Born in 1980, I entered this world as the daughter of a commercial fisherman and a poet. Tragically, my father passed away before I reached my second birthday, leaving an indelible mark on my young life. This early loss forged within me a deep connection to the spirit of the earth, intertwining my soul with the natural world. Growing up, I found solace and inspiration in the realms of art, poetry, and music, where my delicate sensitivities found expression. Yet, alongside these creative pursuits, I was also drawn to the realm of impassioned ideals, shaping my path toward leadership and experiential design for social change.
While my mother nourished my creative inclinations through arts education, instilling in me a love for expression and imagination, it was my paternal grandparents who fostered my bond with the earth. From farming to fishing, and even hunting, they imparted upon me invaluable lessons about the interconnectedness of all living things and the importance of respecting nature's rhythms.
In the crucible of loss and nurturing, I discovered a harmonious balance between creativity and reverence for the natural world, shaping the foundation of who I am today.
early career
Following my studies in Illustration, Advertising, and Visual Communication at the Art Institute, I embarked on an enriching journey that shaped my career trajectory. Joining forces with Proctor and Gamble's esteemed lead packaging designer, Dudley Campbell, I delved into the intricate world of packaging design. During this apprenticeship, I seized the opportunity to expand my knowledge by immersing myself in the realm of flexographic printing, collaborating with industry printers to grasp the nuances of printing limitations and innovations.
As my expertise in packaging design flourished, I transitioned into the dynamic realm of the promotional products industry. Assuming the role of Senior Designer at Quick Technologies, I embarked on a new chapter characterized by creativity and innovation. Leading a team of talented designers, I spearheaded the development of designs and pre-press files for a diverse array of promotional products, ranging from the conventional to the downright unconventional. This pivotal phase of my career laid a solid foundation rooted in packaging and print technologies, setting the stage for future endeavors.
During my tenure as the Art Director at Retail Products Group from 2005 to 2010, I spearheaded the design and marketing campaigns for numerous esteemed international retail brands. This pivotal role allowed me to delve deep into the realm of brand development, where I honed my expertise in crafting compelling narratives that resonated across both print and digital platforms. Collaborating closely with print vendors, I leveraged innovative packaging and print technologies to elevate the visual appeal of our campaigns. Additionally, I took on the role of a mentor, guiding a team of designers in adopting best practices in project management and production, nurturing their growth along the way.
Transitioning to roles as the Senior Art Director at SQ1 (Square One Agency) in Dallas and Hypothesis Group in Los Angeles, I continued my journey of crafting creative and experiential campaigns for industry-leading brands. At SQ1, I led the creative development for high-budget campaigns, rebrands, CPG designs, and industry trade shows, working with renowned brands such as Daltile, Wholly Guacamole, American Olean, TGIFridays, Michaels, and CMC Metals. Similarly, at Hypothesis Group, I played a pivotal role in developing a multitude of infographics, sponsorship decks, and annual reports for Fortune 500 companies like Starbucks, Carl's Jr., and Mattel.
In tandem with my agency roles, I nurtured a passion for the performing arts, delving into various disciplines including music production, character acting, clowning, vocal and jazz performance, and interpretive dance. This multifaceted pursuit led to main-stage bookings at several Transformational Music Festivals including Envision Fest, Art Outside, 6 years of recurring booking at Lightning in a Bottle and a residency at prestigious Hollywood hotel, La Petite Hermitage. I found immense joy in integrating Social Practice Art into my performances, inspiring pop-up choirs and imparting vocal discipline through unique clowning modalities. This fusion of artistic expression and community engagement added depth and richness to my creative journey.
mid career
As I was offered the Senior Art Director position at Hypothesis Group in Los Angeles, a call came beckoning me to return to the remote Texas Coast to care for my Grandfather. I sacrificed a life in L.A. for the experience of caring for my grandparents in the last five years of their lives. Balancing remote freelance work as an offsite Creative Director for Questech Corporation and Limoneira, I also engaged in developing tourism campaigns for the Chamber of Commerce in my hometown of Port O'Connor, TX, a remote fishing village in the heart of the Texas coast.
Witnessing firsthand the devastating effects of ecocide perpetrated by petrochemical plants in my home county shattered my heart. In response, I founded Wiv Luv, a fiscally sponsored non-profit aimed at catalyzing environmental and social change through the transformative power of education, design, and performance art. Armed with strategic experience design and marketing, we advocated for compassion-driven initiatives that led to significant positive changes in the community.
My collaboration with Limoneira primarily focused on digital marketing strategy, emphasizing lead magnets and email marketing. Following several successful campaigns, I discovered Questech Tile and Accessories, igniting a powerful partnership over the ensuing four years. Serving as Questech’s off-site Creative Director, I established branding and design strategies for both digital and print marketing campaigns, drawing upon my extensive experience Art Directing for Daltile and American Olean at SQ1.
kindling a thunderbird
Upon the passing of my grandparents, I transitioned back to central Texas, embracing the role of a Death Doula as part of my natural training. Refining my yogic disciplines and expanding into officiating weddings and completion rituals, I immersed myself in providing rites of passage as a foundation for experiential branding.
During this period of healing and transition, I simplified my studio design practice, focusing on Sumi-e, a traditional Chinese brushstroke technique. Launching Rich Wizards, I transformed my watercolor patterns into sustainably printed textiles.
In 2017, I founded Enchantments Media as an educational platform centered on meditations, archetype integration, performance art, and creative liberation. Rekindling my passion for creative freedom and embracing the art of loving fate, I embarked on a journey to nurture and evolve missions in my care. This became a catalyst for the greatest personal transformation of my life.
In 2019, I was scouted for a prestigious Senior Designer role at Southwest Key Programs, the world's largest provider of immigrant children's shelters. I built a high-functioning design and marketing team to produce impactful programs, marketing creative, branding, video and animated infographics, design solutions, SEO content, and project management systems. In one of many successes, I partnered with the Heart Math Institute to secure biofeedback meditation tools for all 45+ shelters, positively impacting millions of immigrant families. I took on the role of Interim Marketing Director and ensured the Communications and Marketing teams continued in a high-functioning capacity amidst great shifts in leadership.
In late 2021, I seized the opportunity to cover a maternity leave and serve as the Interim Marketing Director for two renowned cirque-inspired New York nightclubs: House of Yes in Brooklyn and House of X in Manhattan. I spearheaded the marketing, branding, and experience design during maternity leave. With meticulous attention to detail, I directed creative solutions crafted to captivate audience experiences both in person and across social and paid media platforms, ensuring that each club hosted an impressive lineup of 6-10 weekly events, consistently drawing in crowds averaging 600-800 patrons per night.
Not long after, I immersed myself even more deeply in experiential design as a Senior Designer with Meow Wolf. During my tenure, I spearheaded groundbreaking immersive experience projects, overseeing the creative for branding, marketing, and design in divisions including Meow Wolf Inc. (Global), Meow Wolf Presents (Events), and all five Meow Wolf exhibits. I led and executed event and experience branding, presentation decks, retail experience designs, interactive signage, internal campaigns, CPG designs, multi-million dollar Vegas marketing campaigns, and much more, nurturing invaluable vendor relationships while ensuring brand ethos alignment and solving guest experience goals.
NOW: the phoenix era
Throughout my years of experience, I’ve refined the creative process to ensure ideation-alignment through expertly crafted presentations, clear communication, and strategic proofing touch points. I’ve championed highly intricate concepts with adept interpersonal skills, guiding both internal and external stakeholders to align on brand strategy, campaign concepts, show-flow, fabrication design, graphic design, video storyboards, merchandise, POP experience, scripts & copy tone, and immersive storylines. I'm a nimble and adaptive creative leader, thriving in shifting landscapes with evolving needs and directives while also taking the initiative in propelling projects forward and supporting my colleagues and partners’ visions.
I lead my teams by identifying and guiding creative solutions through communication hierarchy and production parameters while meticulously standardizing systems with organizational prowess. This enables my teams and me to deftly juggle multiple projects concurrently while maintaining brand standards and ensuring project excellence. Furthermore, I’m well versed in identifying and vetting collaborators and vendors, ensuring the selection of partners who seamlessly align with creative vision and project objectives.
