After a High School Student Asked If I'd Followed My Dream, I Realized I Needed to Quit Teaching. This Year My Business Is On Track to Make $200K.

"I started teaching at an arts preschool, which was a really low stakes but exciting way for me to dip my toe into the field of education because these little kids were so free with their movements and their appro"

"I was like, Okay. I can see them doing this. This is an attainable thing for me."

"She has an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and taught high school full time before leaving teaching in September 2025 to focus on her studio business - and triple her income. She averages $10,000 to $15,000 a month."

"Her involvement with , a creative business consultancy and co-op founded by Kim Robinson Jr. to help independent artists and makers build sustainable practices, helped her learn the business fundamentals."

A sculptural furniture and lighting designer moved to New York City in 2010 after studying sculpture and drawing with printmaking. She worked as an artist assistant fabricating major works, including projects connected to the Venice Biennale and Madison Square Park, which helped her see large-scale making as attainable. She began teaching to create a more sustainable income while saving for studio space and preparing a graduate school portfolio. She later earned an MFA from RISD and taught high school full time. In September 2025 she left teaching to focus on her studio business, tripling her income and averaging $10,000 to $15,000 per month. Business support from a creative consultancy and co-op helped her learn fundamentals.

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