I’ve been enjoying some of my friends’ #MarchMeetTheMaker challenge posts on social media.

I especially liked reading their stories – although I’m not participating in the daily challenge, I thought it would be fun to share with you some facts about me you may not know 😆

Here are 10 things you may not know about me:

1) I have an older brother who lives in Japan, and he runs a cute little cafe near my parents’ house.

He started it right after I quit my job to focus on my biz – it’s been cool to see his business thrive as well.

2) I was way into theater in my tween/teen years. I wrote, produced, and performed in several plays in middle and high school.

I loved getting into characters, hanging out with my theater friends (whom I see every time I go home), creating stories, and the thrill of acting in front of a live audience.

I don’t like being put on a spot, but give me a script, background story, and time to practice, I’m all about it 🙋🏻‍♀️

3) I’m a Highly Sensitive Person. In a nutshell, it means you’re wired to feel things deeply, and you may be easily overwhelmed by external (or internal) stimulations.

I consider my sensitivity to be a gift that helps me empathize with others and connect deeply with the beauty that surrounds me.

4) I’ve been meditating almost daily for the past 4 years. I usually meditate right after I wake up. I love starting my day with a quiet grounding practice.

It prepares me to face the world that’s so noisy and cluttered.

5) I have INFJ and Upholder personality traits. I consider myself an idealist who can get a lot done 🙌🏼

Having structure and routine is pretty important for me to thrive, and I’m not very flexible/spontaneous. So if you ask me to tea the day before (or really, less than 2 weeks notice is “short notice” for me 😬), chances are I’ll say no ☕️

6) I struggled with Orthorexia (= an unhealthy obsession with healthy eating) about 4 years ago. Thoughts on what to eat and not eat were taking over my life.

I was lucky to have found Intuitive Eating and Food Psych Podcast in my recovery.

I’m a much happier/relaxed eater now and rarely slip into my old thinking any more. And when I do, I’m much more compassionate with myself 💕

7) When I turn 50, I want to live in Paris for a month 🇫🇷 I want to take French lessons and make art every day 👩🏻‍🎨 I’ve been putting $20 into my Paris dream account every week since I turned 41 last year.

8) I’m mostly a self-taught artist. I’d worked in a non-profit domestic violence organization for 14+ years before I became a full-time artist.

I studied graphic design while I was soul-searching about what I wanted to do with my life but realized I loved illustration much more than design after three years in the program 🐒

I don’t regret going through the program – I use the skills I learned every day in my business!

9) I majored in Women Studies (now Gender & Sexuality Studies) in college. I happened to take Gender, Race, and Class course one quarter without knowing a lot about it and got immediately hooked. It opened my eyes to the reality of the world and validated my life experience big time.

Yes, I’m a feminist.

10) I joined the Board of Directors at The NW Network, an amazing DV org serving LGBTQ community, last June. It’s been quite a learning curve to get back in the non-profit leadership work 😅 but I’m honored to be part of it!

BONUS: My sweetie Dave and I met 14 years ago on Craigslist personnel (which no longer exits.)

We had a semi-long distance relationship (he: Orcas Island, me: Seattle. About 3 hour commute one way) for 5 years before he moved to Seattle to be with me ❤️

I can go on and on with tidbits about me but this is it for now. Maybe I’ll continue next year 👋🏼

Hope you enjoyed my stories 😊

What are things that most people don’t know about you?

xo