Ever since graduating high school and my decision to not attend art school, I’ve felt like I was trapped in an artistic desert. I kept going to networking events, and even hosting my own, in hopes of meeting an artist that I could truly connect with.

It wasn’t until I finally let go of my need to collaborate, and I instead focused on my own growth–on making myself a person skilled enough so that I’d become a desirable collaboration partner-that the door was finally opened for me to meet such a person.

Meeting Brandon was like coming home. After meeting at a figure drawing session, we talked for hours at a cafe. It was nice connecting with somebody that was so open to my alternative viewpoints and had the same creative lens through which he viewed the world. His obsession with bears is charming.

It’s interesting how the most valuable people in your life seem to present themselves when you least expect it.