“I was a shy kid growing up. I struggled talking to people, so I expressed myself through art. It’s still my world.

When I was young, I wanted to be a fashion designer. I drew pictures of girls with big eyelashes and high heels. I loved putting together outfits with Barbie coloring sheets. Mom and I also cut out magazines and made designs.

I was adopted at birth. My birth mother was 15. Her family was from Guatemala and didn’t speak much English. She wanted her baby to have a good home but didn’t know what to do. Her doctor contacted my mom about adopting me. My mother wanted another child and was in the right place at the right time.

It took a long time to figure myself out. I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety since I was 11 years old. High school was a dark time, and art was my only companion. I graduated high school early and went to Faulkner Community College. My dog, Bindy, was my Emotional Support Animal. Mom told me to relax and do my best. From there, majored in art at the University of Mobile.

I blossomed in my junior year of college and started being myself. My courage came out in my eyeliner, and it became a way to push my boundaries. People asked me about my eyes, and it became an icebreaker to meet strangers.

My jewelry also helps me feel free. One is a ring I bought in Salida, Colorado, on a summer road trip with my mom. Another is a ring she bought me when I applied for jobs during the pandemic. I had interned at an ad agency in Mobile and wanted to work for them. I bugged them for a year but was losing hope when Mom gave me the ring. Today I am an art director at that agency, and the ring reminds me never to give up.

So many threads led me here. Paper cutouts in the living room with my mom became a part of my collage and concept pieces that I use today in design. When I waver and lose my purpose, I return to what I loved as a kid. It’s comforting to know I’m making that little girl happy. She would be impressed by what I’m doing now.”

Vannie