the artsy doula

I am passionate about families, creativity, and community.

I’ve been crafting and creating, drawing, cutting, and painting since I was old enough to hold a crayon. I love the creative process, and sharing it with others. As an adult, I've turned this passion into a personal art practice, as well as coordinating Community Art Nights to invite everyone — even those who think they aren’t artistic (let’s face it, you really are) — to come together and make things that never existed before.

In college, I studied psychology and began working as a nanny. I also became a bookkeeper and started working with organizational systems, logistics, and communications. As a nanny for over eight years, my favorite part of working with babies, toddlers, and young children was sharing my love of children’s books and art.

After earning a BA in psychology from Sacramento State University, I studied fine art at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. I moved to Seattle in 2014 and have been happily building my life and community here ever since.

In 2018, I discovered postpartum doula work, and earned my certificate of training from Bastyr University’s Simkin Center in early 2019. I love that this work marries the world of the nanny (childcare and logistical support) with the world of psychology (emotional and relational support for parents, and education on infant development). In my work in the nonprofit arena, I have been inspired by the work of family support services, and am passionate about doula work as one way of promoting maternal child welfare and changing how our society supports parenting and early childhood development.

As an artist and postpartum doula, I am uniquely positioned to help new parents process this emotional time through intuitive artmaking instruction, if so desired. I am also happy to introduce various age-appropriate art materials and practices to toddlers and older children.

After the pandemic hit, I decided to effectively close my part-time postpartum doula business. I am currenting working on deepening my artistic practice and pursuing further studies and opportunities in fine arts through an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts and Writing at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). I hope to continue to connect my passion for families and community to my artmaking practice. Check out my new illustrated book for new parents, and please keep in touch!