Every piece of art I create holds a story, but this one took me by surprise in a touching way! I recently made a new friend, someone who, like me, was adopted and has carried the weight of that journey. Though he had never opened up much about his story, I knew he had gone through a lot. He has an adopted son, and I had the privilege of inviting him to the No More Orphans Experience, an event close to my heart.

After the event, he came up to me with something incredible. He showed me a picture of his son—a child I had never met—and that’s when I realized I had already painted a picture of his son. Without even knowing it, I had created something that spoke directly to his heart and family.

It’s moments like this that remind me why I do what I do. My prayer is always that my art speaks hope, and in this case, that prayer was answered in a way I never expected. Art has the power to connect us in ways we can’t always explain, and I’m grateful for every opportunity to create that connection.