My mother will tell you that she chose my name because it means mysterious and understood by few. Growing up, I found that to be true. I have always had my own way of approaching life. It wasn't until I was older that I realized not everyone sees the world through a camera lens. Not everyone hears a soundtrack playing during their big moments or hears it replayed for each memory. I have this constant urge to stick out; to do something no one else has. And I can get lost in a project for days. It took me a while to discover my creative flow and even longer to understand it and where it comes from, but I'm getting there.

I grew up in Nebraska, the heart of the Midwest, in a free-range artistic home, with no shortage of creative influence. I was born into a family full of artistic talent that built the foundation of my visual style. My upbringing emphasized taking time to be present in each moment, full-immersion in everything, appreciating details and never-wasting the time we have.

I started making movies when I was 10 and I got my first iMac for Christmas. It began as a way to pass the time and soon turned into a full-time creative outlet and passion. Filmmaking has always been my preferred medium for storytelling and communicating feelings. I've found it to be the one way to fully express myself and find the calm in my mind. 

My biggest influence was my first mentor, my Grandma Jan. From the moment I was old enough, we were coloring, drawing and painting. By grade school, we were taking trips to the art gallery to find inspiration.  She guided me to recognize and develop my personal artistic style. Like her mother and grandmother before, Grandma was a painter, but she also was a middle school teacher and later a guidance counselor. I watched as she consistently chose to work at underfunded schools and with the most challenging kids because she saw them as untapped potential. She taught me that in art and in life, everything doesn't have to be perfect; beauty is in the imperfections. I found this hard to learn at first, but she was always there to point me in the right direction. I can now appreciate the imperfect details that make each creative piece unique. When she passed away, I found myself stuck and struggling artistically in her absence. Remembering what she taught me helped me find my way back to my art and continues to influence my filmmaking today.

I graduated from Doane University with a degree in Media Communications and an Art Minor. Attending a smaller school allowed me to customize my path. I was able to study and learn more about filmmaking, film history, writing and scoring, post-production, cinematography, documentary making and color grading. Additionally, my minor education in Art provided me with a holistic skill set that reaches beyond just filmmaking. Such as journalism, program-coding, graphic design, drawing, oil & acrylic painting, ceramics and textile design. I draw from my diverse education to make each project stand out. I value and appreciate my time at Doane but can easily recognize that I have only begun to scratch the surface of the technical skills needed and growth that comes with exposure to a program, its instructors and the environment specifically designated to film. 

I've done commercial projects too. The most enjoyable has been promotion & performance videos for Boots & Cats (an acapella group from The University of Nebraska - Lincoln) and designing dynamic record covers for a local rapper, Jakobii Miller. Project-based work has challenged me to work within the bounds of someone else's vision while still producing

Rounding out my list of education, skills, and experiences is my 16 years of competitive tennis. I attribute my determination, grit and discipline to the years I spent on the tennis court. I learned to fail. And I learned to go right back to the drawing board and find a way to succeed. I played my way through the individual competition and the team and player dynamics in high school. Our team ultimately won a state championship. In college, I navigated through organizational politics, fundraising for charity, and in the end, we won our conference championship for the first time in 38 years.  If I could pinpoint one thing tennis has taught me, I would say it's shown me that there will always be mental and physical obstacles that you may encounter in life, but if you keep focused and dig your heels in, hard work always pays off in the end.

All of these things help make up who I am and direct my future path. I believe that time is the most precious, nonrenewable commodity, more than money or material possessions. This belief shapes my approach to life and learning: Why waste time on anything that doesn't make you happy? 

Getting to know who I am as a person and artist will be a lifelong pursuit, but I learn more each day. I want to pursue my passion over a paycheck, apply a hard work ethic and enjoy the grind. My style is driven by abstract, gritty, full-sensory design that leans towards intense hues and varying tones to express movement and depth. Rarely subtle, my work hopes to grab you by the shoulders and wake up your senses. My visual perspective thrives on change. 

At the moment, as of January 18, 2021 I started my Masters in Fine Arts at The New York Film Academy Los Angeles. As of now I am learning remote through “Zoom School” for the first semester. Starting in May I will be moving to Los Angeles to hopefully do in person learning.

I understand that I am the kind of person who always chooses to push forward and keep moving. Even with the craziness of the world.

Challenge me.