Living inside my mind isn’t quiet—it’s layered. Some days, anxiety feels like a constant hum in the background, like something is about to go wrong even when everything is still. It speeds up my thoughts, makes small things feel overwhelming, and turns simple decisions into heavy ones. Depression is different. It slows everything down. It drains the color out of things I used to love and replaces it with this dull heaviness. It’s not always sadness—it’s more like emptiness, l

There was a time when I thought self-worth was something you could “figure out” and then just keep forever. Like a switch you flip and suddenly you’re confident, grounded, unbothered. But for me, it hasn’t worked like that. My struggle with self-worth has been quiet but constant. It shows up in overthinking, in second-guessing myself, in wondering if I’m doing enough or being enough. It’s not always loud—it’s often subtle. A thought here, a comparison there, a feeling that I’

My love for rescue pets was never just a phase—it became part of who I am. There’s something powerful about giving an animal a second chance. The way they slowly learn to trust you, the way they attach to you like you’re their whole world… it stays with you. That kind of bond changes how you see everything. At some point, I realized I didn’t just want to feel that connection—I wanted to create something from it. Read our story That’s how my brand was born. But I didn’t want t

Sometimes it feels like I’m building a lot at once. A few shop. A few blog. Custom design services. Photography. A cozy pet-focused passion project. Digital downloads. Third-party stores. And a hub that ties it all together. And every so often, I pause and wonder—am I doing too much? But the truth is, it’s not really “too much.” It’s just… different expressions of the same thing. Everything I create comes back to one core idea: emotion turned into something tangible. A photo

In 2026, print-on-demand has evolved—but platforms like Threadless and Zazzle are still a valuable part of my business. Even though I run my own shop, I continue to use third-party marketplaces because they offer something I can’t fully replicate on my own: built-in traffic. These platforms already have customers browsing every day, which gives my designs a chance to be discovered organically without relying entirely on social media or ads. They’re also incredibly low-risk. I

What Is Print-on-Demand (and Why I Choose It for My Shop) If you’ve ever wondered how small online shops create so many unique designs without massive inventory, the answer is often print-on-demand. Print-on-demand (POD) is a business model where products—like t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, and more—are only printed after a customer places an order. Instead of producing items in bulk ahead of time, designs are created digitally and then printed by a production partner when needed.

I finally have a place where I can review my purchases and show you what I got so... This is a cozy sweatshirt blanket from my off Abbys Creative Escape . It's called the sweatshirt blanket because it has the overall feel of a cozy sweatshirt. it's not really plush but it is super soft and cozy. Up Next is a super cute neckalce from the same shop This is the Gold Heart Necklace from Printify that is also on my Abbys Creative Escape shop. Its super cute, minimal, engraved and

Since high school, I’ve found that words alone sometimes aren’t enough to express what I’m feeling. That’s when I discovered digital collages—a way to blend images, textures, and colors into a single piece that captures emotions I can’t always put into sentences. Creating these collages has become my personal form of therapy. Some days, it’s a vibrant mix of joy and hope; other days, darker shades help me process sadness or frustration. Each layer tells a story, and each imag

I Am Not My Diagnosis. I am not anxiety. I am not overthinking. I am not a label written in a chart. Yes, I live with it. Yes, I’ve struggled. Yes, I’ve had nights where my mind felt louder than the world. But I am not my diagnosis. I am a business owner who kept going — even after setbacks, even after rebranding, even after doubt tried to convince me to quit. I am creativity that refused to be silenced. I am resilience. I am second chances. I am soft… and still strong. My lo

Dear Me, I know things aren’t exactly how you pictured, but you’ve come so far. You got help when you needed it, you pushed through the hard stuff, and you’ve built a life you should be proud of. You probably thought you’d be a successful artist by now… well, you are in a way — you’re trying, and that matters. You probably thought you’d have moved out and be on your own with your own little cat family too. But in reality, you do have your cat family — just at home. And truthf

There are so many reasons I love being an artist, but if I had to choose a favorite, it would be the joy of being creative and creating meaningful pieces for the people I care about. There’s something deeply fulfilling about taking an idea, turning it into something beautiful, and watching it bring joy or comfort to someone I love. Art has always been a form of self-expression for me. It gives me a safe space to explore emotions, tell stories, and share parts of myself that w

I don’t just have one brand… because I’m not just one version of myself. Each thing I’ve created holds a different piece of who I am. There’s the side of me that needs comfort. The part that craves softness and safety—for myself, and for others—and wants to create that feeling in the world. There’s the part of me that notices quiet beauty. In still mornings, in overlooked corners, in tiny details most people pass by. And there’s the part of me that loves deeply—especially whe

Creativity has never been structured for me. Some days, everything flows. Other days, I overthink every detail and wonder if anything I make is “good enough.” I create in between those moments. In the quiet. In the messy middle. Creativity is how I escape my mind. It’s where my feelings go when they get too heavy—the anxiety, the worries, the thoughts that won’t go away, and even the quiet weight of depression. My process isn’t about perfection—it’s about expression. Every pi

In the beginning, my insecurities got the best of me. I wanted so badly to build something meaningful—something that felt like me. But instead of confidence, I was stuck in doubt, fear, and the pressure to get everything “right.” For years, I chased the dream of building a brand. I started, stopped, rebranded, and tried again more times than I can count. Along the way, I made mistakes—big ones. I was always searching for answers outside of myself. I asked for constant reassu

For a long time, I believed that building a brand meant choosing one thing and sticking to it no matter what. One niche. One focus. One version of myself that I was supposed to show online. But my brand didn’t start with a strategy or a perfectly planned business idea. It started in 2016 , when I was told I couldn’t make money with just Photoshop . By that point, I had already taken three different Photoshop courses between high school and college , and somewhere along the wa

For a long time, we’re taught that we’re supposed to have one passion. One calling. One thing we “figure out” and stick with forever. But real life? It doesn’t work like that. If you’ve ever felt lost, behind, or guilty for changing directions, this is your reminder: you are not broken—you’re growing. Passion Isn’t Something You Magically Discover One Day Contrary to what social media and motivational quotes tell us, passion usually doesn’t arrive in a lightning bolt moment.