Alright, let's get real. Eighteen Summers came about because my life was a total circus. I mean, I’d just made this massive career shift, ended a 15-year friendship, and got married, gaining three stepsons in the process. Talk about a rollercoaster! I knew I was an artist and a mom, but after all that upheaval, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to dive back into the creative world. I was stressed, sad, and felt completely lost.

So, I signed up for this course, hoping it would help me figure things out. The project they gave us had to be something totally out of our comfort zone and unlike anything we’d ever done for clients. My clients are usually all about neutral, minimal designs, so I thought, “Let’s go wild with color and maximalism.”

But here’s the thing: I was already drowning, trying to juggle being a mom and running my creative agency all by myself. I kept thinking, “How on earth am I supposed to add one more thing to this already overflowing plate?”