Let me introduce you to Nomad—one of the very first pencil sketches I ever did, back when my mind was a wild mix of burnout, confusion, and hope. And yes, I get it—why a skull? Bit intense, right? But trust me, there’s a story in those hollow eyes.
A year ago, I made the terrifying leap from my 23-year nursing career into the unknown. I walked away from a world of safety and stability, from a role that had me in the thick of emergency rooms, disaster zones, and aged/palliative care wards. I didn’t leave with a physical illness, but my mental health. Fried. Burnout is real, and it leaves you feeling empty—like a shell of who you once were.
That’s where Nomad came in. This skull wasn’t just a random doodle; it was symbolic. It represented leaving behind the constant proximity to death and sickness. But it also captured how I felt: hollow, stripped down to the core. Yet, there was gratitude in that sketch. Beneath all the burnout, I still had my skeleton—my core structure. And without a skeleton, we’re just a ball of mush, right? (Welcome to the quirky inner workings of my brain!)
Fast forward to today: I’ve rebuilt from that skeleton. Learned Adobe Illustrator. Transformed my doodles into digital designs for fabric. And now, I’m circling back to Nomad. This sketch is getting new life as I add more to it—simple pleasures and moments that helped me crawl back to wellness. Soon, Nomad will live on T-shirts, available through print-on-demand on my site.
I know mental health struggles are something many of us face. If Nomad resonates with you, maybe it’s a reminder that even when you feel stripped bare, you’ve still got a foundation to build on. My art won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you dig it, know you’re supporting a local artist on a raw, messy, beautiful journey.
Stay tuned for the Nomad collection—it’s coming soon.
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