We were fortunate to catch up with some brilliant artists, creatives and entrepreneurs from throughout the Houston area and they share the wisdom with us below.

Christy Ross | Artist & Art Educator

I believe in the principle that all people, younger, midlife, and older need to explore their creativity. It’s not embedded in our culture to take the time, invest in the supplies, and do something creative! We are always rushing around and barely stopping for a moment for ourselves. Especially as a parent, in midlife, it can be hard to sit down and work on a new painting, write a story for my art, or even write a letter to a friend. As we are constantly bombarded with the culture of smartphones, iPads, and laptops (yes, I’m writing on one right now), we can get sucked into the abyss of technology. Using our own two hands to make something constructive, beautiful, and even thought-provoking, can many times, be an afterthought. With my Paint & Sip classes and teaching to my students, I hope to awaken the creativity in each person attending and that their experience builds their self-esteem, curiosity, and artistic skills.Read more>>

Shayna Piva

When I had my first son in 2021 I had the hardest time finding clothes and accessories that fit the style we were looking for. Everything was always colorful, dinosaurs and loud designs that didn’t really align with our style. The quality was also an issue when shopping for boys clothes too so I decided I would take it into my own hands. That’s when Young and Rad was born. In the beginning I really did it mostly for us but there quickly became a demand for the styles to be available publicly so I began to launch our line and it really just took off from there. Read more>>

Francisco Crow | Graphic Designer / Musician

Good question. The most important lesson I’ve learned is really a two-parter.

1. Mistakes are lessons on the road to success.
2. You must make things fun or else it becomes a burden.

I’ve learned if I frame most of my tasks as a game in the pursuit of fun, it becomes an easier to deal with the mistakes. It’s very much like a Video game theory. In the beginning of learning a skill or completing a task you’re not familiar with, you just mash the buttons together hoping to defeat the sub-bosses. Then you realize that there’s a pattern or there’s a work around. “OH, I have to block here and jump there then use the flaming sword of death.” Sooner or later, you defeat that boss until you get to the next level, where you learn more skills. Read more>>

Kaanchan Shrivastava Farkiya | Actor, Beauty Queen & Educator

I was born and raised in India. I have been culturally and music-loving. My dad was a government excise officer, a singer, a mathematician, a painter, an amazing dad, and a great human being. My father used to sing on the radio stations. My mom was a theatre artist. This pattern certainly resides in my personality. My father’s passion for singing and my mother’s experience in theatre have influenced my interests in music and acting. These shared hobbies have been a source of joy and creative expression. Growing up in a household where imagination and artistic expression were encouraged, I was surrounded by the vibrant world of theater, film, and visual arts from a young age. Read more>>

Luz Nino Ortiz | Founder and owner of Lumière Café Colombiano

Lumière was created from the inspiration of my home country. I brought my husband to visit a coffee field for the first time in the mountains of Boyacá Colombia. The main idea behind Lumiere is to provide the same passion that comes from the care and love of growing Coffee in Colombia. To share this dedication with the rest of the world. One bag of coffee at a time. Read more>>

Donald Burlock

When I started my career in engineering, I discovered that there was a big part of me that consistently looked for purpose-driven endeavors. Over time, as a gravitated more towards product design and development, my attraction to taking calculated risks seemed to grow. As I spent more time working in big tech companies with other designers and engineers, taking a risk was very much a part of development experience. The more innovative the project, the greater the risks. It helped me build a healthy tolerance for risk, while also gaining experience in how to approach risk with degrees of responsibility. Read more>>