Hi there! My name's Kathi. I'm 30 years old now, but let me tell you, life has been quite the journey for me so far. Born and raised in a small town in the Midwest, I always had big dreams of doing something more with my life than what was offered to me in that one horse town.

Growing up, I was always drawn to art - painting, drawing, music... whatever creative outlet you can think of! My parents were super supportive, but they also encouraged me to get a "real" job after high school. So, I ended up studying business and marketing, which led me to a corporate job in Chicago.

But the truth is, that was never really my passion. I felt like I was just going through the motions every day, trying to make ends meet but not truly feeling fulfilled. Around age 25, I hit rock bottom - burnt out from work, tired of living paycheck-to-paycheck... it all came crashing down.

It took some soul-searching, but eventually, I realized that I had a choice: stay stuck in this unfulfilling life or take a leap of faith and pursue what truly made me happy. And so, at 26 years old, I left my corporate job behind and started working on building my own art career.

It's been tough, don't get me wrong! There have been many late nights spent painting in my tiny studio apartment, countless rejection letters from galleries... but there's also been this incredible sense of freedom and purpose that comes with following your dreams. I've had to learn how to market myself as an artist, build a network of fellow creatives... all these things I never thought I'd have to do!

Now, at 30, I'm still working towards my goal - becoming a successful artist in my own right. It's not always easy, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world! What about you? What brings you here today?